The colors of Colchicum flowers
David Ehrlich (Fri, 21 Dec 2012 10:53:59 PST)

What makes Colchicum so different?  I have found similar problems with many
plants.  Last Spring I ordered some arillate Irises from ASI.  I found that not
infrequently the descriptions and the color photographs differed by so much I
wondered whether they were describing the same plant.  There are adequate
reasons for these differences: of course, the lighting; surprisingly, also, the
background; color names used by the describer might be interpreted as a rather
different color by the reader; adjectives like deep, long, narrow, etc. have
always been problematic at best.

Unlike you, I have found the best time to photograph to be on slightly overcast
days, when the flower is evenly lit; the colors stay put; and don't overwhelm. 
But that's a personal preference.

David E.

________________________________
From: Jim McKenney <jamesamckenney@verizon.net>
It isn't easy for me to describe the colors of colchicums, and I've found that
printed descriptions and catalog illustrations are frequently misleading. Even
carefully done photographs can be misleading, at least in the sense that the
apparent color of a colchicum flower depends on the light conditions.  ... as
Bowles pointed out long ago, seen in the low sunlight of late afternoon they can
be wonderful indeed.