Snowdrop from below.

[rosko]

So you pick the flower before you shoot, i should adopt that approach as well, lovely image Francis.

Yes, Fons, this shot was made indoor, as I wanted to show the heart of this flower. No feasible in present weather condition whatsoever in the field as the smallest draught will ruin your shot.

But I am sure is possible in the field early in the morning in a sheltered area, if you like laying on the dew...  ;DDon't forget the mirror !;)

Thanks for your comment,

Francis.

Nota : below, how I made the picture. Using the floral foam is the best as it's very soft material and you can make a hole before insert this very fragile stalk in it. If you want any background just hold a piece of painted cardboard above the flower.

[rosko]

When I shoot picked flowers in a studio setting I personnaly feel like a cheater ...

Well, I sometimes adopt a pragmatic approach. Why not ?

There is not cheating when you explain how you made a picture.

You should ask Michael Erlewine what is his opinion about that.

[John Geerts]

Creative approach and beautiful result, Francis !

[rosko]

Creative approach and beautiful result, Francis !

Thanks for your kind comments, John !

[Gary]

Nice, Francis.  I will keep the mirror option tucked away for retrieval when necessary.

[rosko]

Nice, Francis.  I will keep the mirror option tucked away for retrieval when necessary.

I always keep a small one in my bag, even if I don't use it often.

Thanks, Gary, for passing by.

[Gary]

And I'll even print out the sketch for reference.   

[Frank Fremerey]

lots of food for thought in this thread. Until now I used Mirrors to get better perspective on skies in cluttered envionments. But this idea in close up work is special. Thank you.

[rosko]

And I'll even print out the sketch for reference. 

Please, feel free, gary !

[rosko]

But this idea in close up work is special. Thank you.

It can apply for crawling creatures like caterpillar. Using mirror attached to an arm clamped on tripod..

[charlie]

I might suggest that if you are planning to shoot through a mirror you may want to use a front/first surface mirror. Most mirrors are back/second surface mirrors where light refracts through glass on its way to and from the mirrored surface which adds a doubled reflection, as seen in the snowdrop picture here.

Small front surface mirrors can be found at places like surplusshed.com
Large front surface mirrors can be salvaged out of those big screen rear projection televisions that people leave on the sidewalks these days.

[rosko]

as seen in the snowdrop picture here.

I see what you mean. I can't notice any ''parasite'' image even while scrutating around the flower. Perhaps your screen is better that mine.

Optically, your analyse makes sense as there are 2 surfaces which create reflections inside the glass blade, hence a second image coming by refraction.

The small mirror used here is very thin, so I think that minimizes this issue.

Thanks, Charlie, for pointing it out,

Francis.

[ColinM]

Great thread - thank you for the original image and also the clear explanation of your technique Rosko.
And I've never come across the word peduncle before!

I'm glad Charlie raised the question of standard glass-fronted mirrors too.
For those of you who bring plants back home, how do you support them if you don't use the "oasis" foam?

If anyone else wants to post more technique-based threads, please go ahead. I'm always happy to consider a new approach to something I'd never considered trying before, or something I thought I had sussed out.

[rosko]

Thanks, Colin, I am glad you like this thread !

You can use a glass filled with fine sand.

I use sometimes ''blue tack'' to stick my subject on any support. handle with care when you kneed the blue tack around the stalk of your plant.

[charlie]

I see what you mean. I can't notice any ''parasite'' image even while scrutating around the flower. Perhaps your screen is better that mine.

It's very subtle, but if you look at the lower edge of the pedal that extends to the left of the frame I can see a slight doubling of the image. There is also a slight lens flare that looks doubled in the corner. None of this takes away from your lovely image of course, as it's only noticeable under OCD scrutinization :-)