Rosemallows

Of all the photographs I have taken, this image of rosemallow on the Patuxent is one of my favorites.  This bush has been there for years, with it's feet underwater at high tide.  Someone put a huge tractor tire over it at some point in the past.  Last year, however, it looked as though it was dying.  Bees and hummingbirds both routinely visit for it's nectar.

During the film era, there were a multitude of filters that could be used to correct color problems (e.g., the greenish colorcast from shooting under fluorescent lights could be neutralized with a magenta filter).  Most filters are no longer needed because camera settings can be changed "on the fly" without changing the film.  These days, if you own only a polarizing filter, almost all other photographic problems have "work-arounds."

There are still one or two filters that do not have an easy work-around, though.  On this image, I used another filter that is not easily simulated in post processing - a blue and gold polarizer made by Singh Ray.  Depending on how you turn the filter, either hues of blue or yellow are enhanced while also absorbing stray light reflections.  The filter was used in this photo to intensify the blue of the water without effecting other colors in the image.  You can see how the warm white blooms are unaffected by the use of the filter.  When scanning through photos looking for something in particular, I always linger a little longer over this image when I come across it.