Description: An orchid in full bloom
Background: Last Father’s Day, my daughter gifted me this orchid. At the time, it was in full bloom, and, after a few months, the blooms fell off. Having heard that orchids were notoriously difficult to grow and maintain, I assumed those were the last flowers I would see. Then, in early September, a tip of a new leaf peeked out of the folds of the plant! I took care to stick to a strict watering regime—four ice cubes each Saturday—and to apply the plant food my wife gave me. Then, to my surprise, a new flower shoot appeared, and by early February, new buds appeared. By the first week of March, I had a few flowers, then on March 11, 2026, my orchid returned to its former glory! I know flowers bloom all the time, but each time I witness it, the wonder of it all is undiminished.
Technical: Sony Alpha 7 II, Minolta AF 50mm f/1.4 (at f/1.4), ISO 320— soft, afternoon sun through a west-facing window.
Comments: My initial goal in taking this picture was to assess how the Minolta AF 50mm f/1.4 performs wide-open. At this point, I had not learned how to set the camera for focus peaking, so focusing was done without any electronic assistance. Focus is centered on the left petal of the second blossom from the right.
On looking at the image on my Mac, I was shocked by the bokeh’s gentleness and by how well the lens performed at f/1.4. However, the bigger surprise was how well the Sony A7 II captured the orchid’s color. Every test I’ve tried with this camera has yielded colors that I thought were unattainable without a CCD sensor.
Beauty—what a great Father’s Day gift!
