This is a photo I took of some very unusual flowers that grow in the dark of the forest. My friend Dave discovered them on his farm and asked me to come photograph them. Wow.. I have never seen anything like it. Apparently, they are called Indian Pipe, Ghost Flower or Corpse Flower and they are a true flower! We had originally thought they were some kind of fungus, like mushrooms, because of the white opaque color but the reason they are completely white is because they lack chlorophyll which is what makes plants green and allows them to photosynthesize light in order to absorb nutrients. They have a direct relationship with the surrounding trees as they get their food source through their root system from the tree roots… and to do that they utilize a fungus to transport the nutrients. Interesting huh?! I love discovering and seeing new things, this is what makes photography so fulfilling for me.
I took the picture without a flash and in the low light the photo seemed to be a bit noisy so I used my digital painting program to smooth and blend away the noise. I also added in highlights and shading to emphasize the ‘ghostly’ appearance.