Daphne mezereum

• English: Daphne or Mezereon
• Swedish: Tibast
• Finnish: Näsiä

I think that daphne is a special flower. It grows early in the season, it grows straight from the stem in small trees and the scent is enchanting. I could smell the flowers long before I saw them and although I’m normally not a friend of strong scents, I make an exception with daphne. But as intriguing the flower is to experience, as difficult it is to photograph. Normally the flowers form a thin long bloom; it’s a compositional challenge, as framing a long stalk makes for a static image even if you find a diagonal one or deliberately tilt the camera. It also grows high from the ground so including any context is difficult (yes, said by someone who normally tries to isolate the subject from the context). Not to mention that this high position makes the plant very susceptible to wind so a calm day or a lot of patience is required. To top it all off, you have to watch your exposure. The petals have a rough texture which reflects the least bit of light, so the pictures may turn up overexposed even when you carefully metered the flower and underexposed half a stop.I was lucky to get a relatively calm day so subject movement wasn’t a problem. My challenge for the day was to find an ”un-daphne” like bloom to overcome the flowers-on-a-stick issue. When I finally found it, it almost composed itself – a split branch with flowers on both sides to fill up the frame. All I needed then was to wait for the light to happen, which took a while because my daphne grows in the forest so the light is patchy and fleeting. The end result? A daphne image I am finally happy with, but as always, I’m already thinking how I could do it better!

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Image specs: ISO 200, f5.6, 1/100, Canon 300mm f4L w/ 31mm extension tube