One of my favourite flowers on my balcony is the pasque flower or Pulsatilla. Its big violet flower heads reliably show up in spring and provide nectar, pollen and shelter for bees and bumblebees. Also they are very pretty and decorative and they have a nice long flowering period. They also come in different shades like ruby red and white. Pasque flowers are a popular motiv for photographers because the whole plant is densely covered with soft little white hairs. Those hairs scatter light and produce beautiful effects if images are taken from the right angle, especially in the light of early mornings or at dawn. Here, I was too lazy to get up early, but I could use a black background to achieve a contrasting effect.
In the wild pasque flowers grow on sunny, calcium-rich soils and are under protection in Central Europe. They are toxic and have been used as traditional medical plants.
I love the complementary contrast of violet and bright yellow. In the images above the hairs are not readily visible due to the brighter background.
Lesnik Photos 