Hello, all you night owls! Pat, I can't say enough... gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous!!! Choose a favorite? I don't think I can! I like them all! I can definitely see the H. aulicum in your cross, and I love that red! H. aulicum must be the English Bulldog of the Hippi world, with very strong genes! As for the epiphytic growth... I've always loved seeing how you do that! I had thought of using a coco lined basket and an orchid medium to try growing a few of my bulbs. Maybe I'll give it a try this summer. All in all, I'm very impressed! Phenomenal photos, Pat! Thanks for sharing! My ex was Navy, and was very disappointed to find out that his partial colorblindness would keep him from being a Seal. He did two tours on the USS Truxton. Me, I've never been diving, though I've always found it interesting. It's probably safer if I just watch it on tv! :-)

Tom....any help would be very much appreciated. I love that photo that you posted. What are the specific names of your othonnas...and any idea where one could find these beauties? I tried a search on Yahoo and only found seeds...the only seeds I've ever been able to germinate have been tomato and marigold!! LOL I'd love to have at least one...with the nice trunk. Thanks so much! Fondly, Patrick

This looks like a hand colored photograph, except that it is painted on canvas. I'm not sure if they did that back in the 1800's or not, but that's what it looks like to me. My dad was doing hand-coloring of photographs at one time back in the early 40's but all of his work was on paper images. If this was a relative of mine I would be inclined to spend some bucks to have it restored and also to find out through geneological research all I could about the subject person and possibly the painter/photographer. The wood mounting block appears to be mahogany. The damage is so extensive on the canvas under the picture, it will not likely ever be worth anything other than as a family heirloom. But it sure would be nice to know something about it. I find it fascinating. Also I would have it restored to it's original frame. That's just me, though, I like old stuff to look like it did originally, even if it costs money to make it so. My dad bought an antique press-back chair at a garage sale for $2 and I paid $108 to have the seat recaned. There were much less expensive ways to have it done, but the way it was originally done was the old weaving method and I wanted the restoration to be authentic. Was it worth it? To me it was, even though I don't know anything else about the chair except that it's really, really old and very, very pretty. I guess you'd have to decide how much this item means to you. Personally, I think you have a priceless family treasure and if it were mine I'd probably be a little excited about it. (yeah, right, just a little - YAHOO!!!!! ZOWEEEEEE, EEEEYAAAAA, YOWZAAA, IT'S MINE ALL MINE ALL MINE Mwaaa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!!! (doing!! the!!! happy!!! dance!!), etc, etc) But that's just me. Cheryl

Wear a color close to the complexion of the skin. That why the exposure isn't off. IF you have darker skin but wear a bright white shirt then contrast of the tones will place havoc on the metering and the exposure of the picture. For example, with darker skin you might have to pump out more power to properly expose the skin color, that pump of power might cause the white clothes to be over exposed. IF you have white skin, flash power is powered down to properly expose the skin, and if your wearing a dark fabric, then it becomes underexposed, a dark blob. Nothing too bright nothing too dark and you ll be fine, you are going to a pro so if make a tad bit easier for him it should turn out great...also stay away from sheen material...oh the pain of taking pictures of wedding dresses.