P30_706

The groom’s visit
At a certain time of day, our illustrious guest released the irresistible fragrance. The orchid’s pollinator, a large, noisy bee known as a mamangava or mangangá (genus Bombus), came to visit the flower again and again. The wooer came, adding more wonders. Yes, the courtier comes to flower to perfume himself, as this is part of his mating ritual. The gallant will arrive all fragrant in front of his partner for the enchantment of life.
I confess that I got in the way of the groom in the hectic search for my frame, he had a lot of patience, despite, at a certain moment, changed the focus from the flower to me. He came right in front of my face and, threatening, hovered in a suspended flight and stayed there for a few seconds… I froze. And it was a good tactic, as he returned to the flower without further consequences. It was a warning I heeded carefully avoiding interfering with the groom’s operation.
And how could we fail to be enchanted by us too, humans of free will, challenged at every moment to choose between ignorance and beauty. An ineffable intelligence reflected in the mirror of my camera and etched itself on the silver salts, sealed in darkness and finally revealed to show the essentials.
And yet a poet came to my house and created another fortunate event (see below).

P30_706 – Leonide Principe
Camera Nikon F5 with Micro Nikkor lens 60mm f2.8 – Diapositive Film Fujichrome Velvia 50 – Scanner: Nikon SUPER COOLSCAN 5000 ED
Digitised from a positive on film
Original file size: 5317px x 3572px
Location Taken: BR174, km 34 (Manaus – Amazonas Brazil)
Date Taken: 1997
Collection: Orchids – Persons shown: none
Keywords:
Catasetum longifolium, orquídeas, orchids, flores, bloom, blooming, blossom, flowers, FLORA, plantas, plants, Manaus, Manaos, Amazonas, Amazônia, Amazon, Amazonian, Brazil, Brasil, Brazilian, América do Sul, South America, mamangava, Bombus sp, bumblebee, mangangá, abelhas, bees, insetos, insects, FAUNA, animals, epífitas, epiphyte
EN2 The groom’s visit P30_706
PT2 A visita do noivo P30_706
© – Leonide Principe, all right reserved
www.leonideprincipe.site

P30_705

Poet’s orchid
Catasetum longifolium flower
Catasetum photography required to climb a buriti palm (Mauritia flexuosa), where it normally grows just below the palms. The orchid pollinator is a large noisy bee known as a bumblebee (genus Bombus).
The orchid was rescued before the palm tree was felled. The photo was produced on the floor, with a flash, at night.

P30_705 – Leonide Principe
Camera Nikon F5 with Micro Nikkor lens 60mm f2.8 – Diapositive Film Fujichrome Velvia 50 – Scanner: Nikon SUPER COOLSCAN 5000 ED
Digitised from a positive on film
Original file size: 5317px x 3572px
Location Taken: BR174, km 34 (Manaus – Amazonas Brazil)
Date Taken: 1997
Collection: Orchids – Persons shown: none
Keywords:
Catasetum longifolium, orquídeas, orchids, flores, bloom, blooming, blossom, flowers, FLORA, plantas, plants, Manaus, Manaos, Amazonas, Amazônia, Amazon, Amazonian, Brazil, Brasil, Brazilian, América do Sul, South America, epífitas, epiphyte
EN1 Poet’s orchid P30_705
PT1 Orquídea do poeta P30_705
© – Leonide Principe, all right reserved
www.leonideprincipe.site

P30_704-thiago

Poet’s visit
“Thiago, let’s go to my house, I want to introduce you to a very special being…” So I said to the poet, simply these few words, and then, when we arrived at the destination, we went straight to my backyard, where the words were tamed until the silence. We both changed interlocutors. The being was there, serene, serening. He, the poet, began a silent and intense understanding with the new majestic actress of the stage. Me, the photographer, I watched through my lens, with the purpose of capturing that magical moment. The purest sensations of sight, touch and smell were gently sublimated in a dialogue of intense emotion. All the feelings in his soul instantly overflowed in his facial expression and the movement of his hands, translated into a reverent admiration. The magical contemplative moment lasted for several indefinite minutes and I, bathing the film in my camera with that light, sharing the glow of that emotion in my soul too… … I felt that we shared the same affection for these extraordinary life forms, dwellers high in the forest.

I feel now, in the rereading of this text, after so many years, I feel that the essential is not subject to the law of time: we say that Thiago passed away. Poor stubborn humanity! Yes, humanity is subject to the law of time, in the strenuous search for the essential, which is almost always denied. But we want to believe that there is a new era to come. And you, Thiago, now freed from the shackles, from Mount Parnassus, can you suggest this revision of the text, as you have done on other occasions. Thank you very much, poet! See you soon!

Born in the Amazon, in Barreirinha, on March 30, 1926, Amadeu Thiago de Mello was a Brazilian poet, journalist and translator. He was considered one of the most influential and respected poets in the country, recognized as an icon of regional literature.

Source: Wikipedia.

P30_704

Delicate shapes
The orchid complete in all its splendor, photographed at night, in my backyard, waiting for the poet’s visit, photographed in all its purity, without any other distraction, to exalt even more its delicate forms.

P30_704 – Leonide Principe
Camera Nikon F5 with Micro Nikkor lens 60mm f2.8 – Diapositive Film Fujichrome Velvia 50 – Scanner: Nikon SUPER COOLSCAN 5000 ED
Digitised from a positive on film
Original file size: 3528px x 5317px
Location Taken: BR174, km 34 (Manaus – Amazonas Brazil)
Date Taken: 1997
Collection: Orchids – Persons shown: none
Keywords:
Catasetum longifolium, orquídeas, orchids, flores, bloom, blooming, blossom, flowers, FLORA, plantas, plants, Manaus, Manaos, Amazonas, Amazônia, Amazon, Amazonian, Brazil, Brasil, Brazilian, América do Sul, South America, epífitas, epiphyte
EN3 Delicate shapes P30_704
PT3 Delicadas formas P30_704
© – Leonide Principe, all right reserved
www.leonideprincipe.site