DonnaYoung.org

Sunflower

admin @ 6 July 2007
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http://donnayoung.org

Sunflower scanned at 100%. Actual Size is 3.5 inchesWhile working in the garden yesterday, I found a sunflower bloom on the ground. I do not know why it fell off the stem. I brought the sunflower inside to scan close up images of its parts. The image to the left is scanned at 100%. If you would like to see the rest of the images, please keep reading.

This particular sunflower blossom is a small one, only 3.5 inches across, counting its petals. It came from a branched sunflower plant. The flower is in what sunflower experts would call stage 5.6. Stage 5 indicates the ray flowers are open. The decimal indicates what percentage of the center disk flowers is open. In this case, 5.6 means 60% are open. A sunflower center consists of many tiny flowers (disk flowers) and row by row, from outside to center, they open. The big yellow petals are the ray flowers; they serve as the landing strip indicators for bees to land. All sorts of bees visit the little flowers.

200%

Sunflower center scanned at 200%. Actual center size is 1.5 inches.

400%

Sunflower scanned at 400%.

1000%

Sunflower scanned at 1000%. Shows pistils and stamens of the tiny flowers.

Halves


Sunflower Halves at 100%

After scanning several more images, up to 2000%, I did the next most logical step; I cut the flower in half. Now I will show you three more pictures from the batch of images. The images of the halves seem creepy to me.

Halves at 200%. Images shows immature sunflower seeds.

500% Developing seeds are easier to see.

1500% An even better look at the developing seeds

In these images, you can see the developing seeds.

In case anyone is curious, the scanner I have is an Epson Perfection 1200U. I bought it 7 or more years ago. I use the scanner’s twain program in the advanced mode to set the percentages.

I hope you have a lovely day.

Copyright © 2007 by

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  1. Wow, those are great images. smile I love the ones you cut in half. Never thought of doing that before. Of course, I do not have any sunflowers to do that with. :roll: Thanks for sharing the pictures. Now I wish my scanner would talk to my computer. sad

    — Michelle · Jul 6, 09:42 AM · #

  2. Donna, you are just to cool for words!

    You did this on your scanner? or with a microscope?

    — Tanya · Jul 6, 09:50 AM · #

  3. WOW! How do you get your scanner to do that.... I suspect it is a bit fancier than mine...

    — Barbra-Sue · Jul 6, 12:06 PM · #

  4. Barbra-Sue, I used the Twain driver and for the black background, leave the lid open. I would not think my scanner is anything special. I simply go through the twain program when I scan.

    Tanya, they were all done on the scanner. I have used my scanner like this for years. it is a nice and easy way to get an up close look at something.

    Now I wish my scanner would talk to my computer.
    :( You needed a driver, but couldn`t find one, right?

    I was a bit apprehensive when I bought my XP computer. Luckily the company made a driver for my scanner that worked with XP.

    — Donna Young · Jul 6, 03:21 PM · #

  5. "You needed a driver, but couldn

    — Michelle · Jul 6, 04:14 PM · #

  6. Poisoned it, did you? laughing

    In that case, I omitted one bit of information. When I scan a flower or pile of dirt or something, I open an image program first.

    Then from the file menu, there is something like "Acquire Image" or "Import."

    After selecting "Acquire Image" or "Import", I have to choose "Select Source."

    And then, I select my scanner`s Twain.

    THEN, finally, I choose "Acquire Image" or "Import" again, and select the twain.

    That sounds so complicated but it isn`t. Just have a look at this webpage:
    Accessing TWAIN http://donnayoung.org/forms/help/twain.htm

    — Donna Young · Jul 6, 05:40 PM · #

  7. That is just so cool Donna.
    This is why I love your web site & blog, you make even what seems ordinary into a learning experience for me - and sometimes I pass it on to my kids. :roll:

    I loved the pictures but even more is the technical stuff of how you do things. I`ll be checking out that TWAIN link and see what that is all about.

    Would PhotoShop be a good program to use w/something like this?

    — Elaine · Jul 6, 06:32 PM · #

  8. I think the split flower is worth framing. :D Going now to look at that wonderful webpage.

    — Michelle · Jul 6, 08:24 PM · #

  9. Elaine, scroll down the page and you`ll see where Donna gave the information for photoshop.

    Well as of right now, I can`t do it. I do not know if it is because my scanner is not hooked up to the computer or not.

    I`ll have to make the hubs fix what he broke and come back here and give it a try. :D

    Thanks Donna. As always you`re the best. poke

    — Michelle · Jul 6, 08:31 PM · #

  10. Those are really neat. I think the halves are a little creepy too. wink They look like little squids ready to burst from their birth place. big smile

    — Tressa · Jul 7, 02:33 PM · #

  11. hmmm, will have to see if I can do this with my scanner.

    — michiellee · Jul 7, 08:31 PM · #

  12. Those images are works of art! Very cool. cool

    — Tresses · Jul 8, 12:50 AM · #

  13. The half-sunflowers picture is actually quite interesting and I guess I agree, appealing, in a creepy sort of way.
    I`ll be searching for Twain tomorrow. ;)

    — Sheri · Jul 8, 01:27 AM · #

  14. Donna, there is an art exhibit at the Smithsonian by a guy who does this as his art. I have to laugh...when I saw the exhibit, all I could think was how exquisite the photographs were...then sat and watched a video on how he does it.
    Scanner just like you are doing....I was so indignant. As a photographer I kept saying he was cheating....but the images you can get are so striking.

    Who knew....You could be doing an exhibit at the Smithsonian.

    I would love a print of the cut in half sunflower.....
    Here is the exhibit and photographer...Robert Creamer
    http://www.mnh.si.edu/exhibits/creamer/

    I think you will enjoy pictures...

    — ginger · Jul 8, 01:31 AM · #

  15. Thank you for the link Ginger. I did enjoy looking at the images and couldn`t help thinking that I`ve been scanning plants specimens for years and I wouldn`t mind doing that for a living.


    I have some of my older scanned specimens on the YoungMinds CD-Rom at Science | Ground Team | Album.


    The Bug-Eaten-Oak Leaf is made with my scanner as well as my bug movies.

    — Donna Young · Jul 8, 12:31 PM · #

  16. That is neat, Donna! I wouldn`t mind doing that for a living, either. laughing

    — Melanie · Jul 8, 10:30 PM · #

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