Onion Bloom

This image was photographed right in my garden. Earlier in the spring, my father gave me several onion plants for the new garden, so when they eventually started flowering, the subject immediately felt meaningful to me.
What first caught my attention was the beautiful pink color, something that is a little rarer in my work. I was also drawn to this particular flower because it was only partially open. The petals formed a subtle V shape near the base of the bloom, naturally guiding the eye upward toward the center of the subject.

[SCENE SETUP]
A partially opened onion flower (1) photographed in the garden. A vertical composition was chosen to emphasize the height of the stem and the elegant shape of the flower. A foreground leaf (8) was added near the bottom of the frame to create depth and help anchor the composition. The image was captured using a tilt lens (7) mounted on a focus rail, allowing precise control over the plane of focus and focus stacking process.

[LIGHT PLACEMENT]
(2) amaran Ace 25c (back left)
Placed behind and slightly to the left of the subject to create a distinctive halo along the stem and establish the primary lighting direction.
(3) Flexible LED Light (top right)
Used to illuminate the upper right portion of the flower and reveal texture within the petals.
(4) Flexible LED Light (right side stem)
Placed lower on the right side to illuminate the stem and create additional separation from the background.
(5) amaran Ace 25c (pink/magenta)
Set to a pink-magenta color and aimed through the sage plant (6) to create a dreamy out-of-focus background and reinforce the romantic mood of the image.

[KEY SETTINGS]
f/4 · 1/160s · ISO 100
~30 images (focus stack)
Underexposed by ~2 to 3 stops

[INTENT]
Create an elegant and romantic portrait of an onion flower while using color and lighting to separate the subject from the background.

[KEY IDEA]
Color can be used to create mood just as effectively as light can be used to create depth.

Explanation

What makes this image work is the combination of shape, color, and simplicity.
The partially opened flower naturally creates a visual path that leads the eye upward, while the vertical composition reinforces that movement. The soft pink and magenta tones in the background complement the flower without competing for attention.
The halo running along the stem helps separate the subject from the darker background, while the subtle lighting on the petals reveals texture and detail without making the image feel overlit.
The overall result feels calm, elegant, and slightly romantic.

Gear Used

– Canon R5
– 85mm Tilt Lens
– Focus Rail
– amaran Ace 25c (x2)
– Adaptalux Flexible LED Lights

Settings

Camera: Canon R5
Lens: 85mm Tilt Lens
Aperture: f/4
Shutter Speed: 1/160s
ISO: 100
Focus stacking: ~30 images
Focus rail increments: ~0.5 mm

Breakdown

I started by selecting this particular onion flower because it was only partially open. The shape of the petals formed a natural V pattern near the base of the bloom, which helped guide the eye toward the center of the flower.
To create more control over the scene, I underexposed the image by roughly two to three stops before adding any artificial lighting.
The first light I introduced was the amaran Ace 25c (2), placed behind and slightly to the left of the subject. This created a distinctive halo along the stem and established the primary direction of light.
Next, I added a flexible LED light (3) from the upper right side to illuminate the petals and reveal texture within the flower.
A second flexible LED light (4) was placed lower on the right side to highlight the stem and create additional separation.
At this point the subject was working well, but the background lacked atmosphere. To solve this, I placed a second Ace 25c (5) behind a sage plant (6) and set the color to a pink-magenta tone. This created the soft dreamy background and reinforced the romantic feeling I wanted for the image.
Finally, I added a leaf (8) near the bottom of the frame. This small addition helped create depth and visually anchor the flower within the composition.
The image was captured using a tilt lens (7) mounted on a focus rail. I used approximately 30 images, moving the rail about half a millimeter between each exposure to achieve full front-to-back sharpness.
I also tilted the lens slightly to better align the plane of focus with the subject, reducing the amount of focus stacking required while maintaining sharpness throughout the flower.

Quick Tip

When using a manual lens and a focus rail, keeping the setup perfectly stable is critical. A wireless trigger can save a significant amount of time compared to using a timer and reduces the chance of movement between exposures.
If your lens allows tilt movements, take advantage of them. Matching the plane of focus to the subject can reduce the number of images needed and make the stacking process much easier.

Final Thoughts

I think this image feels romantic, not only because of the colors, but also because it reminds me where these onions came from. Sometimes the story behind a subject becomes part of the final image, whether people know it or not.

Watch the process