The Queen of the Night [Selenicerus grandiflora] is a night blooming Cereus cacti. The blossom opens with dark fall, to the fullest at midnight. Past midnight the blossom will slowly close. It dies with the first daylight. I used ordinary flashlights since the camera flash seems too hard. A few spots [mosquitoes] in the black area were cleaned up and the image was slightly cropped but is otherwise unmodified.
The Picture was taken at 11:00pm on April 21 this year at the Yucatan Peninsula in the State of Quintana Roo, Mexico. The Queen of the Night is native to the area and blooms between April and June on Jungle edges and clearings.
Camera Sony DSC-H9
Exposure 1/50 sec
Focal length 23 mm
F# f/3.5
Max. Aperture 2.875