Sometimes the best color is no color

I always feel mixed emotions whenever I try to photograph red flowers. Discovering deep carmine red blooms always fills me with joy; but I perpetually fail to duplicate their true beauty and intensity with my camera. My frustration continues when I sit down to edit the images. Usually I wind up with something more pink than what I believe is the true color. I’m sure there must be methods of producing more tone accuracy, but I haven’t learned them yet. On top of that, the red camellias in our yard are always pinkish-red to my eye. So I was amazed a few days ago when I walked outside and noticed a single camellia, newly opened and as richly red as I could ever imagine. I knew it would probably be futile, but I just had to try and shoot a picture of that color. I tried four different cameras and multiple settings, and then spent quite a bit of time fiddling with my editing software. In the end, these were the best I could do, and I’m still not satisfied. Oh, and within a few days that lovely red had faded to the now-familiar pinkish hue.