‹ Previous Macro & Close-up Gallery Next ›

Siberian Iris Abstract 2

Gallery: Macro & Close-upPosted February 26, 2010425 views19 comments

Another gloomy, dreary, snowy day here. But not as bad as the east coast. So, I will count my blessings. And here is a second in a series of captures from my session with the bunch of Siberian Irises I bought last week. The Irises are now in the final stages of their lives and are well past their prime, but the images I was fortunate enough to capture will provide me with glimpses of beauty for years to come.

Setting - dining room table;
Lighting - north window light through a bay window;
Backdrop - black cloth fabric

Equipment - Canon 5DMII, 300mm F/4.0 IS L lens w/25mm extension tube, ISO "L" (50), RAW, manual mode, exposure between 1/2 and 1 stop under meter reading, mirror lock-up enabled, Bogen/Manfrotto 3021 tripod w/410 mini geared ball head; remote release

Post capture processing -
Lightroom 2.x, tweaking black, clarity, vibrance, saturation, and individual color sliders;
Photoshop -
Nik Color Efex 3.0 filters - Midnight series, Brilliance/Warmth, Darken/Lighten Center, Pro Contrast;
Alien Skin - Bokeh;
PixelGenius - PhotoKit Sharpener

Comments

19 comments

Comment posted by Daniel & Loana on February 26, 2010 at 4:50 PM

I really like the colours and the pattern of this subect.

Really nice!

D&L

Registered on October 7, 2008, 166 Posts, 3044 Comments

Comment posted by Dan Borzynski on February 26, 2010 at 6:51 PM

Well... If I have to be picky, since the left side is more heavily weighted with the flower, I am wondering if rotating to a vertical might be a good idea.

Beyond that, it is pretty hard to say something negative.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 109 Posts, 799 Comments

Comment posted by Steven M Kahn on February 26, 2010 at 7:26 PM

Thank you Daniele and Loana. Thank you Dan. I think I did try it as a portrait, but felt that keeping it as a landscape is the stronger composition. As a landscape, the yellow "stuff" leads the eye into the image and to the subject which leads the eye out. Rotating the composition to a portrait orientation doesn't have the leading line impact of the landscape presentation. But I will re-visit it and check it out.

Registered on July 20, 2009, 140 Posts, 1198 Comments

Comment posted by Joe Paratore on February 26, 2010 at 7:58 PM

Real nice . I think it would be a much stronger image as a vertical
You put a lot of effert into this image with all the sofwear programs
Out standing

Registered on January 31, 2007, 40 Posts, 160 Comments

Comment posted by Mauro Pasquero on February 27, 2010 at 4:45 AM

Another beautiful version of your Siberian Irises, Steven

Mauro

Registered on January 21, 2010, 650 Posts, 2500 Comments

Comment posted by Steven M Kahn on February 27, 2010 at 6:12 AM

Dan, Joe, I revisited this image with an eye toward a portrait orientation - and came up with this. Flipped it both ways and thought this was the stronger composition. Like a waterfall. I thought I had tried it as a vertical and thought the landscape orientation was the stronger composition, but a vertical orienation can grow on me. So, thank you Dan and Joe. Hopefully you will see the fruit of your suggestion and critique.

Registered on July 20, 2009, 140 Posts, 1198 Comments

Comment posted by Patricia Brundage on February 27, 2010 at 6:58 AM

Steven. Lovely presentation. I much prefer the horizontal, unless you change the image width on the vertical. As is the vertical looks distorted and stretched.

Registered on March 23, 2006, 1111 Posts, 6531 Comments

Comment posted by Sam Rua on February 27, 2010 at 2:27 PM

Well done, Steve. Elegant lines and a great pano comp. Vertical is good as well, but I think the horizontal is a bit more dramatic.

Registered on September 9, 2006, 130 Posts, 2281 Comments

Comment posted by Steven M Kahn on February 28, 2010 at 2:58 AM

Thank you Mauro. Patricia, all I did was rotate and then flip the image. Didn't crop or change the dimensions. I think the lack of the image and black mat on a black bacground might be influencing the perspective. The landcape version has more "mat" with eh black on black. The portrait with a skinnier mat does make the image look different. Thank you Sam and Patricia. Sam, I can see this image presented in either orientation. I put together a "collection" image - where I grouped five different captures from this session (hint, there are possibly three more images to post here) with the portrait orientation. Just a hint to perspective clients of how a grouping might be something to consider.

Registered on July 20, 2009, 140 Posts, 1198 Comments

Comment posted by SandyRichardsBrown on March 3, 2010 at 12:34 AM

Congrats on the great EP!

Sandy r

Registered on November 24, 2003, 3937 Posts, 12909 Comments

Comment posted by Steven M Kahn on March 3, 2010 at 6:00 AM

Thank you Sandy for the heads up! A very nice surprise to start my day.

Registered on July 20, 2009, 140 Posts, 1198 Comments

Comment posted by Christine Adams on March 3, 2010 at 6:01 AM

Exquisite colors and presentation. I think I prefer the horitzontal. Congrats!

Registered on January 24, 2006, 119 Posts, 1871 Comments

Comment posted by Larry Lynch on March 3, 2010 at 12:38 PM

Congrats on a well deserved EP.

Registered on September 16, 2006, 773 Posts, 9940 Comments

Comment posted by Angela Classen on March 3, 2010 at 5:39 PM

Very elegant and beautiful. I prefer the horiz version. Congrats on the EP!

Registered on June 13, 2007, 434 Posts, 2742 Comments

Comment posted by Wayne Jones on March 3, 2010 at 5:58 PM

All your processing paid off, but the basic comp it very dynamic, too. One of those rare images that works well horizontally or vertically, so you have lots of presentation options.

Congrats on the EP.

Registered on April 18, 2007, 953 Posts, 6435 Comments

Comment posted by Steven M Kahn on March 3, 2010 at 7:48 PM

Thank you everyone on the congrats on the EP. It is a very pleasant surprise. Wayne, I know. Choices! I can see it go either way. I have included two collection presentation images from this session, one a three image collection with it as a landscape orientation, the other a five image collection with it as a portrait orientation.

Next challenge for this Iris - see what I can do with a true macro lens! Prefer getting the image in the viewfinder/camera over seeing it n a much broader "landscape" pulling out a small part of the image. Limits my enlarging options.

Registered on July 20, 2009, 140 Posts, 1198 Comments

Comment posted by Catherine Reilly on March 4, 2010 at 5:40 AM

Steve, I think this is gorgeous and am glad you received the EP for it. Nice set-up for the shot-- 300 with extender. Love it.

Registered on August 16, 2006, 603 Posts, 9192 Comments

Comment posted by Steven M Kahn on March 4, 2010 at 7:46 AM

Catherine, thank you. The 300 is my macro lens for now. Want to add the 100mm F/2.8 L to my tool kit. Then I see another session with this subject. But for now, I will have to make due with what I have.

Congrats Catherine on your duo EP's! Sweet!

Registered on July 20, 2009, 140 Posts, 1198 Comments

Comment posted by Bill Fach on March 6, 2010 at 12:47 PM

Steven: It would be hard for me to pick a favorite from your abstract series. All are striking and superb renditions. This one is certainly deserving of the weekly pick. Congrats on this and the others in the series. >=))>

Registered on November 1, 2003, 1805 Posts, 26981 Comments