Lilacs Re-Awakening

Gallery: FloraPosted May 15, 201166 views12 comments

I went out last weekend to photograph the lilac leaves emerging after the winter and found these flowers also beginning to bloom.

Nikon D300S
Sigma 180 mm macro lens
ISO 200, 1/15 s at f/11
Polarizer used

I've been going back and forth between this version and a squarer more closely cropped version (on the blog on my website). An artist friend prefers this, I'm leaning towards a tighter crop. I'm interested to hear people's thoughts on how much green space should be left around the buds - and any other critiques, of course.

Thanks,
Chris

Comments

12 comments

Comment posted by Carolyn Derstine on May 15, 2011 at 8:28 PM

Interesting subject of these beautiful flowers at the bud stage. I went on your website, Chris, and I think I prefer the tighter, more square crop. I tend to crop tight but it just looks better to me. Great blurred BG and interesting colors in this image.

Registered on February 16, 2011, 610 Posts, 3684 Comments

Comment posted by Pat Sampson on May 15, 2011 at 8:33 PM

Beautiful image Chris. Excellent detail but it's really the color between the subject and bg that appeals to me. That said I think I prefer the tighter crop. It emphasizes the subject a bit more but does it without diminishing my appreciation of this fine bg.

pat

Registered on May 19, 2007, 953 Posts, 15989 Comments

Comment posted by Mark Seaver on May 15, 2011 at 8:46 PM

Nice job of capturing the buds peeking out. The colors and details are great. I think a modest crop removing some of the dead space on the right would help your presentation.

Registered on January 23, 2011, 1103 Posts, 17270 Comments

Comment posted by Bill Fach on May 15, 2011 at 8:54 PM

Chris: Welcome to NPN and to the finest Flora gallery on the planet. I have a small preference for this version where the buds have more room to grow. For me there is just more dynamism here. As for the image itself I like the subject and your DOF/BG management a lot. Good call on the polarizer; an underutilized tool in Flora photography. I'm hoping you will stay with these flowers and catch them in the advancing stages. Great to have you aboard and looking forward to more.>=))>

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

Comment posted by Ramamohan Pai on May 15, 2011 at 10:29 PM

The thumbnail does not do this justice, Chris - quite a view that I have not seen at least. Without your explanation, I'd have thought this is some kind of Berry

.

Love the "V" formation and the background also.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 550 Posts, 9037 Comments

Comment posted by Philip Southard on May 15, 2011 at 10:37 PM

Sweet shot Chris. Detail and color of the subject look great against that silky smooth BG.

Registered on July 15, 2007, 258 Posts, 3892 Comments

Comment posted by Ian Wolfenden on May 16, 2011 at 4:38 AM

Beautifully captured, Chris ! Superb handling of the dof, the colours and the textures of the buds. I wonder about a portrait frame - might like to see more stem - but that may not have been possible. Lovely image whatever.

Registered on May 18, 2007, 1108 Posts, 7647 Comments

Comment posted by Carol Hyman on May 16, 2011 at 11:29 AM

Beautiful colors, Chris. In this case, I think I would prefer a tighter crop. And a lot of that depends on the subject. I would be very interested in seeing these lilacs as they bloom. As seen in this image, they are stiff and un-Lilac-like IMO. You might even be able to find a visiting bee as they bloom out.

Cheers,

Carol

Registered on January 18, 2007, 597 Posts, 8062 Comments

Comment posted by Chris O'Donoghue on May 16, 2011 at 6:49 PM

Thank you, all, for your comments and opinions. My artist friend gave the same reason as Bill for preferring the more spacious image - it gives the flowers space to grow into and makes for a more dynamic image. Many of you commented on the background. I chose a bud on the edge of the bush and was able to look slightly downward onto the lawn many metres away, so getting a smooth out-of-focus background was easy. I had to desaturate the grass colours significantly though.

Thanks, again.
Chris

Registered on January 1, 2011, 11 Posts, 37 Comments

Comment posted by Bob&Charly Nelson on May 17, 2011 at 7:05 PM

Wonderful detail, color and display Chris. I tend to enjoy some empty space as shown here leading into the future. Just my opinion, but well seen , captured and displayed.
Bob

Registered on October 27, 2005, 289 Posts, 4202 Comments

Comment posted by Ron Pederson on May 19, 2011 at 2:48 PM

Good job with this. Really like the color scheme and how it relates to the background. I think I'd prefer this with a tighter crop, maybe a 4x5 format. The space on the left seems a bit much, I think reducing it would add a little tension - and there's still room to "grow."

Registered on October 19, 2010, 95 Posts, 470 Comments

Comment posted by Mitch Moraski on May 20, 2011 at 10:09 AM

Great comp Chris. Sharp, perfect DOF, and the detail...WOW! Personally I like the version posted here. It's almost like photographing people, you don't wan to butt the face close to the edge. Giving the buds room to breath makes a world of difference in my opinion. I don't find the space as being wasted.

Registered on August 3, 2008, 105 Posts, 590 Comments