Magnolia +Repost

Gallery: FloraPosted April 8, 2012132 views18 comments

This was actually a photo from several years ago that I recently edited. I've always thought these flowers are so striking. If you look carefully you will see a dead bug under the front petal.

Panasonic DMC-FZ28. 49mm at F/3.7 for 1/60 sec. ISO 200.

Comments

18 comments

Comment posted by Philip Hodgkins on April 8, 2012 at 8:54 PM

A beautiful flower, Carolyn. I think a look anyway at taking some of the blue/cyan out of the shadows might at least be worth looking at. Other than that minor conjecture, I very much like this. Contrasty and dramatic!

Registered on July 24, 2006, 2741 Posts, 12349 Comments

Comment posted by jack jaeger jr on April 8, 2012 at 8:56 PM

Nice shot Carolyn. I would like it better without the bug or the debre on the flower tho. How do you make the shot look like its faded into black like this?

Registered on April 2, 2012, 26 Posts, 355 Comments

Comment posted by Philip Southard on April 8, 2012 at 9:14 PM

Carolyn, very striking and sharp.

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

Comment posted by Carolyn Derstine on April 8, 2012 at 9:31 PM

Jack, I used the burn tool in Photoshop Elements. The background had many other leaves and busyness so I just kept running the burn tool over the background and some slightly on the exposed leaves until I got the look I liked. Am curious what others think of this look.

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

Comment posted by Miro Susta on April 8, 2012 at 10:07 PM

Excellent artwork Carolyn. Perfect image of nice magnolia.

Registered on August 18, 2006, 719 Posts, 3736 Comments

Comment posted by Fabio Giarrizzo on April 9, 2012 at 2:27 AM

Very elegant and appealing image- Excellent exposure, a fine composition choice and a pleasant dark BG on your image- My congrats, Fabio

Registered on December 3, 2010, 90 Posts, 1614 Comments

Comment posted by Ellen deBoer on April 9, 2012 at 6:47 AM

This image works very well for me, Carolyn! The dark BG makes the flower pop out. I love the placing of the petals over the heart of the flower.

Registered on March 16, 2006, 419 Posts, 2076 Comments

Comment posted by Mark Seaver on April 9, 2012 at 10:21 AM

Lovely shot of the Magnolia bloom. I've got what's probably the same tree and never done this well. I like the dark background and leaves. I also feel that there's a bit of a blue cast or maybe it's a touch dark. I don't know about Elements, but in LR/ACR you can boost the Brightness slider to lighten the image without blowing out the brightest whites (unlike the Exposure slider).

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

Comment posted by Bob&Charly Nelson on April 9, 2012 at 10:34 AM

WOW! I think I would get rid of the bug and print this huge. Just superb lighting and processing in my opinion Carolyn. Breath taking.
Bob

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

Comment posted by Carolyn Derstine on April 9, 2012 at 11:42 AM

Aww, get rid of the bug?

I sort of liked that extra element for interest! I guess that shows more my macro orientation rather than strickly flora. Oh, well, here is a repost without the bug and with a slight brightening and lessening of the blue tone. Is this better or not enough? I think I do like the lighting better on the repost. Thanks all for your comments/suggestions!

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

Comment posted by Mark Seaver on April 9, 2012 at 12:48 PM

Carolyn, the repost is nicely brighter and less blue. I happened to like the bug.

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

Comment posted by Albert Darmo on April 9, 2012 at 3:06 PM

Hi Carolyn

This composition with it's exemplary light and detail is so captivating

the second version with it's lighter touch is even better

Albert Darmo

Registered on November 25, 2008, 1386 Posts, 11978 Comments

Comment posted by Philip Hodgkins on April 9, 2012 at 3:21 PM

The repost is much better. The bug was minor to me; in fact it adds a touch of reality that grounds the image nicely.

Registered on July 24, 2006, 2741 Posts, 12349 Comments

Comment posted by Ian Wolfenden on April 9, 2012 at 4:16 PM

Strong, dramatic image, Carolyn - with or without the bug. Great lighting and fine processing.

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

Comment posted by Barb Pflaum on April 9, 2012 at 6:11 PM

Very nice image, Carolyn! I like the dark bg. I like the colors and the lighting on the flower better in the repost. I prefer not having the dead bug in the image. If the bug had been alive I might have liked it there.

Registered on January 14, 2009, 316 Posts, 2724 Comments

Comment posted by Larry Lynch on April 10, 2012 at 9:26 AM

I liked your bug too. Love the feel of this with the coolness and being alone. Beautifully captured.

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

Comment posted by Lorna Taylor on April 10, 2012 at 8:10 PM

A beautiful capture Carolyn , I love that this flower seems almost bashful maybe it was just a little embarrassed to have a bug under it's pristine pedal !

Registered on November 12, 2010, 254 Posts, 3083 Comments

Comment posted by Rick Diffley on April 11, 2012 at 11:55 AM

Very nice capture in all ways!

Registered on April 8, 2012, 52 Posts, 279 Comments