Succulent

Gallery: FloraPosted November 17, 201237 views9 comments

One of the things my wife and I enjoy most in life is visiting our adult sons and family in LA, but urban photography is generally not my thing. However, one son lives in the Hollywood Hills and it really doesn't feel very urban up there. This plant grows in his backyard, and one cloudy evening I was struck by the light on it. So, it was the best of both worlds - my kids and photos.

Nikon D600, 24-70 Nikkor, f2.8 @1/50, ISO 220, handheld.

Comments

9 comments

Comment posted by John Clulow on November 17, 2012 at 12:51 PM

I'll be quite honest I don't like it.

I think I might like it much more better in B&W.

And the reason for this is that this is more about form than color. And I think that maybe the color distracts from your intent. I don't know. I'm just sayin....

Registered on November 1, 2012, 155 Posts, 1079 Comments

Comment posted by Russell Colletta on November 17, 2012 at 7:01 PM

Thanks John, but the color is the element I was going for, with lines and shape thrown in. My own critique of this image is the BG, may be too busy(?)

Registered on October 31, 2009, 114 Posts, 1008 Comments

Comment posted by scott lanz on November 18, 2012 at 7:58 AM

I like the form of the succulent, and the light is pretty good to bring out the form. I also like the bg except for the black areas at the top. The comp is kind of a tweener - the bg not quite enough, and too contrasty with the black areas at the top, to have it prominently in the image, but too much to have it not be a major element in the image. I think I would have preferred a comp with more of the bg (but excluding the black top), or a comp which essentially excluded the bg and made it all about the plant.

Registered on November 14, 2003, 840 Posts, 12902 Comments

Comment posted by Bill Fach on November 18, 2012 at 5:50 PM

Russ: Overall this works for me pretty well. The BG is busy but interesting nonetheless. My tiny nits are the tight top and on the leaf about 3/4 of the way up on the right side there is a dead tip projecting into the frame that I would make go away. Nice job in a less than ideal environment. >=))>

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

Comment posted by Pat Sampson on November 19, 2012 at 11:23 AM

I like the comp Russ and the image. The central vertical leaf holds my attention and the other leaves echo that shape for me. I agree that the bg intrudes a bit but again for me the image works as posted.

pat

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

Comment posted by Gary Yeoh on November 19, 2012 at 7:52 PM

Russ:
I live in HK and urban photography is not my thing either

but I do manage to find some nature in the parks and surround hills.

Coming to your image, I quite like it. The sharply focused vertical in the center really holds my attention so the slight busy bg is not an issue. Fine composition.

Registered on September 1, 2009, 588 Posts, 8184 Comments

Comment posted by Mark Seaver on November 20, 2012 at 9:44 AM

I like the gentle greens and blues and the smooth curves in the Agave leaves. I could see shifting that main vertical leaf to the right to add some emphasis to the angled orientation of the plant. Yes, less sharpness in the background would be good, but since you shot this at f2.8, a stack would not help.

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

Comment posted by Ian Wolfenden on November 20, 2012 at 12:26 PM

I rather like the comp of this, Russell - the plant swirls up and around the frame nicely. I also love its subtle colours - the varied shades of blue-green hue. Only nit would be to go along with Bill's dead tip removal suggestion

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

Comment posted by Morris McClung on November 21, 2012 at 10:42 AM

Yeah, what they said.

Registered on May 7, 2007, 670 Posts, 19650 Comments