Lenten Rose

Gallery: FloraPosted April 17, 2013117 views11 comments

Lenten Rose (Hellebores) are one of my earliest flowers to bloom. With this particular variety,"Lady in Red", the flowers hang down and are hard to find a good comp to see into the flower. However, I found this one hanging out from the main clump in such a way that I could compose a good comp. I put black velvet behind and then added some subtle color to the background in processing.

Canon Rebel T1i. 180mm macro lens. F/20 for 1/15 sec. ISO 400. Tripod mounted, natural lighting.

Comments

11 comments

Comment posted by Ian Wolfenden on April 17, 2013 at 5:00 PM

Exquisite, Carolyn ! The comp is indeed lovely, as are the tones and textures overall - rich and deep on the black ground. I also like how the softer bg colour in the centre sets off the petals so well. The tiniest of quibbles would be with the amount of room to the L, as the flower seems almost to want to move in that direction - but that's a personal preference.

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

Comment posted by Dennis Plank on April 17, 2013 at 7:50 PM

Nice textures and lines, Carolyn. I like the light on the flower with the dark bg.

Registered on January 28, 2008, 1767 Posts, 23192 Comments

Comment posted by scott lanz on April 17, 2013 at 8:51 PM

Gorgeous, Carolyn. Floral images don't get much better. Really like the comp and the way the flower is supported by the leaves. My very tiny nit is that I'd like to see more detail in the yellows.

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

Comment posted by Albert Darmo on April 17, 2013 at 10:59 PM

Hi carolyn

This very fine image has the appearance of an oil painting

the stunning rich color , and fine detaili are breathtaking.

Albert Darmo

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

Comment posted by Philip Hodgkins on April 18, 2013 at 3:05 PM

A lovely composition, Carolyn, with rich, deep colors. I like what you have done with the BG. This feels just a tiny bit soft overall. I'm wondering if just a bit more sharpening might "hot" this up. Overall, it is a fine, fine picture, and I enjoyed looking at it.

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

Comment posted by Catherine Reilly on April 18, 2013 at 4:20 PM

Perfect! These are not easy to photograph, so I really appreciate the find and the effort on this image. Just a wonderful portrait. I didn't know the common name, Lenten Rose, and I thank you for that, too.

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

Comment posted by Nathan Buck on April 19, 2013 at 9:34 AM

Great, rich colors Carolyn. I love the detail in the center. A very effective composition and photo.

Nathan

Registered on November 1, 2003, 1101 Posts, 13589 Comments

Comment posted by Gary Yeoh on April 19, 2013 at 11:55 AM

Terrific portrait Carolyn. Lovely and I like this a lot.

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

Comment posted by Mark Seaver on April 19, 2013 at 12:11 PM

Beautifully seen with a great combination of colors and very well posed in the frame. I too feel like the flower is just a bit soft, with that being seen most clearly in the stamen.

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

Comment posted by Giuseppe Guadagno on April 21, 2013 at 4:54 PM

Yes, the composition is excellent, Carolyn, and the angle too. For me the contrast of colors is the main attraction of the image.
We have a white Hellebore in our garden, called Christmas Star. I have never seen here this red type.
Take care.

Registered on February 3, 2007, 827 Posts, 5052 Comments

Comment posted by Larry Lynch on April 22, 2013 at 7:45 PM

Deep, rich and moody! All the things that really add drama. Top notch.

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