Gallery: FloraPosted May 22, 2013124 views8 comments
D600 150mm macro 2.8 f/8 @ 1/60 sec. iso 640 ev +0.3 2 sec delay. cable release. mirror up
taken at the westmount spring flower show. comments appreciated, please see large version
Comments
8 comments
Comment posted by John Clulow on May 22, 2013 at 11:19 AM
I very much like the two major dimensions of contrast; (1) luminosity in the flower from lightest at the top to darkest at the bottom and (2) the contrasts between red and green. It seems that the greatest sharpness is in the two petals closest to the foreground.
While the blue-reds and greens in the very soft bokeh are a nice background, I would recommend cropping from the 3:2 aspect ration to perhaps 5:4, something like 20 X 16 with the flower stem still dead center in the bottom edge. I just think there is a bit too much of the background and that reducing it will help the focus on the subject.
Secondly, while I get the dynamic range from top to bottom, I think it would be helpful to bring out a bit more detail at the base of the front two petals. As it stands, the histogram is right at the edge in terms of the highlight side, but you could shift the center slider to the right in a levels adjustment, but this also lightens the background. One way to selectively lighten the darkest shadow portion at the bottom of the front two leaves would be luminosity masks, and this will leave the rest unaffected.
So, if you're interested, there are a couple of ideas to try out.
Registered on November 1, 2012, 155 Posts, 1079 Comments
Comment posted by John&Patty Benway on May 22, 2013 at 1:38 PM
Very nice Albert, the Tulip stands out beautifully against the soft colors of the bg. Well done.
John
Registered on May 12, 2006, 626 Posts, 8700 Comments
Comment posted by scott lanz on May 22, 2013 at 11:03 PM
Nicely done, Albert. Nice job with the bg. I think I agree with John's crop suggestion.
Registered on November 14, 2003, 840 Posts, 12902 Comments
Comment posted by Dennis Plank on May 22, 2013 at 11:15 PM
I really like your dof on this one, Albert. The contrast between the color of the foreground tulip and bg flowers really makes it pop.
Registered on January 28, 2008, 1767 Posts, 23192 Comments
Comment posted by Ian Wolfenden on May 23, 2013 at 6:36 AM
A lovely flower, Albert, beautifully photographed with fine attention to the petal textures. Like the bg very much - my only small nit is that maybe a bit more stem would have been nice ( then perhaps even a vertical crop ?? )
Registered on May 18, 2007, 1108 Posts, 7647 Comments
Comment posted by Wayne Jones on May 23, 2013 at 10:12 AM
Great colors, details, and soft background, Albert. I do agree that the comp does not seem to go with the subject, however.
Registered on April 18, 2007, 953 Posts, 6435 Comments
Comment posted by Barb Pflaum on May 23, 2013 at 2:33 PM
Beautiful flower and lovely bg, Albert! I agree with the suggestions for a vertical crop and longer stem on the bottom.
Registered on January 14, 2009, 316 Posts, 2724 Comments
Comment posted by Nathan Buck on May 23, 2013 at 6:26 PM
Very nice Albert. I especially like the BG and the variation in color on the tulip.
A couple of things that I could see helping is to have shot slightly lower which would have changed the focal plane a bit and maybe the stem and those upper petal areas may have been in sharper focus. Also, a comp to the left or right might be an option too.
Overall though, I like this version too.
Nathan
Registered on November 1, 2003, 1101 Posts, 13589 Comments
Comments
8 commentsWhile the blue-reds and greens in the very soft bokeh are a nice background, I would recommend cropping from the 3:2 aspect ration to perhaps 5:4, something like 20 X 16 with the flower stem still dead center in the bottom edge. I just think there is a bit too much of the background and that reducing it will help the focus on the subject.
Secondly, while I get the dynamic range from top to bottom, I think it would be helpful to bring out a bit more detail at the base of the front two petals. As it stands, the histogram is right at the edge in terms of the highlight side, but you could shift the center slider to the right in a levels adjustment, but this also lightens the background. One way to selectively lighten the darkest shadow portion at the bottom of the front two leaves would be luminosity masks, and this will leave the rest unaffected.
So, if you're interested, there are a couple of ideas to try out.
John
A couple of things that I could see helping is to have shot slightly lower which would have changed the focal plane a bit and maybe the stem and those upper petal areas may have been in sharper focus. Also, a comp to the left or right might be an option too.
Overall though, I like this version too.
Nathan