A Golden Lady

Gallery: FloraPosted April 22, 20081,552 views14 comments

This really should be titled a grand experiment.

I shot this with a D200, f/2.8 70-200mm lens + a Canon D500 CU filter. Tripod, you bet, and a cable release. f/8, 1/320th, ISO 200. Manual focus.

I've learned I have a little better than a foot of shooting room and it appears as though I have to shoot manually with the lens at 200mm.

Considering that I was fighting wind, the late afternoon sun, and my own inaptness when it comes to manual focusing, I'm not too unhappy. The image is a bit soft and I certainly need to repeat this session.

If anyone else is using similar equipment, I would really like to learn more about your experiences and what I might do to improve my own shooting.

Thanks for looking and leaving C&C.

Carol

Comments

14 comments

Comment posted by David W. Kelly on April 23, 2008 at 12:25 AM

Beautiful.

Registered on October 7, 2005, 883 Posts, 6590 Comments

Comment posted by SandyRichardsBrown on April 23, 2008 at 12:55 AM

I love the dreamy quality of this, and would not change thing, except perhaps that odd blip at the top left of the center petal.
Sandy r

Registered on November 24, 2003, 3937 Posts, 12909 Comments

Comment posted by Danny on April 23, 2008 at 7:17 AM

Awww Latte at its best

Sooooo, the 500D, ha good on you Carol and you won't have any problem with CA with that beauty by the looks. Very delicate shot and taken with a darn good eye........or two. Love the selective focus. You will find with the 500D added to that zoom, that its easier to get the softer backgrounds which helps define selective focus better and as you have there, even at F/8 and of course, helps with the ratios vs distance. Anyway, favourite subject, shut up Danny

All the best as always Carol and lovely shot with a good feel to it.

Danny.

Registered on November 25, 2003, 165 Posts, 1345 Comments

Comment posted by Katie Jackman on April 23, 2008 at 8:12 AM

Very nice Carol. I love the variation in colour and shadow, with just enough sharp edges to give the eye something to focus on.

Registered on May 10, 2007, 45 Posts, 555 Comments

Comment posted by Pat Sampson on April 23, 2008 at 8:59 AM

Carol,

I like the hues and softness of this - a very appealing image.

Pat

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

Comment posted by Wim Reyns on April 23, 2008 at 9:09 AM

Wonderful image Carol, but i might suggest a slight crop from the left as to loose the harsh shadow. Nonetheless very nice go with your "grand experiment"

Wim

Registered on March 23, 2007, 54 Posts, 367 Comments

Comment posted by beth summer on April 23, 2008 at 9:41 AM

This is beautiful, Carol and I really like the soft feel in this image. I agree about a slight crop on the left to remove the harsh shadow's edge. Nicely done...

Registered on November 1, 2003, 437 Posts, 5220 Comments

Comment posted by Brian Monk on April 23, 2008 at 2:57 PM

Well, for ineptitude, you sure take a mean photo. I would like to see the edge in the upper left quadrant sharper, but I find myself exploring this image, it is very interesting.

Registered on June 22, 2006, 109 Posts, 452 Comments

Comment posted by Bill Fach on April 23, 2008 at 6:36 PM

Carol: Really fine result. Using a CU filter is a much better choice with zoom lenses than extension tubes. You've discovered one of its limitations with the restricted working distance. The 500 refers to 500mm focal length so anything beyond 1/2 meter (~19inches) is going to be blurred. For static subjects though who cares? Keep up the good work. >=))>

PS: One of the often overlooked factors in getting really good manual focus results is being sure the diopter setting on your viewfinder is set properly. If you're not sure how to set it drop me an e-mail.

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

Comment posted by Philip Southard on April 23, 2008 at 8:52 PM

I really like the lines and colors in this Carol. IMO the softness really adds to this image.

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

Comment posted by Toni Lankerd on April 23, 2008 at 11:05 PM

Ditto what the others said, Carol...the softness adds rather than detracts from this image. Let's see more!

Registered on January 3, 2005, 360 Posts, 4004 Comments

Comment posted by Larry Lynch on April 24, 2008 at 8:39 AM

Very effective Carol. I like the softness as it is appropriate for this image. Well done.

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

Comment posted by Larry F. Lowell on April 24, 2008 at 10:00 PM

Carol, I missed this. I really like this, nice diagonal movement through the frame. I like the swirl of one petal from the lower right to the upper left. All this movement put together in an attractive composition. The blending of shapes and colors, great image. Thanks for sharing. Larry

Registered on March 28, 2008, 24 Posts, 258 Comments

Comment posted by Jay Miller on September 21, 2010 at 1:11 PM

Carol,
Thank you for the nice welcome and comment.
Your work is very moving artisticlally and spot on technique.
I posted the stats on the Maypop.

Registered on September 17, 2010, 50 Posts, 66 Comments