Not quite sure on this one if I'm honest. I think the reason being that as the shot is portraying the orchids in their enviroment (as opposed to a very close-up) I'd prefer to have the whole of the plants included rather than with the stems cropped-off half way.
I like the inclusion of the hoverfly though, which adds an extra element of interest.
I think I agree with Justin on this, in that I would of shot it with the full length of the plant if it was an environmental shot. Other than this I really like the orchid and it works well with the hover fly. Mind you I'm learning a lot about macro shots at the moment and find it difficult to get the shot right.
I must admit that I miss the rest of the plant as well, but that hover fly brings life to the picture. If I was ever tempted to get into plant photography, I think I would ensure there was an interesting insect in every shot. Nicely exposed too BTW. Eric
Posted by Elliott Neep on June 17, 2008 at 6:18 AM
With the Macro on, it would be worth returning and shooting just the flower-heads and details of the florets. You have been caught in between a floral portrait (with a busy BG) and a contextual habitat shot (with not enough BG). Also, if you have a pair, it is worth the effort to find a shooting angle to get them centre frame and have them both on the same focal plane. You can lay your jacket over the vegetation behind to remove the clutter without damaging the plants. Try using a telephoto for the floral portraits. This might help http://www.enwp.co.uk/editor/urban_safari-springblooms.htm
Discussion
4 repliesNikon D2Xs 105mm Nikon Macro Lens
1/180s@f8
200ISO
Curves and USM in CS3 ext
I like the inclusion of the hoverfly though, which adds an extra element of interest.