For C&C -- Magnolia tree flowers...

[IzzieK]

Some parts of our Magnolia tree wasn't affected by the frosts we had for three days though there are some bald spots at one side where the top of the tree is. I took some shots before the petals fall to the ground...Here are the tree that survived my shaking hands and the wind yesterday...

1. overview on one side -- a bit blur but this is just an overview...



2. closer view : overdone??? I am trying flowers very hard as I'd like to know what I am doing wrong...maybe overprocessed?



3. almost macro : well, if you call 4 or 5 feet away a macro, so be it... just imagine what I can do with a real macro lens or tubes, I'd flip...

[bnnrcn]

Hi Isabel, very nice trials I think you have too much out of focus flowers in #2 and they distract a bit. I would try a square crop by locating the 'in focus' flower in the bottom right part of the frame. The flower in #3 looks very nice. I would try a square crop for this shot too by eliminating the out of focus pinks on the very RHS.I really like the tones of pink in this one

[Shadowman]

Nicely done, flowers can be a challenge when photographed outdoors. There is the wind to account for, the effects of light on the petals, and certain colors can be a challenge to capture.

[Texas Dave]

Looking at #3 closely, it appears the small details are all there and it is enjoyable to view.

Your colors are different. #2 reminds me of a vintage "kodachrome" film image/print. Which I don't know if you intended that but I like it! Reminds me of the Shorpy color photos that he has of his family. #3 has great detail but the foliage in the background looks warmer than I would think it should be.


BTW, Shorpy is a guy that is scanning old photos and posting them on the internet. I've seen most all of them. I love the clarity of the black and whites.

http://www.shorpy.com

[Barbara Ponder]

Izzie, I struggle with flowers as well so I will be interested to see what everyone says. I really like #3 but agree with Binnur that a crop would be a good idea.

[Geoff F]

Magnolias are so very difficult to get perfect, Izzie; particularly in strong sunlight. I've failed so many times with them.

Almost there with #3. Can you clone a bit of texture into those two small slightly over exposed areas?

[deetheturk]

Hi Izzie, not being a flower shooter (yet anyway ) I am not the man to give you advice, but I think you have done a decent job

[dje]

Nice shots Izzie, particularly number 3. I like the subtle variations in light and shade in that one.

Dave

[chauncey]

An old rule that you're familiar with...get closer...then closer yet. Last one is the bestest.

[DanK]

Nice shots. Glad to see another person working on flowers.

I agree with Binnur on both counts. One of the most difficult things about shooting flowers outdoors is that it is often impossible to get a simple enough background. You shot the second at f/8.0, and I have a hunch that if you opened up wider to blur the background more, you wouldn't have the foreground flowers sufficiently in focus. You might be able to improve this by cropping, burning selectively, and applying a vignette.

I think the third is the best. The problem is partly that you have the empty space to the right, where there is distracting detail. Close-ups like this often look best if there is open space to the front, in the direction the subject is 'looking'--in this case, on the left. I would frame something like this in the opposite way, leaving very little space to the right and more to the left. You can't add space now, but centering as Binnur suggested would help. Sometimes, if there is not empty space in front, it helps just to the mass of the image on the non-face side.

I hope these suggestions help.

Dan

[Stagecoach]

Well done Izzie.

It's No 3 here that stands out to me for its composition and exposure. The only improvement I see that would enhance it would be to clone out the dead looking flower at the top right. I believe that if you were to give it a square crop that would partially eliminate that offending top right flower you would end up with a rather mundane centred image. As the crop is it has the twig in the background and along with the buds really assist in showing the environment and work for me.

Grahame

[IzzieK]

Here are the two edits...see if I made any improvements at all to my PP...

Edit of #2



Edit of #3

[IzzieK]

Thank you everyone for the peek and comments and critiques. This is how I learn a lot from all these uploads of mine and others. I really do appreciate your feedbacks.

Binnur...these are purple-ish petals, not really pink, although it borders on the pink side.

John...tell me about it...I was having a hard time trying to photograph in both the sunshine and upcoming storm that was forecasted for today. Well the storm came today so another day of all day rain for tomorrow. I have to stop my weeding for today...

Texas Dave...thank you for the link...I have no idea yet what my format is for flowers as I am just starting on this genre...I will take a look on my break after dinner tonight...

Barbara...I understand...this is out of my league too...I love tools and machineries better to photograph -- they do not move in the wind...but if I persevere like you did with your birds, I might get the idea...

Geoff, I have the edit that you requested above...I had cloned some and did some elimination of some via Content Aware in Photoshop...tell me what you think...

William, this is the closest I can get without any tube extension at all...when I buy another set, I will perhaps practice on my orchids again...one of them is flowering profusely at the moment...I am still trying to find out how I can shoot it, what angle and all that...photographing flowers is just beyond me at the moment but I am trying and in the process I get to learn how to operate my camera more, hopefully better...

[IzzieK]

Dan...you are an expert in flowers...that is for sure. I will try your advice when the rain settles down and see how I go...

Well...Grahame, I think removing that "dead" flower did justice to the composition. Thanks...just for your information, the "dead" flower is not really dead but just emerging from the bud. There are quite a few of these as when I took this shot, it was just a day after the frost passed by so I took advantage of the situation because we now have a passing storm and I was scared, the opened ones with good petals will not last the storm....another day-long rain tomorrow...all thunder and lightnings and all that and the dogs were noisy and scared but we missed the hails that came through but reported two blocks away from us...

Thanks again, everyone for looking and commenting. Truly appreciate all the feedbacks...

Cheers
Izzie

[DanK]

I think the edit of #3 is a big improvement.

[MatthewWilliams]

i also like the last edit its #3 for me

[Barbara Ponder]

Izzie your edit #3 is lovely!

[deetheturk]

Good job on the edit's pal, well done

[bnnrcn]

Hi Isabel, the edit of #3 looks very nice

[IzzieK]

Thanks Binnur, Dan, Matthew and Barbara for the added comments...Do appreciate it very much. Tough world out here right now with all these thunders and lightnings and rain...May you all have better days than mine today.