Rose

[Bobobird]

Something I had been meaning to do was to photograph flowers after sunset with little or no light except the flash. Flash head was diffused and pointed away from the subject and bounced off adjacent shrubbery.

Here is what came out of that. Really need a macro lens!!!

I know its a lot of pics but then everyone loves flowers. Right?

Comments/critique always welcomed particularly where it does not work.

Thanks for viewing.

1.


2.


3.


4.


5.


6.


7.


8.


9.

[BokehBo]

The last photo is my favorite. It looks like it's lit from within.

[Bobobird]

Thanks Bobette.

If I remember correctly the effect was achieved by tilting the flash-head up and away from the subject so that some light would bounce off the shrubbery a couple of feet away.

[FrankMi]

The last photo is my favorite. It looks like it's lit from within.

Agreed! Nice one, Bobo! Number five has lots of potential as well if the stem in the right background were toned down a bit.

[Bobobird]

Thanks Frank - on it.

[jprzybyla]

Nicely done Bobo...I like them. I never thought of using the flash the way you did.

[Daisy Mae]

No 2 for me Bobo...simple, elegant, clean lines effective....love it.

Could stand a crop if you wished to make it more dominant in the frame.

[jamn4ex]

I like 1,2,4&5 ... I think I will try some flowers.... I am thinking of finding some wild flowers in their settings. So Ill be needing pointers if you and Sharon are up to it.

[jeeperman]

Nice set Bobo the 1st, 2nd and last are my favorite and the 4th is the only one that does not work for me, due to the background is distracting. All in all well done and interesting series Bobo.

[Bobobird]

Thanks Joe. It was a deliberate choice to shoot after sunset for various reasons. One being I need to learn how to use the flash and two, I have more control over the direction of the light (Sharon's and Peter's (Letrows) pics acting as catalysts and inspiration). Daytime shooting would have been a pp nightmare with all those highlights from the surrounding shrubbery.

Thanks Sharon. Just that you know, your pics (and Peter's (Letrow)) were my inspiration here. I did try various crops on #2 but found that no crop was the most effective.

Thanks James. I am really just a novice shooter so can offer very little but this is what I have learned. Sharon and other experts are really much better qualified.

In the wild be mindful of the direction of light. You will be getting both sky light and reflected light off adjacent shrubbery. The latter can kill the shot. Additionally unless you can get very close, daylight will also bounce off the surrounding plants and could give you a pp nightmare while dealing with the background.

Thanks Paul. Yes I agree about #4, the intention was to fill the entire frame with the flower at the back and have the bud dead center to that. As can be seen I got it wrong. The way to fill the the frame with the background flower was to go in very close and a bit high but my zoom's MFD was not short enough for that. I will retry that again for sure.

Thanks again everyone for your comments. I really appreciate that and have learned a lot from these.

[Bobobird]

#5a Redo.

[ucci]

Very nicely done Bobo. Particularly like #1, #2, and #7. Bit surprised about your cropping experience. I would have imagined that a bit of cropping would have paid dividends, especially in #1 and #2. But hey, what do I know? Last time I tried to walk on water I damned near drowned! Anyway, great shots, thanks for sharing.
old ucci

[Bobobird]

Thanks Ken.

Yes, not all that conversant with the finer art of cropping but will take any and all tips. Recently have being going more towards a combo of thirds and golden section crops.

Revisited the pics and played around with cropping and came up with these redos (with a slight curves re-adjustment).

#1a


#2a

[Daisy Mae]

Cracking shots my friend...I'd better up my game!


One wee thing...flowers always look startled when flash is involved and I think you would get reallystunning results using more gentle light.

[Bobobird]

LOL - up your game? You don't have to worry about me, you are still 99.99 steps ahead.

About flash - for these if was about half power, diffused and never pointed directly at the subject. I really wanted that dark background that you make and shooting after sunset was the only way I know of doing that. But your point is valid and if I do another series it will be natural light.

[Daisy Mae]

Acht Bobo...there are ways and means...I will pm you!

[Bobobird]

Thanks, got it.