Project 52 - 1st Quarter by Geoff F

[IzzieK]

I love all three of them, Geoff...what specie is #1. I have always been intrigue by that flower...do you know?
#2 Now that is what I called RED! -- it looks crunchy red too.
I like the composition of #3...that you put the green drops from the petals downward is really good.

A few challenging subjects from my garden in the way of experimentation, all using flash. Some have worked better than others

[JBW]

Flash is my least successful technique. That being said #2 has a complexity about it that appeals to me. Would there be some way to avoid the misty look in the unopened buds below the flower?

#3 may be a little over exposed but there is an elegance about the shot that overcomes all short falls in exposure. Perhaps the light blade if grass bottom right could be cloned out?

[bnnrcn]

Those are great Geoff

[Geoff F]

Thanks.

The crocus, Izzie, is a variety called Pickwick.

Quince flowers are something which I always find difficult to photograpy due to the colour saturation between reds and yellows; and getting a suitable angle usually proves tricky. That one is a merge of two focus points. The buds have something of a fine downy covering which adds to the clarity problems.

Flashing for flowers is certainly a tricky task and it is essential to get the flash output compensation exactly correct to achieve a balance between highlights and shadows; although bracketing flash shots can sometimes help.

The snowflake flowers were well underexposed and this is a mix of two Raw conversions. They do tend to lose detail towards the base of the petals particularly as they age and the clearer markings are usually on the inside of the petals.

I did 'mess about' a bit with brightness levels in that bottom right corner to tone things down a little. Not sure if the leaves will clone over and still look natural due to the mix of dark brownish tints there. But I will have a go and see what happens.

Snowflake plants grow twice as tall as Snowdrops and usually flower a few weeks later but they are quite similar. Snowflake thrive in my garden but Snowdrops just refuse to grow here.

[Geoff F]

As I suspected, messing around with the bottom right corner was causing as many problems as were been improved.

However, after playing around with decreasing brightness in the shadows and using the Patch Tool, I came up with this alternative.

[IzzieK]

I like both versions....

[Shadowman]

As I suspected, messing around with the bottom right corner was causing as many problems as were been improved.

However, after playing around with decreasing brightness in the shadows and using the Patch Tool, I came up with this alternative.

Very dynamic, yet soothing composition.

[Geoff F]

Week 10 - Experimenting with reflective surfaces on flowers

This was mostly a failure. Some really shiny flowers always pose problems with over exposure hot spots, as with some insects. Tried under exposing and doing bracketed exposures but in some cases there were still bright spots even when seriously under exposing while shooting in full shadow locations.

Dandilions were just about acceptable, although my shooting angle wasn't very exciting so I will try that again. Celandines were a total failure; but they are so bright under all conditions.

The tiny Golden Saxifrage flowers just about worked.



7D with Sigma 180 macro lens on a tripod in marsh ground. 1/50 F14 Iso 400.



After editing, I found a merge of 2 different Raw conversions from the under exposed shots produced slightly better results than a merge of 2 different shooting exposures. But that might have been better if I had used a bit more negative exposure compensation and less of a gap between exposures when shooting.

Another tricky scene which caused a few problems, and mostly deleted shots was with some Giant Horsetail shoots.

[IzzieK]

Your effort at these failures seems to incite you to try other ways of capturing your subjects. The tiny Saxifrage flowers looks good and even the last one...I wonder why it is called Horsetail shoots...it doesn't look anywhere near a horsetail to me...

[Geoff F]

Those horsetails at the moment are just the shoots pushing through the soil. They will grow into strange looking plants up to 4 ft high. Almost prehistoric looking with thin needle like leaves. I will have to photograph them later in the year. The family name is Equisetum.

A frequent weed, except for this particular extra large form which is somewhat uncommon - except at this site where they are getting quite invasive on some boggy ground.

A few weeks ago I tried photographing gorse with mixed results. Well here is another gorse flower; plus something extra.



7D with Sigma 180 macro lens. A merge of 2 Raw conversions plus a little bit of fiddling around with an attempt to put a bit of texture back into a slightly over exposed area.

[IzzieK]

Nice and colourful and getting back to the bug thing in this one...nice separation of the bee and the flower too. This is a strong composition. I like it...

[Shadowman]

Nice captures, especially the horsetail and bee shot.

[bnnrcn]

Loved the bee shot

[Kaye Leggett]

Love the horsetail - never seen one before this week when I took photographed one on some scrub land - not a good photo like yours though - merely one so I could identify it later, which you have done for me - thank you. Look forward to seeing the full grown version.

[Geoff F]

Thanks for the replies. If I don't post a full size horsetail in a couple of months you will have to remind me.

Incidentally, that bee is actually a hoverfly; check the antennae difference. It is Episyrphus balteatus.

Tried some more difficult shiny flowers today with varied results. Also noticed some variations in primrose design when viewed at computer screen size, so I will have to return and check this out next week.

[Geoff F]

Week 11 - Primrose Design Variations

Looking around at some variations to the common Primrose. Firstly, 'normal' flowers with full bodied petals



7D with Tamron 24-70 lens. 1/250 F11 Iso 400 with tripod.

Extra narrow petals.



Somewhat curved petals.



1/80 F14 Iso 400

When you gaze deep into Primrose eyes you may notice two distinct forms. One has a 'pin-head' centre formed from the stigma with hidden stamens below.



7D with Sigma 180 macro lens 1/160 F14 Iso 400

And the other 'thrum-eyed' form shows the stamens while the stigma is hidden underneath.



1/100 F11 Iso 400. All with a tripod and Difflector to block direct sunlight.

Finally an attempt to show a general scene of the area. I suspected that it would be difficult to transfer a 3D scene into a 2D photo and a lot seems to have been lost.

I wanted to give an impression of a line of ferns along the path with deep impassable woodland stretching behind. This is the best of several angles but it isn't quite what I wanted.



1/80 F11 Iso 400, handheld.

[Shadowman]

Interesting grouping, the closeups are a bit otherworldly. I'm always looking for that 3D effect, as you say the cluster of greenery is a bit overcrowded.

[JBW]

Week 11 - Primrose Design Variations

Looking around at some variations to the common Primrose. Firstly, 'normal' flowers with full bodied petals



7D with Tamron 24-70 lens. 1/250 F11 Iso 400 with tripod.

Extra narrow petals.



Somewhat curved petals.



1/80 F14 Iso 400

When you gaze deep into Primrose eyes you may notice two distinct forms. One has a 'pin-head' centre formed from the stigma with hidden stamens below.



7D with Sigma 180 macro lens 1/160 F14 Iso 400

And the other 'thrum-eyed' form shows the stamens while the stigma is hidden underneath.



1/100 F11 Iso 400. All with a tripod and Difflector to block direct sunlight.

Finally an attempt to show a general scene of the area. I suspected that it would be difficult to transfer a 3D scene into a 2D photo and a lot seems to have been lost.

I wanted to give an impression of a line of ferns along the path with deep impassable woodland stretching behind. This is the best of several angles but it isn't quite what I wanted.



1/80 F11 Iso 400, handheld.

Geoff, this shot seems to be nicely composed of three distinct layers, the path, the ferns and the woods. Have you considered sharpening the path, using a slight Gaussian blur on the ferns and a heavier G.B. on the woods. It just might give you a much deeper more mysterious feeling to the shot?

[IzzieK]

Although I like your different primrose shots, I am more interested in the difference of the centre of them from the two photos. And the last shot of an area, is this the place where you found these primroses? Just asking...

[DonnaK]

As I suspected, messing around with the bottom right corner was causing as many problems as were been improved.

However, after playing around with decreasing brightness in the shadows and using the Patch Tool, I came up with this alternative.

I like all of the elements of this shot, Geoff. I find these flowers a little difficult to capture for me because they are so low to the ground. Your use of the flash brought all of their beauty. I've gone through all of this posting and learned a lot. Now I just have to wait for warmer weather here to go out and find some flowers Those that I grow won't be up for quite a while. Again, I love this adventure of your photography. I can't wait to see more.