A cactus bloom

[AlwaysOnAuto]

My wife's cactus has bloomed.






Both SOOC no PP on my part at all. I tried to pay attention to the background too.

Comments welcomed.

[Geoff F]

Better light and background in #2 but more focus depth in #1.

Possibly a scene which needs a merge of two or more focus points?

I know from experience just how difficult these flowers are to get absolutely perfect; although mine are various shades of red.

[AlwaysOnAuto]

A try at a photograph, not a picture.

[DanK]

Nice shots. I agree with Geoff that the lighting and background are better in #2. However, i think the composition is better in #1. Re depth of field: I'm surprised by how much you have in the first. (exif data in my viewer says f/0.0, which is no clue.) However, I think Geoff is right--these are deep flowers, and if you want the whole thing in focus, you will probably have to stack.

I know I am probably sounding repetitive, but I think it would help to find something you can throw down as a background. You have some nice flower images, and they would look way better if there weren't visible clapboard or concrete blocks behind them.

[AlwaysOnAuto]

So the first two shots were taken outside.
The next one was taken indoors with a piece of vinyl upholstery acting as background.
This one below was taken indoors also as the wind came up and was moving things too much.
f32, 6 sec duration shutter speed, natural lighting from the window to the left of the flower. No PP on my part.



I don't have stacking software and don't really know how to adjust the focus so finely that it would be any better than what f32 would give me.

Suggestions?

[DanK]

f/32 will give you a set DOF at a given distance. Focusing won't change that. All focusing will change is which part of the flower is in focus, that is, where that DOF range will fall in the image.

[AlwaysOnAuto]

Here is the same shot at f3.5. Nothing changed except the shutter speed.
The pink tip of the flower is still in focus so DOF went from there back wards.



I ran an experiment of sorts to see what was happening as I changed aperture with a corresponding speed change for exposure without touching focus.

[IzzieK]

I prefer the 3rd shot on Message #5...it has more exposure and light...now all you have to do is tidy up your background a little bit. Even a black T-shirt will work as a background, just ran your hand on the creases..

[AlwaysOnAuto]

Is this cleaned up?

[IzzieK]

Yes...compositionally...the background is OK apart from a few dust at the lower left hand side of the frame...Nope! it is not my screen because it moved with the image when I enlarged it with lytebox. The flower is very sharp now, so if you can tone it down a little bit, it will be perfect...flowers should be treated like baby skin, soft and nice...unless you are experimenting on sharpness. Just little bit...and those thorns looks scary sharp...like claws. or just clean up the dust bunnies..it will be fine...

[Shadowman]

Nice efforts.

[jcuknz]

Compositionally #9 is quite wrong as it is too loose ... like what DSLR owners often shoot ... and since it has a very definite leftish 'movement' it would be better placed on the right vertical third which would mean less foliage.

[Downrigger]

like what DSLR owners often shoot

I'm interested in this phrase - does this address the technology, or the mind and eye of those who own it? As a DSLR owner, I'd appreciate more illumination on tendencies to overcome!

[bnnrcn]

Hi Alan. My best is the one in post #3

[AlwaysOnAuto]

Thanks to all for the inputs.

Here's the last shot moved to the right some as suggested.

Izzie, the 'dust' in the lower left corner is the remnants of increasing the black levels to get the background darker. It was too dark when I removed all of it so that little area was left. Sorry, I'm still learning PP as you can see.

John, I'd like more input on the statement you made as well. I do shoot DSLR, but this was made with my Nex-7 using the EVF and the screen to help with focus.