Demitasse Bouquet

[Marie Hass]

The wildflowers have just started blooming here, and as I picked a few, I was reminded of when I was a child. I used to pick flowers for my mother and she would display them (even to lowliest of dandilions) proudly as if they were precious blooms.

Here I have chosen one of the images and given it 2 treatments. Please comment on both.

ISO 500, 1/80, f9, 90mm.

Marie

[Mike Buckley]

Very romantic lighting and depth of field. Nice lighting on the backdrop. Great choice to have the flowers draped over the plate rather than only the tabletop.

The color and monochrome versions work equally well for me though obviously in different ways. I wonder if you made a sepia version because I think I would also like that.

If the direct reflections in the handle and on the left side of the vase were done for stylistic purposes, that's fine. They're a distraction to me but I understand that others would consider them a romantic feature. The shape of the object is already well defined, so those direct reflections aren't needed in my mind to define shape.

[Marie Hass]

Dear Mike,

Thank you so much for commenting. This is actually a very light sepia version.

This setup was killer simple. It is all relected sunlight. I was not bothered by the specularity as I thought it provided some specific textures, emphasis of graphic elements and highlights to the image.

Marie

[KimC]

Beautiful image Marie. Although both are lovely, I prefer the colored version for the richness of the tones. I also love how the lighting works in the colored version and I like the reflections on the handle.

[IzzieK]

Marie, the focus of this seems to be on the handle of the cup...I like the coloured version best because of the delicate flowers. The monotone version doesn't really work for me. Some other B/W enthusiasts might. I am no expert in monotone so don't take offense at my view...

[Shadowman]

Nice composition and exposures.

[klpurkett]

Both are lovely, Marie! I prefer the monochrome... Mostly because it has that timeless quality... As though these flowers could have been picked by you as a little girl, or your mother when she was young, or you grandmother... There's just more emotion for me in the second version. Wildflowers are so beautiful! Thanks for sharing!

[Mike Buckley]

Why did you use ISO 500 rather than ISO 100?

[Marie Hass]

Dear Mike,

I was shooting handheld and this was the lowest ISO I could afford under these conditions.

Marie

[deetheturk]

Very nice Marie, its the color version for me

[bnnrcn]

Both very nice images Marie That pale color (white?) on the cup distracts a bit but I really don't know how it would look if you darkened it .

[Geoff F]

Izzie has already said exactly what I was thinking.

With this sort of scene I suspect you need to dramatically increase the depth of sharp focus by doing a merge of two or more focus points. Having the blooms in focus and the jug a bit soft would have been a better option. And I would try a crop from the top, possibly end up around 4 x 5 ratio?

I find that shooting with a tripod does give more time for messing around and doing all those final little tweaks which I miss, until it is too late, with a quick handheld shot.

However, this sort of scene is extremely difficult to get absolutely perfect.

[Marie Hass]

Dear Kim,

Thank you. my heart's preference is the color as well, although the sepia is still technically correct. Spring flowers speak to me of fragileness and pastels.

Marie

[Kris V]

The colour version for me.

[Barbara Ponder]

Marie both are lovely however I prefer the color version. May I ask about all the negative space at the top? IMO when I look at the photo it tends to draw my attention away from the flowers. If I move the photo a up a bit , about 1/3 or 1/2 of the negative space, I am more drawn to the lovely flowers. I know you are very thoughtful with your composition and it is always lovely so you must have had a reason for it and was I was just curious of what it was.

[Marie Hass]

Dear Izzie,

I had picked these flowers on Friday, intending to find something to do with them. As I was sitting at the kitchen table cutting and chopping vegetables for supper, squinting against the sunlight that was coming in through the skylight, I was awed by the reflected sunlight from the table as it lit the undersides of everything.

Even my little flowers were lit up - and no flash! As fast as the sun was moving across the table, I knew I had to move quick, just like you, taking advantage of every opportunity.

I do not have a macro lens (though one of these days I will). I have a 550D closeup lens. Optics are not that great. Handheld was tricky. As you can see, my shutter speed is already 1/80th. Geoff is correct in that a tripod would have helped.

Still. of course, supper had to wait...and wait....and wait.

Marie

[Marie Hass]

Hi, Barbara,

That is a good question! I may have done that if the background was not so optimal. But since i had a choice, I left the negative space to give the eye room to rest and a place for the flowers to expand into, if they chose.

Marie

[Marie Hass]

John, as always, thank you for commenting.

I hope you are well?

Marie

[Marie Hass]

Hey, Kris,

While I do like both versions, I, too, am more fond of the color version.

Thank you for commenting.

Marie

[Mike Buckley]

I left the negative space to give the eye room to rest and a place for the flowers to expand into

Though I'm a fan of tight crops, that negative space works for me exactly as you describe. I felt very comfortable with that characteristic of the image at my first viewing and remains so after several viewings. Indeed, my first post mentions the pleasing background.