Spring has Sprung!! Constructive Advice Welcome

[Kathy O]

Spring has definitely Sprung here in Nebraska, USA.
Constructive Advice is Welcome -- this is how I learn what works and what doesn't. Thanks for looking.

[Geoff F]

Not with that background, Kathy.

You could try cropping tighter and toning down the background but they are pale delicate flowers so any bright background is going to clash and overwhelm them.

Such a difficult scene to shoot well. Maybe you could have tried under exposing the background then brightening the flowers with a little well controlled flash but I suspect this needs to be shot at a different time of day and possibly under different weather conditions.

No simple answer with this sort of scene I'm afraid.

Alternatively I suppose, cut the flowers and move them indoors under controllable lighting; still not easy though.

[davidedric]

H Kathy,

Lovely to see Spring. With the photo, I would start with the crop. Since the flowers are the subject, I assume, then for me there is a lot too much space around them.

Dave

[Shadowman]

Nicely done, I like it but would like to also see it with more contrast.

[Kathy O]

Okay, so I see what you guys are saying. Here are couple of edits . . . better or not?

[Kris V]

I think the 2nd edit looks a lot better than the original. Too bad you can't just move the background out of the way....

[Kathy O]

I think the 2nd edit looks a lot better than the original. Too bad you can't just move the background out of the way....

What kind of background would you suggest??

[IzzieK]

You know Kathy, if I were you, I will do an LCE instead to blur the background since you have already shoot it. The first one is good if the background is less pronounced as it is now. Just my opinion...unless you like to isolate the flower and bring it inside to photograph it in a different controlled lighting condition and work your background into it, say this is a light flower, black will be nice or something dark. Light subject and light background just doesn't go hand in hand here...

[Geoff F]

Edit #2 is certainly a lot better but I think you will have to crop out that branch on the right. Although blurred, it is simply too 'heavy' and is overwhelming those delicate flowers.

When I first started this year's Project 52 Challenge and opted for botanical subjects 'in the field' I soon found that backgrounds were a real nightmare and under some lighting conditions the whole scene became impossible to shoot.

As much care has to go into the background, and foreground, as into the main subject; which does make for a lot of time consuming fiddling around before shooting.

Sometimes I can add a little artificial shadow to the problem area or use some exposure compensation to expose for the background as well as the subject area. Bending a stem or branch to a better position can also be helpful at times.

But quite often, it has to come down to trying again at a different time of day or alternative weather conditions.

Once you do move your subject to another location 'the sky's the limit' for backgrounds. In fact I do have some printed backgrounds (on matte paper) of sky photos for this sort of use.

Alternatively you will see some excellent work here where a 'cloth' type of background in black or white etc has been used, along with various other materials.

[Shadowman]

Much better. I like the background, on occasion I will photograph flowers but it's not really my main interest; however your background is totally different than what I'm used to seeing; so it's unique to me.

[Kathy O]

Thank you to all your compliments and words of advice, I was going for something different than your normal flower shot. I appreciate all your input.

Kathy