Multiple blossoms, one dominant, the bold and the beautiful

[JBW]

[JohnRostron]

The flowers are wonderful, especially the focussing. Pity about the tendril on the right. Presumably this could be cloned out.

John

[JBW]

The flowers are wonderful, especially the focussing. Pity about the tendril on the right. Presumably this could be cloned out.

John

they could be but I think they make a frame for the blossoms and add a bit of needed brightness?

[Shadowman]

Nicely done.

[JBW]

Nicely done.

Shooting in RAW and using levels and curves at the start of the workflow makes a difference. Plus I am learning how to use the camera to set the scene.

[xpatUSA]

It's so nice to see a flower shot with some composition in it, Brian. I read an article long ago that pointed out how many people tend to just shoot the flower with no regard for composition and all that it entails.

Along those lines . . .

The blossoms at upper rear tend to draw the eye away from the large blossom. If the lighting was artificial, perhaps move it down a bit. Perhaps move the camera slightly to the right so that the small in-focus leaf doesn't "touch" the blossom. As to focusing, perhaps bring the focal plane just a little toward the camera, focusing as accurately as possible on the fore-flowers of the main blossom and choose an aperture that ever so slightly blurs the leaves just behind to give a greater impression of depth to the blossom. All this based on the big blossom being the main subject which may not have been your intention - in which case, I'd move the camera up and try to focus the blossoms equally.

Of course clone out the orange power cord (vine?) and I might personally lighten the background just a smidgeon.

Apart from that . . . .

[JBW]

It's so nice to see a flower shot with some composition in it, Brian. I read an article long ago that pointed out how many people tend to just shoot the flower with no regard for composition and all that it entails.

Along those lines . . .

The blossoms at upper rear tend to draw the eye away from the large blossom. If the lighting was artificial, perhaps move it down a bit. Perhaps move the camera slightly to the right so that the small in-focus leaf doesn't "touch" the blossom. As to focusing, perhaps bring the focal plane just a little toward the camera, focusing as accurately as possible on the fore-flowers of the main blossom and choose an aperture that ever so slightly blurs the leaves just behind to give a greater impression of depth to the blossom. All this based on the big blossom being the main subject which may not have been your intention - in which I'd move the camera up and try to focus the blossoms equally.

Of course clone out the orange power cord (vine?) and I might personally lighten the background just a smidgeon.

Apart from that . . . .

Apart from that there's not much left i did try to make the big blossom the main focus. I do seem to be the only one that sees the dry tendrils as a way to frame the blossoms so I shall rethink the idea.

Multiple blossoms or areas of interest do make for a more challenging shot.

[rachel]

I love these little flowers - does anyone know what they're called?

[Jimr1961]

I like the tendrils framing the bloom idea. I think it would work better if the tendrils were on the left. As it is, they sort of make an arrow pulling my eye out of the shot. Since most cultures read from left to right, having them on the left would, I think, have the effect of pulling the eye toward the bloom instead, but they were where they were. Try flipping the shot to see if it changes effect for you.

A buddy of mine shot me taking a picture on a bridge crossing a river. He shot me facing camera left. It produced the same type of reading left to right issue. When I flipped it so I was shooting camera right, it looked much more like I was connected to the scene instead of focused on something completely different. Unfortunately, he caught a sign above the river and it now read backward, so it was obvious the shot was flipped.

[Ziggy]

Overall I like this one Brian but I find the tendril a distraction.

[JBW]

I love these little flowers - does anyone know what they're called?

I don't know the scientific name but locallly they are clled 'Little devils Farts. They look nice but smell terrible.

[JBW]

Overall I like this one Brian but I find the tendril a distraction.

this does seem to be the consensus.

[JBW]

I like the tendrils framing the bloom idea. I think it would work better if the tendrils were on the left. As it is, they sort of make an arrow pulling my eye out of the shot. Since most cultures read from left to right, having them on the left would, I think, have the effect of pulling the eye toward the bloom instead, but they were where they were. Try flipping the shot to see if it changes effect for you.

A buddy of mine shot me taking a picture on a bridge crossing a river. He shot me facing camera left. It produced the same type of reading left to right issue. When I flipped it so I was shooting camera right, it looked much more like I was connected to the scene instead of focused on something completely different. Unfortunately, he caught a sign above the river and it now read backward, so it was obvious the shot was flipped.

I'll give that a try.

[tao2]

Hi Brian,

Ah'd keep the wee flowers above the subject. What ah would have done is move left tae separate the two small flowers fae the background one, so that the OOF flower in the background was a counterpoint tae the main subject (keeping that flower in the background... OOF). That way, ye may have lost the tendril naturally, by it being OOF as well.

The background's just right (for me), lightening the background would lose atmosphere and reduce the subtlety.

PS
While ah like tae keep photos as untouched as possible (mostly); ah'd erase the debris on the leaf.

[JBW]

Hi Brian,

Ah'd keep the wee flowers above the subject. What ah would have done is move left tae separate the two small flowers fae the background one, so that the OOF flower in the background was a counterpoint tae the main subject (keeping that flower in the background... OOF). That way, ye may have lost the tendril naturally, by it being OOF as well.

The background's just right (for me), lightening the background would lose atmosphere and reduce the subtlety.

PS
While ah like tae keep photos as untouched as possible (mostly); ah'd erase the debris on the leaf.

Boab, That makes sense. And may i add that it is a good thing i was not so good teenager and went to live with my grandparents for a while who were born in Glasgow or I might not have understood.

[bnnrcn]

Very nice one Brian but I agree with the others about cloning the tendrils

[JBW]

Very nice one Brian but I agree with the others about cloning the tendrils

I will be watching out for them from now on.

[rachel]

I don't know the scientific name but locallly they are clled 'Little devils Farts. They look nice but smell terrible.

Ah, thanks, I've seen them lots but never noticed the smell.

[jcuknz]

Sorry Brian but loose as hell as usual. A frame usually has four sides top,bottom and two sides



Plus it should never have left your computer becuase you back focused and the front of the principle bloom is out of focus. The crop puts it on the bottom third.
really a situation where I think your PP skills have reached a level where you should try some elementary stacking with a sharp front bloom and the leaves just behind ... just two layers to play with as a starting exercise ... about as complicated as I have bothered to try myself and all that is needed here.

ps. played around to see if I could organise a two colour frame like you often have done and worked out how to do it Thanks for the prompting Would have liked to have picked up the colours from the image but have not got that far in the learning process

[Stagecoach]

Sorry Brian but loose as hell as usual. A frame usually has four sides top,bottom and two sides

But the drop shadow frame used had 4 sides