Garden in the Woods

[sleist]

Some shots from today at a place i like to go when things are in bloom.

1.




2.




3.




4.




5.




6. Don't ask ...




7.




8.




9.




Thanks for lookin'

[IzzieK]

OK...I have time in my hands right now so I will comment on each of these...
#1 -- is very nice but it needs more brightening of the whole image.
#2 -- same verdict although I should add that the other background flowers though some of them are blurred still are a distraction to the subject.
#3 -- Perfect lighting but I would like to see this one as a square crop without the extra bud at the bottom left hand side.
#4 -- Nice pattern
#5 -- This one need another crop too without the top flower...and a bit more lightening or shadow adjustment, which ever way suits you.
#6 --No, I am not going to ask but I can already tell you that these are old beer bottles and it is really a nice shot, composition wise. I like it.
#7-- My favourite. Simple, very effective...
#8 --another pattern shot.
#9 -- I don't know...but these are knicknacks to me. The leaves at the right side is not doing it any favour at all because there isn't another one like it at the left side to form a frame or something.
Just my thoughts. Take it or leave it...

[Shadowman]

Nice series, some good ones in there, especially like #9 for composition, lighting, and patterns.

[TonyW]

I like these. They are quite masterful in the use of lighting.

[DanK]

A nice set. I particularly like #1. Those are tough to get because the context is usually so busy.

I agree with Tony that some show excellent lighting. I realize that it is a trade-off in terms of the excellent blurring of the background, but my taste would run to more DOF in 1, 3, and 5. One way to do that if the flowers are still is to do a stack of images with a wide aperture and then use the background from the front image. However, I often can't get still enough flowers in situ and end up doing that kind of thing indoors.

I looked at the exif information, but the aperture doesn't appear, perhaps because you were shooting in aperture priority.

[wrench]

Really nice shots! The first two are my favorites.

[bnnrcn]

Nice series Steve, my favs are #1 and #8

[sleist]

Thank you all for the comments and critique. I was playing with spot metering (all but #1 I think) to try and isolate the subjects a bit through exposure in dappled light, so the apparent darkness was intentional on some. I was using a D700 with the non-OS Sigma 150 mm macro. Aperture was between 3 and 8, but on the open end mostly IIRC. I was shooting hand held and needed to keep my shutter speed up without shooting above iso 1600. I generally shoot at F8 these days, but was in a shallow DOF mood I guess - plus it was darkish. Glad the lighting effects came across as that was what I was aiming for.

Thanks again!

[rpcrowe]

Nice series. However, I would hope to find a garden in which full beer bottles are growing.