Strelitzia, favorite flower

Thank you Mike.
I'm OK with your analysis regarding the BG. I made some trials in PS (different blues) to see what can be working, but found nothing really interesting, so I let the light beige as it is and modified it with the eyedropper to gray in LR.

Super set Jean :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bje07

Thanks Mark, do you mean something like these ?

# 7

http://i68.tinypic.com/2n19fk4.jpg

# 7 updated

http://i63.tinypic.com/2zdt1n4.jpg

# 8

http://i66.tinypic.com/10zd3jp.jpg

and for the fun

# 9 I played with a beige cardboard and LR, still one flash on the ceiling (no crop)

http://i67.tinypic.com/6dua10.jpg

# 9 updated (Mike you didn't precised clear or dark vignette, personally I chose the white one)

http://i68.tinypic.com/fnqlab.jpg

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Thanks a lot Binnur.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bje07

# 9 updated (Mike you didn't precised clear or dark vignette, personally I chose the white one)

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I was thinking of a dark vignette but the light vignette works very well. Most important, regardless of the type of vignette, it adds an artistic element that makes the background as enjoyable as the subject.

I made a test with One1 RAW, so easy to use, in few minutes I got this version, with a less (or more) distracting gray BG but grainy? (with a subtile black vignette);)

http://i64.tinypic.com/mhu2vd.jpg

#7 and # 8 are cropped versions, the following are made with extension tubes and ring LED flash, another vision

# 10

http://i67.tinypic.com/fx9le0.jpg

# 11

http://i63.tinypic.com/351by2b.jpg

#12

http://i64.tinypic.com/ehwzsm.jpg

# 13

http://i67.tinypic.com/35n3eck.jpg

Mike's remark about BG makes me try another version of black BG (JPEG compression makes lot of noise, not visible on my original)

# 14

http://i68.tinypic.com/1zn5ypu.jpg

These are all very interesting artistic expressions. My only real complaint is that in #11 the primary subject seems to be the blue part, yet the only part of the image that is sharply in focus is the part in the top left area. I like #14 a lot despite that I would normally think that such a busy background would draw my attention away from the subject. Perhaps the reason it doesn't do that for me is that the shape of the bright tones in the background so nicely complements the shape of the various parts of the blossoms.

Very artistic and nice :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bje07

Mike's remark about BG makes me try another version of black BG (JPEG compression makes lot of noise, not visible on my original)

# 14

http://i68.tinypic.com/1zn5ypu.jpg

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Mike, thanks for commenting.
I'm lazy so when you say

Quote:

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My only real complaint is that in #11 the primary subject seems to be the blue part, yet the only part of the image that is sharply in focus is the part in the top left area.

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I just have to agree.
All pictures were handheld with extend tubes I should have installed my camera on a tripod and taken more time.
Blue spots on # 14 were made with radial tool playing with cursors, tint/exposure/noise reduction (the last one without real success, hence a passage through D fine)

Thank you Binnur, easy to realize.:)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bje07

I'm lazy so when you say I just have to agree. All pictures were handheld with extend tubes I should have installed my camera on a tripod and taken more time.

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It's fine to shoot handheld when you think you can get the job done that way and don't plan to make a large print that requires perhaps using a tripod. However, once you capture the image, take the time to carefully examine that everything pertaining to the capture is as you want it before taking the yet additional time to post-process and display the image.

As the well-known maxim of Boileau (French writer): "go back to your work again," I took a set of new macro pictures on tripod this time, still with my LED ring flash, with extension tubes, no crop, just square framing for some.
The flowers start to wilt, it was time to shoot in macro mode :cool:

# 15

http://i63.tinypic.com/25hh9xe.jpg



# 16

http://i65.tinypic.com/snlbio.jpg

# 17

http://i64.tinypic.com/2hr1ifa.jpg

# 18

http://i64.tinypic.com/vyxq3t.jpg

# 19

http://i67.tinypic.com/14ijr6a.jpg

# 20

http://i63.tinypic.com/sbrjox.jpg

All of the images in the most recent set are very nice compositions. In #19, the only part that seems to be sharply in focus is the small blue part with water droplets at the very bottom. That's fine if that was your intention. Otherwise, not so good.

Another lovely set, great colors :)

Thank you Binnur

Mike, I can't use anymore "show focus point" LR plugin as it doesn't work with my Fuji X-trans sensor, so I can't show you that I chose focus point at the vertical upper right blue element, but you are right, the bottom blue is well in focus, curiously in the same plan than my focus point. I should have lowered my aperture(f/9 to 16) to increase a tad the DoF:(
Thank you for your comments.

Last picture with this flower.
This time I tried another way of lighting: a flash in an octobox at the back with an occultant in the center made with a black card. This creates an enveloping light of the most beautiful effect (I have the same without the leaf;)).

# 21

http://i64.tinypic.com/ip5wtc.jpg

That really is a nice lighting of the flower, though I imagine you and your viewers would get tired of it if it is overused. I'm surprised that I like the green leaf in the corner. I suspect that the reason I like it is because the flower is so nicely "pointing" to it.

A very even background. :)

Very nice thread going here.
I enjoyed your flower a lot Jean.
I wish I were patient enough to do the same with some of my shots.