Poppies

[xpatUSA]

I got one question though -- what part of this plant is harvested to make opium?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opium

. . . I do not take drugs nor smoke nor drink alcohol.

No fun at all . . .

[DanK]

I too like #2 much more. It's a truly unique image, and the lighting and DOF are good. I agree about the errant anther. When I do macros like that, I sometimes take a fine tweezer and remove things like that problematic anther. It's sometimes much easier to do it physically than with PP.

I'm less fond of #1. It's less unusual, of course, but the lighting also seems a bit harsh, and I think it would be better with more separation from the foliage in the back. I think the latter would be easy to do in PP. You might be able to tone down the lighting a bit in PP also, but I find that hard to do.

[JBW]

Childhood memories, we had poppies in our backyard. Would you consider opening up the crop on #1. Not the width but the height. Part of me wants to tone down the brilliant green leaves in #2. The rest of me says don't be a fool it would ruin the shot. Perhaps just a touch of purple? mauve? blue? in the background to blend with the top of the iced doughnut structure?

[Round Tuit]

Hi Izzie, and Ted
This is an ornamental poppy, I doubt very much that it would produce much if any opium as it is quite legal to grow.
Dan,
I know that I should have been more careful with the second shot but this was a spur of the moment shot. Lesson learned. As for the first, you are right that the sunlight was too strong for best results.
Brian,
I hope they were good childhood memories. I haven't been able to get good results with adding colours to the background. Would you care to demonstrate what you meant.

Thank all for your comments.
This is a revised picture of #1 incorporating what I could from Dan and Brian's suggestions.



André

[bje07]

For me your red color is too close to pink.
The ones I shot were more vivid red.
I like your second shot

[JBW]

Small aside Tiny pix wasn't working so I went through 'dropbox". I used color editor in Capture 1 Sony Pro to isolate most of the bg and then played with hue and skin tone . Into color balance for mid tone adjustment. It's not a large difference.

[xpatUSA]

For me your red color is too close to pink.

"Pink" is more or less a tint of pure red: sRGB: 255,192,205 - HSV:350deg,25%,100%

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink

On the other hand, poppies tend a little toward orange:



In other words, there is significant reflectance below "red". In RT, not surprisingly therefore, the OP color shows as 13deg,94%,100% tending toward orange. Official "pink" (350deg,25%,100%), on the other hand, tends toward magenta.

The ones I shot were more vivid red.

My example spectrum is from papaver dubium record #2112. Your French species may be different, as might the OP's.

See here for other spectra of the species papaver:

http://www.reflectance.co.uk//simple...search=papaver

Perhaps the apparently lighter tint is due to lighting or perhaps post-processing . . .

[xpatUSA]

Small aside Tiny pix wasn't working so I went through 'dropbox". I used color editor in Capture 1 Sony Pro to isolate most of the bg and then played with hue and skin tone . Into color balance for mid tone adjustment. It's not a large difference.

DropBox link not working in FireFox on my Win 7 system Brian. Gives error 403 and suggests I should sign in.

[IzzieK]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opium
No fun at all . . .

Thank you for the info, Ted. (Sorry for the late response. I did my civic/jury duties the last few days then when I came home lost our tv and our internet.)

Yep I am boring...so tell me more about it.

[Round Tuit]

For me your red color is too close to pink.
The ones I shot were more vivid red.
I like your second shot

Thank you Jean.

On my calibrated monitor the pink is very close to the actual colour of the poppy.

[Round Tuit]

Small aside Tiny pix wasn't working so I went through 'dropbox". I used color editor in Capture 1 Sony Pro to isolate most of the bg and then played with hue and skin tone . Into color balance for mid tone adjustment. It's not a large difference.

The link isn't working!
I think I now know what you meant. At first I thought that you were suggesting adding patches of different colours into the background. That could be interesting too.

[Round Tuit]

"Pink" is more or less a tint of pure red: sRGB: 255,192,205 - HSV:350deg,25%,100%

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink

On the other hand, poppies tend a little toward orange:



In other words, there is significant reflectance below "red". In RT, not surprisingly therefore, the OP color shows as 13deg,94%,100% tending toward orange. Official "pink" (350deg,25%,100%), on the other hand, tends toward magenta.



My example spectrum is from papaver dubium record #2112. Your French species may be different, as might the OP's.

See here for other spectra of the species papaver:

http://www.reflectance.co.uk//simple...search=papaver

Perhaps the apparently lighter tint is due to lighting or perhaps post-processing . . .

I always appreciated the technical info you provide. Thanks

[JohnRostron]

Just to be pedantic, the "petal" on the right is not a petal but part of the shell that enclose the bud before it opens. The petals are huge and red.

You are right. It is not a petal but a sepal. In Poppies, these typically fall off as soon as the flower opens. This one must have been trapped by the bracts (green things).

Now to answer your question. I find the anther distracting because it span the gap between the two green things(I think that this is the technical term!) at an angle that clashes with the mostly circular symmetry of the picture and because part of it is very bright.

André

Thanks, I am happy to accept your (and Binnur's) opinion on this.

John