Pale Green Tree Orchid ~ Dark Background

[JBW]

Tree Orchids are an interesting challenge. Hard to get a good focus. Harder to get the subtlety of color. Hope you like how this shot turned out.

Sony Alpha a58 ~ Tamron 90mm 272E ~ ISO 100 ~ Shutter 1/20s. ~ F/5.6
Natural Light ~ Two Shot Stack In Fiji

[Mike Buckley]

Consider using a bright background to enhance the subtlety of the bright tones throughout the entire image, not just the subject.

[JBW]

Consider using a bright background to enhance the subtlety of the bright tones throughout the entire image, not just the subject.

I'll give that a shot tomorrow

[Shadowman]

Nice shot.

[Dave Humphries]

Hope you like how this shot turned out.

Yes, I think you succeeded;

• especially against a dark background, metering for correct exposure is what often catches folks out, but not you
• when I read it was only a two shot stack (at f/5.6) I was concerned about DoF, as you say, they are a tricky subject - being quite deep and with perhaps less obvious areas to focus upon definitively, however you have again produced a satisfying image

The other 'problem' with Orchids is that their multitude of blooms in (inseparable) close proximity often leads to awkward compositional challenges - unless the clone tool is used to remove large bright things at the edge of frame - the problem then is that often we'll 'miss' them, instinctively knowing that there should be more in the frame, unless what remains is a great composition - and often it isn't because nature doesn't always help us.

All that said, I think your decision to include three here outweighs the possible removel of the one lower right, leaving just two looking 'lonely'.

Waffle-y Dave

[John 2]

................................. Hard to get a good focus. Harder to get the subtlety of color. ...............

Both of which you have managed. Agree with Dave here about the compositional challenge. Odd numbers do seem to be better but here, the other two seem a tad untidy. Moving them out of the way temporarily (if you can without damaging such a beautiful plant) might work more effectively in this case. More nice work though Brian.

[JBW]

Both of which you have managed. Agree with Dave here about the compositional challenge. Odd numbers do seem to be better but here, the other two seem a tad untidy. Moving them out of the way temporarily (if you can without damaging such a beautiful plant) might work more effectively in this case. More nice work though Brian.

short stems means no moving out of the way.

[JBW]

Yes, I think you succeeded;

• especially against a dark background, metering for correct exposure is what often catches folks out, but not you
• when I read it was only a two shot stack (at f/5.6) I was concerned about DoF, as you say, they are a tricky subject - being quite deep and with perhaps less obvious areas to focus upon definitively, however you have again produced a satisfying image

The other 'problem' with Orchids is that their multitude of blooms in (inseparable) close proximity often leads to awkward compositional challenges - unless the clone tool is used to remove large bright things at the edge of frame - the problem then is that often we'll 'miss' them, instinctively knowing that there should be more in the frame, unless what remains is a great composition - and often it isn't because nature doesn't always help us.

All that said, I think your decision to include three here outweighs the possible removel of the one lower right, leaving just two looking 'lonely'.

Waffle-y Dave

I did a bit of flipping an flopping in to find an angle that was acceptable.