Amaryllis

[BongoBob]

The following are some shots of an amaryllis plant, I'd love to get some C & C on them.

I used pretty small apertures to keep the limited depth of field as large as possible - my focal point on all of the shots was the pollen. They were all shot with my Canon T1i and 18-55 kit lens (all at 55mm), ISO100.

#1 - f/14, 2.0s


#2 - f/32, 10s


#3 - f/36, 8s


#4 - f/32, 10s

[Katy Noelle]

Hmmmm! I can see myself in these shots. i.e. it's the kind of shot that I would take. I can understand why you focused on the pollen - it's a natural thing to do. I just, particularly, don't think that it's the most exciting part of the flower. I think that the swirl of color and the texture of the petals is much more stunning and has more to "say".

Maybe, #1 and 2 seem too busy to me. I really like #3 and 4 - I think it's partly because of the beautiful flow of the different petals and their colors, interacting with the stamens. #4 is my most favorite of all - I really like it! I think that it's because of the composition - not just with the whole flower but, again, with the flowing lines and swirls. It's very pleasing, to me.

Now, having said all of this, I need to say that I'm, somewhat, of a beginner and I'm really tired and feel like I'm "talking through my hat". Seeing these, helps me think through, a bit more, what I'm doing when I take these kind of shots.

Anyway, thanks for posting, Nick! I can't wait to see what someone else who really knows what they're talking about, will say.

[Peter Ryan]

Nice work Nick. It is good to someone working-the-subject. I do agree with Katy's comments. #4 is also my favourite and I would like to see just a bit more at the bottom where the stamen neeeerly touches the dge of the frame. If you printed and framed this it would be hidden by the mount board. Lovely colours and a good showing of this flower.

[BongoBob]

Thank you both for the kind words.

Katy, I do agree with you that the petals and colors have much more impact than the pollen. I think that's why #3 and #4 work a little better - there is a little more of the flower in the focal plane than in the first two.

Peter, I see what you mean - the stamen is a bit too crowded. Sometimes I tend to frame things a little too tightly during the initial capture, and instead of having to crop out dead space I end up wishing for more room. It's a lesson that I'm learning slowly

[Katy Noelle]

Hi, Nick! I'm glad that I made sense - I was really tired that evening.

If you still have the amaryllis around, you should try it again and see what you come up with. It reminds me of the anemone that I'm working on (I'll have to wait till next fall to try again, though.) There might be more that you can tease out with textures and colors on the petals. Also, maybe, you could try different backgrounds (simple ones, Dave, I mean simple ones... ) For example, a white background would definitely give a candy cane fresh feeling. You could use sparkly bokeh from you Christmas tree (if you have one) or a subtle shade of blue or green - a color that would make the colors on the flower "ping". These are JUST ideas. Anyhoo, do any of us have time to take more photos? - the countdown has seriously begun, around here.

btw, Prince Edward Island is a place that I would LOVE to visit - I've wanted to for a very long time.

Merry Christmas! Katy (er Noelle.... yes, I'm feeling conspicuous that my middle name is "Christmas".)

[Peter Ryan]

Thank you both for the kind words.

Peter, I see what you mean - the stamen is a bit too crowded. Sometimes I tend to frame things a little too tightly during the initial capture, and instead of having to crop out dead space I end up wishing for more room. It's a lesson that I'm learning slowly

I know what you mean. Like you I like to get the crop right in camera and I also shot too tight for a while until I started printing and framing. You do not have to shoot too loose that you need to crop everything - it is just another learning things to know how much room to leave.