Spring

[Rufus]

These are intended to bring to mind "Spring".

The Saxfrage flowers are about half an inch wide. I incorporated the single flower as relief from the general spreading clump.

Neither are perfect but which of the cherry blossoms is the better image?

[billtils]

I'll pass on "better image" but happy to say that the larger blossoms image is the one I prefer - the impact of cherry trees in blossom is all about the gorgeous masses of the flowers.

[Rufus]

I'll pass on "better image" but happy to say that the larger blossoms image is the one I prefer - the impact of cherry trees in blossom is all about the gorgeous masses of the flowers.

Thank you, Bill. Is it the landscape format one that appears larger?

[Manfred M]

I personally prefer the second cherry blossoms because the lighting seems better and the amount blue sky showing through in the first one is a bit distracting. Ideally a shot with just the blossoms and a soft background that is neutral, rather than gray might work better.

I suspect you will have to wait until next year to shoot the cherry blossoms again, but try doing so on an overcast day to see how that lighting works out.

[Rufus]

I personally prefer the second cherry blossoms because the lighting seems better and the amount blue sky showing through in the first one is a bit distracting.

I agree.

Ideally a shot with just the blossoms and a soft background that is neutral, rather than gray might work better. I suspect you will have to wait until next year to shoot the cherry blossoms again, but try doing so on an overcast day to see how that lighting works out.

With a subject like this the background in the scene itself is likely to be the sky or other areas of the tree and blossom. So the advice seems to be to try shooting on an overcast but not grey day with the sky as background. My reservation then would be the lack of contrast between the background and the subject.

I certainly want to avoid replicating the gardening catologues' typical illustration of blosoom against blue sky.

Maybe I went too far with blurring and reducing the exposure on the background.

[Round Tuit]

I too prefer the second cherry blossom picture. The separation of the subject from the background is better. The green blurry blob in the middle is somewhat distracting though.

[billtils]

Yes.

[Rufus]

The green blurry blob in the middle is somewhat distracting though.

Yes it is. I blurred and desaturated it as it attracted the eye too much when it was clearly visible.

A better composition would be the answer.

[Round Tuit]

I blurred and desaturated it as it attracted the eye too much when it was clearly visible.

I use that technique quite regularly. The desaturation can usually be done quite aggressively but the blurring in a case where the offending area is within or very close to the main subject must be more subtil. Otherwise, it creates too much of a contrast in texture with the main subject and contrast attracts attention.

In the case of your blossoms, I would use a blurr radius of 1 or 2 pixels; definitely no more than 3 pixels. I doubt that it would make the picture into a "wall hanger" but it could make it useable.

[Rufus]

In the case of your blossoms, I would use a blurr radius of 1 or 2 pixels; definitely no more than 3 pixels. I doubt that it would make the picture into a "wall hanger" but it could make it useable.

Thank you for your guidance on blurr radius. I should have pulled it back more.