A Trip to the Orchid Show

[mythlady]

I love to go to shows of the local flower societies. It's usually a very challenging environment -- crowds milling around, horrible lighting (yesterday's was in a high school cafeteria), poor backgrounds -- but I really enjoy shooting under those conditions and coming home to find I actually got a couple of good shots.

Yesterday I went to the Santa Cruz Orchid Society show; if the sun comes out, I might try again today, but these are some of what I got yesterday. C&C welcome.









Since I hate to post and run, I hope to get around to make a few comments later today --

[Donald]

Well worth having gone to show, I would say. You are really now producing some very, very high quality work using this technique of adding textures. I think it finds its natural 'home' here with this sort of subject.

[ScoutR]

all lovely Elise, the last one is my favourite absolutley beautiful and I love what you have done with the textures. I really must get out the books and figure out how to work with layers so I can get you to help me learn how to do textures. I just love the effect on florals

Wendy

[mythlady]

Thanks so much, Donald and Wendy. At my camera club meeting on Friday, we had an evening of sharing with each other -- we each brought 10 photos and put them up on a big screen TV, so we could talk about them. I really enjoyed it (once I got over my nerves), but I was so struck with how each person had a style all their own -- some did great landscapes, one was doing beautiful infrared photos, others used models or other situations with people, one was doing stunning architectural photography . . . and I showed my texture pics. It does feel as if I'm developing a style/theme/area of focus, and that feels nice. And boy, can I see a difference, even from the pics I took last year at the same orchid show, when I was just getting into textures --

Wendy, I'm happy to do a tutorial, any time --

[mythlady]

I went back today and got a few more --

[Peter Ryan]

HI Elise,

I do like looking at your texture shots, the are beautiful.

[jeeperman]

I have to agree with Peter, Elise you seem to really have gotten a good eye for the textures that will excentuate the flowers beauty rather than detract from it. Nice work.

[purplehaze]

Great collection, Elise. I love the perspective you got on the third one, the pose that seems to be saying, "Look at me! Look at me!". It puts me in mind of Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard.

[mythlady]

Thanks, Janis and everyone -- I have to smile about the dramatic pictures -- it really was a poorly lit high school cafeteria, with all kinds of people, tables, labels and price tags and so on. I also felt that I couldn't move any of the plants around (though I did nudge a couple a tiny bit). But across the room, on the stage, was a black curtain, and if I just scrunched down a little bit, I could get that black background in most of the picture . . . and Photoshop did the rest

I really, really enjoy the challenge. Can't wait until the next show -- the iris one, maybe?