flower photo offered for critique

[Jason Berard]

I'd put myself in the "hike, and take photos" category, not the "hike TO take photos" category, but I just got a new camera, and have been playing around with macro shots, so I thought I'd see what you guys thought about this one:

I'd appreciate any comments about cropping, camera settings, or anything else.
thanks!

 

[Kevin Judy and Emma]

Flowers

I like it! What the he__ is it?
KDT

 

[Pat T]

Bloodroot

Nice photo -- this is one of my favorite early spring wildflowers.

This website shows you another photo of Bloodroot.

Pat T

 

[Chip]

Very pretty, all clean white green - ergo: the spring renewal.

My only "complaint" would be the dark fuzziness of the lower right corner. It adds contrast to the white flower but I was distracted trying to figure out what was down there.

 

[kmorgan]

Very nice. What kind of camera did you get?

Kevin

 

[Jason Berard]

Very pretty, all clean white green - ergo: the spring renewal.

My only "complaint" would be the dark fuzziness of the lower right corner. It adds contrast to the white flower but I was distracted trying to figure out what was down there.

that whole depth of field thing is something I'm just beginning to think about......
thanks, Chip. Maybe it's not out of focus enough, so you want to figure out what it is, rather than just see it a part of the composition?

 

[Jason Berard]

Very nice. What kind of camera did you get?

Kevin

thanks Kevin.
just a P&S....Canon SD750......

 

[pudgy_groundhog]

I like the picture, especially the vibrant white and lush green colors.

Some thoughts:

I think the picture would benefit from a tighter crop. I think the focus should be the large flower in the right hand forefront and the lone flower in the back is distracting to me. And I find the flower all the way on the left kind of distracting too because it's slightly out of focus. What mode did you shoot in? i.e. did you choose your aperture? If you weren't on the physically largest aperture, I would try that next time to blur the other flowers more. Or try a physically smaller aperture to make more of them in focus together (this might get hard though if shutter speed is too long and would require a tripod or if there isn't enough light).

My other comment is that you have some areas of the petals that are washed out and detail is lost. Does your camera allow for under/overexposure settings? I had taken some pictures of white flowers recently and it was hard to not wash them out and I was kind of in a rush so didn't get to really play around with settings. Maybe one of the resident photo posters can chime in and give some suggestions on shooting white flowers -- I'd love to hear it!

I did a quick, tight crop on the main flowers. It eliminates the distractions to me, although it really has a different 'flavor' from the original (I'm sure the crop would be a matter of personal preference).

 

[Kevin Judy and Emma]

Thanks

I can't say I've ever seen this one. At least I don't recall it. Will have to keep an eye out for it now.

As far as the photo goes, I like that the other 2 flowers are in the picture. It gives the picture balance and pushes your eyes to the in focus flowers for a closer look. It could be cropped a little tighter to eliminate some of the dead space at the bottom, but I wouldn't crop out the other flowers. Just my opinion.

KDT

 

[Mark Schaefer]

It is a nice arrangement of flowers. A primary challenge in this scene is the bright sunlight which creates high contrast. The white flowers further magnify the bright sunlight by widening the contrast range. No film or digital process can capture such a range without losing detail in the highlights, shadows, or both.

This is the type of scene that requires softer lighting which will narrow the contrast range. Then the scene will photograph more easily. A bright overcast day would be ideal. Waiting for a time of day when the scene is in open shade might be another option, although some scenes may never be in shade. Other tricks of the trade to reduce the contrast:

• Use a diffuser. Not on the lens, but positioned to reduce/block some of the bright sunlight from reaching your subject. This simulates a bright overcast day. Example: a thin translucent piece of cloth (e.g. gauze, cheesecloth). They are lightweight and not hard to carry while hiking. Perhaps another hiker can hold these while you photograph. Sometimes they can also be propped up. Some mesh or thin, summer weight clothing or hats might also work as a diffuser.
• Use a reflector -- basically any white or light colored object will reflect sunlight into the scene which will illuminate the shadow areas. A piece of white clothing (spare tee shirt) might work.
• Use fill-flash. This is a similar to using a reflector, however, this can be very difficult in close-up photography. The flash can easily overpower a scene creating overexposure. Also on-camera flash might create a distracting shadow from the lens.

I think your exposure in this image is good. However, I will add this for general advice. With difficult contrast scenes review your photos in the field and bracket your exposure as necessary. Check to see if the white flowers appear washed out. If so set the camera for 1/3 stop underexposure. Check the results again and reiterate with another 1/3 stop as needed. When you get home you can choose the best exposure. One can always lighten or darken an image on the computer, but you will lose some detail in that process. Ideally you want to get close to the correct exposure in the field.

 

[Jason Berard]

Mark and p_g, thanks! those are good suggestions I can work on as I become better acquainted with its settings.

 

[nartreb]

It's quite good. The subject is appealing and colorful, the exposure is excellent despite challenging light and a white subject, and the focus and depth of field are well chosen for the scene. The composition also shows care and creativity.

The one weakness I see is the bright, cluttered background at upper left. Even when blurred, it's a little distracting, especially when compared to the dark & stark lower right or the deep green upper right. Mark S's tips will go a long way toward bringing the light in different parts of the scene into harmony, but you can also try to find a composition that keeps the clutter out of view. Groundhog's crop is one example, but you might also find a camera angle that puts more dark green leaves in the background rather than the pale leaf-litter. Try holding the camera very close to the ground and shooting at more of a horizontal angle.

 

[pudgy_groundhog]

but you might also find a camera angle that puts more dark green leaves in the background rather than the pale leaf-litter. Try holding the camera very close to the ground and shooting at more of a horizontal angle.

I like that solution. The tight crop eliminated the distractions, but I like the broader composition so a different background would be perfect.

While taking some flower pictures last week I realized the importance of wearing clothes you don't mind mucking up since it often requires crawling, lying, and other contortions of the body to get the angle you want.

 

[Jason Berard]

While taking some flower pictures last week I realized the importance of wearing clothes you don't mind mucking up since it often requires crawling, lying, and other contortions of the body to get the angle you want.

that's so funny! I had a couple people pass me on the trail as I was in the dirt trying to take pics of some flowers.....later, they passed me on the way down, and I had my sierra saw in my hand, as I was clearing brush on my trail......needless to say, they weren't to chatty.

 

[Grumpy]

Good shot -- especially for someone who says he hikes and takes photos rather than hikes to take pix!

The crop as proposed by Pudgy Groundhog in post #8 is a good one to strengthen this pic. It places emphasis where emphasis belongs. Without the crop, I find the out-of-focus white flower in the background a distraction – made off-putting by the lack of focus, but not enough to just create a light-toned blob.

Mark Schaefer’s comments in post #10 regarding exposure and lighting also are right on the money. The “problem” with this shot is mainly with the lighting, which has blocked up the white petals where they are fully lit. The photo would be even more compelling were there more texture in the white flower petals.

You might try going to a lower contrast setting on your camera (if it will allow that adjustment), or try underexposing until you start getting adequate texture in the flower petal highlights without losing too much in the more shaded petals.

G.

 

[Jason Berard]

thanks everyone for all the helpful comments! It gives me a lot to work on the next time I go out.