The photographer is looking for thoughtful feedback on the image as a whole, especially around the areas noted below.
Feedback Focus: Artistic / Expressive
About This Image
On this particular day rain was forecast for Longwood Gardens, so Mike and I had made the trip in hopes of photographing the waterlilies with raindrops adorning their petals. The conditions were pretty much perfect with a light rain and soft overcast light that created lovely rich colors. All in all a good day!
Feedback Requested
I am curious as to your thoughts on three things. The first is the pad close to the LLC poking into the frame. At first I was going to remove it, but then decided that I liked it pointing towards the flower. What do you think? The other two things have to do with the brown spot on the tip of one of the petals as well as the brown on the flower that hasn’t opened yet. How much do they bother you? Anything else you notice please feel free to mention it.
Technical Details
Camera: NIKON Z 7
Lens: NIKKOR Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S
Focal length: 320mm
Shutter speed: 1/50s
Aperture: f/18
ISO: 400
Ed: Absolutely beautiful flower and a fine comp. I get your point about the pad pointing toward the flower but it pulls my eye a bit instead of directing it. As for the spots they are non-issues for me as I see minor blemishes on the lilies I shoot and normally leave them alone. The bud looks pretty natural to me. Great job taking advantage of the conditions. Most excellent. >=))>
Beautiful flower and perfect composition, Ed. Lovely fire inside and vibrant violet sorrounded by subduead green and grey/brown, wonderful set of colors. The droplets are superb. My thoughts regarding your questions: the pad is a bit unneccessary esp in a large view and so is the brown spot on the petal (however I would work on the petal first, the pad is more acceptable to me), the unopened flower is absolutely OK to me.
Beautiful glow on the flower, Ed. I’m drawn immediately to the flower and don’t find the pad a distraction. Probably wouldn’t have thought much about the brown spot on the petal if you hadn’t mentioned it, but it would be an easy fix to remove it. I think the unopened flower is a nice environmental addition; somehow makes the scene more natural. Well done.
What a beauty! Regarding the pad entering from the bottom. I would never have noticed it if you hadn’t mentioned it, since it’s the same color as the one under. But now I can’t unsee it. I would probably remove it, though maybe most people wouldn’t notice it either so flip a coin. I would definitely remove the brown spot on the flower petal. I love the inclusion of the unopened flower and the brown in it doesn’t bother me. Thumbs up.
Bill_Fach
(Bill Fach)
selected this as an Editor's Pick
6
Now there is some color! A vibrant image all around. That lily pad in the lower left is just part of the scene to me, and yes, it points my eye upward to the flower. I also like the bud to the right.
Another 11/10!! (Ho hum. You have spoiled us.) But seriously, the color and the water drops are just so perfect that for me the leaf tip in the LL has to go. It’s just too close to becoming the third object that can be a powerful compositional element – or a distraction. Same for the blemish on the petal – it’s too close to the extra leaf. Sometimes there is a place for the small flaw that makes the image real, but this one is on the wrong petal. The bud works fine for me – maybe it can be the small flaw. But if you repaired or minimized it I wouldn’t complain.
