Agapanthus bud + RP

A re-worked version with more breathing room and softer edges:

Critique Style Requested: Standard

The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.

Description

This is from 2018. I was walking with a friend in town and we went by a yard with one of these plants with a bud that was just about to break, but at an earlier stage than this. It was in perfect light and I thought it was incredibly beautiful. Of course, no camera. (I’ll never learn…) After that I examined every specimen I could find (hundreds) and never found a bud as perfect as the one I had seen. But obsessions are obsessions, and I began surreptitiously poaching specimens (requiring a very sharp knife) and bringing them home, hoping to do them justice. This is one of the ones I liked.

Specific Feedback

All comments always welcome!

Technical Details

An indoor shot with window light, and a stack. Very little else done – slight crop.

Screen Shot 2023-04-24 at 9.30.46 AM

3 Likes

Really Nice. I love the sharpness and then the softness on the left…

And the muted colors are wonderful.

Back again with that lickable light! It really suits the subdued palette in the buds. Inviting and intriguing in its depth and the process of emerging and blooming. Curious as to why the crop on the left. You don’t normally do this so there must have been a reason. I feel as though I could reach through the screen and touch these. Nice job and worth some surreptitious snipping.

This is lovelly Diane,

I would crop the top part of the picture - making the tip of the yellow OOF leaf the ULC. Then probably would make the same thing in the LRC.

Thanks, @Gill_Vanderlip, @Ronald_Murphy, @Kris_Smith and @joaoquintela! I agree that the crop isn’t idea; and it bothered me. I hadn’t included all of the tip in the original and the left edge of the “casing” or whatever it should be called, felt too close to the edge and was distracting. I’ll go back to the original and include more and try the top and bottom crops that Joao suggested. (Apologies – can’t get the accented a to come up right…)

It might be a few days till I can grab the time. Having another of those everything happens at once weeks.

Diane, the sense of movement and the variety of subtle colors make a great photo.

Thanks @Mark_Seaver! I found time to do a version I like more – the one I posted was too crowded. It needed a bit of added canvas and some camouflage work on the edges. Posted above.

1 Like

The repost is even better. Don’t know how you got the light and modeling to improve, but you did. Super.

Special powers… :upside_down_face: :upside_down_face:

Diane: Work and ministry have kept me away for way too long but I had to comment on this image. Agapanthus buds are favorite subjects of mine and your rendition of this one is marvelous. The rework is wonderful. I love the color palette and your DOF choice. Most excellent. >=))>

Many thanks, @Bill_Fach! I’ve missed your gorgeous images lately – hope you will find more time to share with us!