The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
I went back to Sonoma Botanical Garden this morning, and had a little fog for an hour or so. I walked by this and it caught my eye – it was so pristine – maybe just opened? It was too breezy to stack but a single frame worked here.
Specific Feedback
All comments welcome!
Technical Details
Highlights pulled down a little in LR. Into PS to remove a bit of a BG flower in the UR and crop.
Diane, this flower is so sweet! I love the gesture of the flower as it sways to the right on its stem. Your DOF is perfect. Here are a few ideas: I’d suggest removing the bud to the right of the flower. It is not needed and is a distraction. And the bud to the left of the bottom left petal could be toned down. It’s competing with the flower. Not sure about the partially hidden bud to the left of the upper left petal. The longer I look at the image, the more it stands out to me. There’s a small blip at the bottom of the flower stem, which could be toned down. These are my picky suggestions. You have a lovely image here and with just a few edits it will be perfect!
Lovely anemone, Diane. I really like your depth of field. I agree with Susanna on the lower left bud and the blip at the bottom of the stem. The bud on the right edge of the flower doesn’t bother me-it helps convey a feeling of succession.
Thanks, @Susanna_Euston and @Dennis_Plank – you made me rethink several things! I decided to see if just subduing the bud on the right was enough, although it would have been easier to just remove it. Thoughts?
@Dennis_Plank, I also feel it is awkward. Maybe just a matter of balance. Yet another version posted above. Better? The lean has felt awkward from the start.
Even after all the fiddling, I’m not set on which is the best. Technically everything is as it should be - great color and focus. There is so much soft detail in the petals that I can practically feel them. The contour there is so nice - it’s that lickable light again. The crop in the third version looks good, but the rotation feels awkward given that the others lean to the right.
You know how I feel about an OOF echo in flower photos and so the buds here don’t bother me since they tell the story of the plant and the toned down version work best. Its as if they are children peeking out from behind their mother.
You’re quite right, @Kris_Smith – something definitely isn’t working. I think this is about the outrageous little flower. It bushwhacked my as I walked by – it was even bigger than its many friends. So I’m going with a strong blur on the original (natural) BG. (Two MORE above…) I left the bud @Susanna_Euston didn’t care for, and also removed it. What think you, @Dennis_Plank?
I love the buds on these – they are often in a nice configuration peeking out behind a bloom. But I will find others – there are at least 11 million of them in the garden. They grow everywhere and have been left to “go native.”
I like the final version the best, I think. The blur worked very well to subdue those buds and I think the balance is better with one on each side. It sounds like there are enough of these to make a career out of photographing them.
Diane, I’ve looked at the variations. Nice work on all of them! I think that the second to the last works best, with a little more breathing room on the right. And I hate to say it, but the bud on the right is still distracting for me. I think that leaving it, or not, depends upon your use of the image: Is it to be a fine art portrait of the flower, or something more casual. While I’d rather see the bud out completely (fine art portrait), if that isn’t an option, the second to the last image with its more subdued bud works better (casual) IMHO.
Thanks, @Dennis_Plank and @Susanna_Euston! I really don’t think enough about the use of an image – I just go with instinct and feelings. But I do think this one is best treated as a fine art portrait, especially since I let go of the foliage, which just wasn’t working. This one is about an outrageous little flower. (There are plenty of others that are more suited to be treated as casual and realistic.) So I appreciate your persistence, Susanna! Thank you!
