Cardinal Flowers V1 & V2

[Mark_Seaver]

V1

V2

Critique Style Requested: Standard

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

Description

After several years of trying with little success, I got a good batch of Cardianl Flowers to bloom this summer. I find them hard to photograph because the lower flowers in the racime are highly overlapped. At the end of their bloom season, I did find two plants with only the top two flowers blooming. As you see here, the backgrounds were very different both in brightness and in color.

Specific Feedback

Which version do you prefer?

Technical Details

R5, 180 mm macro, tripod and polarizer.
OOPS! In going back to my files I see that V1 is a 23 shot stack and V2 a 15 shot stack.

V1: 1/1600 s, f/8, iso 4000, needed to freeze the motion.

V2: 1/160 s, f/9, iso 1600, much less motion.

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Critique Template

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Vision and Purpose:
Conceptual:
Emotional Impact and Mood:
Composition:
Balance and Visual Weight:
Depth and Dimension:
Color:
Lighting:
Processing:
Technical:

[Jim_Zablotny]

The second image is much more dramatic than the first one and I narrowly choose that one over the first photo. For plant shots, I certainly like having more greens than blues which further explains the narrow pick over the first image. Reds look good and excellent DOF for this very challenging flower…Jim

[Dennis_Plank]

Hi Mark. I prefer the “pose” of the flowers a little better in the second version and I think the reds and greens pop a lot better against that background.

[Bill_Fach]

Mark: I do like the deeper colors of the second but both are excellent. A terrific subject superbly captured and presented.>=))>