An up close photo of a cactus plant during a trip to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Located in the Cactus, Agave Botanical Park called “El Charco del Ingenio”, this botanical park is located above a canyon which cuts through the escarpment overlooking the center of town. The layout of trails and native vegetation offered terrific scenery overlooking the canyon and the town of San Miguel below.
Most of the native and planted species are varieties of cactus and agave.
Specific Feedback Requested
Any general feedback on the overall look and post processing of the image is appreciated. This is my first image posted in NPN so I am grateful for any suggestions.
David, welcome to NPN. This is a fine first post. Your focus (pun intended) on the three central spikes works well here. I also like how you’ve got those three off center and higher in the frame. That lets the parts in the lower left add nicely to the show. I do wish that those three main spikes were completely sharp (f/8 might have done that). I also think that moving the frame down slightly (cutting out the dark partial spike near the upper left corner and including all of the lowest spike in the front) would improve this view.
David, welcome to NPN. A fine image here. I like the angle you put the cactus, rather than just straight up and down. @Mark_Seaver gave some fine advice as well, so not sure that I have anything more to add. Looking forward to seeing more of your images as well as your comments on other’s images.
Thank you so much for the comments. Being relatively new to actually “paying attention” to settings, composition, and in an effort to improve, I especially appreciate the advise about how the f stop may increase the sharpness. I always tend to later think about whether or not I made the correct choice in that realm. Thanks again.
David, this is a very cool closeup of a mace! Seriously, those spikes look deadly. I love how you have the focus set here and how it moves so nicely into the soft out of focus area in the upper right. Truly a spectacular image.
Welcome to NPN, I am sure you’ll get a lot out of this community.
Yes, welcome, David!! You’ll find this a great place to hang out!
I think this is a very captivating image. I love the energy of the diagonal composition, which fits the fierceness of the thorns, and the soft (and softly colored) BG setting them off so nicely. Good points above about composition but there is a really good raw energy to work with here. I love the visual flow from the mottled area in the lower left to the smoothly out of focus area in the upper right, with all four corners having such a nice dark gradient. You might soften that top thorn, which stands out a bit too much for being so dark. I’d think about cloning out the spike that exits the frame in the upper right and the one right at the top border. Excellent seeing to have captured this!
Welcome to NPN. I like this one as presented due to the vignette on the OOF areas. A little more room to get the bottom spine will improve your composition. The main 3 spines have nice texture and are photographically very sharp (no pun intended!), Overall, a nice first posting…Jim
Seriously, those spikes look deadly. I love how you have the focus set here and how it moves so nicely into the soft out of focus area in the upper right. Truly a spectacular image.