The photographer has shared comprehensive information about their intent and creative vision for this image. Please examine the details and offer feedback on how they can most effectively realize their vision.
Self Critique
I am drawn to the textures and shapes of the leaves in both plants. I had a great deal of difficulty deciding where to crop the larger image. This is about half of the original composition.
Creative direction
I hope to convey the beauty of the shapes of these leaves. Both plants have almost a mystic quality because of their unexpected color and velvety texture.
Specific Feedback
All areas would be appreciated.
Technical Details
Processed in LR, PS using Topaz DeNoise, TK9 luminosity masking.
Description
This is another in my Angel Wing and Dusty Miller plants series.
wow, this sure is eye-catching. I love the even light and the shapes and sinuous forms on display. Not sure how much I love the green in the URC, but that’s just me. Have you thought about focus stacking these kinds of things? The nearest leaf is OOF and I wonder how it would present if everything was crisp. The texture is killer. Like velvet on new antlers.
Barbara, I am enjoying your plants! Really nice shapes and texture in them. I too wonder about the little bit of green BG in the URC. There is some in the LRC but because it is darker, it doesn’t call for as much attention, so I am wondering if maybe you darken the URC BG it would help a little. Just a thought. I haven’t started trying to learn stacking yet, so I am okay with the oof on the front leaf, I guess I am just used to taking photos like that, but I can see what @Kris_Smith is saying, and so if you were a mind to try it, since the plants are stationary, you might could try the stacking. Something like this I would think would be good to learn on.
Barbara: Far and away my favorite comp and subject of your recent posts. I’m OK with the green corners and your focus looks pretty good overall. Nicely composed and captured. >=))>
This is really nice, Barbara. The green in the corners didn’t attract my attention at all. Only because I was inspecting this image as a fellow photographer did I notice that the near leaf was out of focus, so that’s probably not an issue either, though a second shot at the same aperture with it in-focus would probably stack very easily without a problem. You could probably even do it manually.
Wow! I love the composition here – the leaf shapes are fascinating! The green is subdued enough it doesn’t bother me. Would be nice to get that closest leaf in focus. If you’re on a tripod it might be possible to a manual focus tweak of 2 shots and see if PS will combine them. At f/22 you might get away with it.
Thanks to all of you, @Kris_Smith, @Diane_Miller, @Dennis_Plank, @Shirley_Freeman, @Bill_Fach for you wonderful feedback. I just uploaded another version of this composition. It is a blend of a stack of 5 shots. I realized I wasn’t even sure how to take the different shots using manual focus. One could call it five shots in the dark. I worked on minimizing the background as has been suggested.
I’m not seeing an original and a repost to compare.
The way to do a manual focus stack is to start focusing at the closest point then carefully increment, using the focus ring on the lens, to more distant focus, hopefully close enough to not have gaps. Just increment, then you will have everything in focus and the software will figure it out.
But I don’t know your camera – do you have a way to manually change focus? You could select different focus points and autofocus a stack if you can guess at a set of successively farther focus points. With your small sensor, at f/22, two shots could cover it – starting at that closest leaf and then the one behind it.
@Diane_Miller This is an original, and I haven’t posted a reworked version of this exact composition. I do have a way to change the focus manually. I have tried to reproduce this exact view again but haven’t gotten the same view. I have been working on changing the POF with other subjects. Again, thank you for your in-depth answers. They are so helpful.
Hi Barbara, I really love the soft yet textured feel of this photograph, and the hues are lovely. Dark green in UR/LR background didn’t bother me at all but if you wanted to rid yourself of that perhaps adding a bluish toning to it might just make it more harmonious. As I said I’m fine with it, and yet agree about getting that nearest leaf sharper. Yet something else as been on my mind as I kept looking at this photograph, that of balance and shapes. The flat leaf, while lovely in its own way, it a large proportion of the frame as you have cropped here. I realize it’s already a crop you uploaded, but you mentioned you were challenged when cropping the larger image, so maybe you have some alternate ideas you can try? I have uploaded a version that I felt created a stronger balance between the two areas. It may not suit your intention but I wanted to give it a try to see what you thought. To me, this puts a bit more attention on the plant on the right, which has so much interest to it!
Hi, Brenda. Thank you for your thoughtful response. The tighter crop works. It gives more attention to the smaller leaves of the Dusty Miller. I like it. The opportunities for various views seem almost endless.
Glad you agree, Barbara. I love Dusty Miller plants! And the seeds pods are such a unique shape! When I was a child, my sister and I made necklaces from those seed pods, with freshwater pearls strung in between. What a hoot to remember that when looking at your lovely image!
