The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
The Daphne has been blooming for a couple of weeks and I’m just now getting around to playing with it. The florets (?) are tiny, like a lilac, and grow in spherical clusters which like to hide in the foliage so are challenging to show. But the real reason to photograph them is to enjoy the wonderful fragrance!
Specific Feedback
All comments welcome!
Technical Details
In LR, minimal global tonal tweaks – slight highlight reduction and opening of shadows. Focus stack of about 10. (I shot more but liked a version that didn’t go all the way.) In PS some BG work and crop from the sides to a square.
What a neat little thing. I don’t think I’ve ever seen this before and yeah, it reminds me of lilac quite a bit. I wish I could smell it as well as see it. Love how the petals curl to show the color underneath - the texture and depth is really nice there. Did you blur the vignette? It works, but it’s heavier than I’ve seen you use. With the tangle of branches and leaves though, it’s probably necessary.
Beautiful, Diane. My wife is extremely fond of these and there used to be a guy in the area with a nursery that specialized in Rock Daphne, so we have several plants. I’ve tried photographing them with out success, so this gives me a lot of inspiration and some clues on how I might get away with it.
Thanks, @Kris_Smith, @Dennis_Plank and @Don_Peters! Yes, lots of blur on the BG – the leaves are attractive if you look at a wider view but they are dark with a thin white edge and that plays havoc trying for a closeup that shows the delicacy of the flowers. I’ll be working this more, armed with pruning shears and nail scissors.
Diane, I can almost smell those delicate little beauties. The difference in color on the top of the petrels and the undersurface makes the picture. I know you wanted to keep the depth of field limited. I wish the outer petals on the two flowers on the left were sharper. Although that might mean the whole clump would be almost sharp, it might look like you didn’t quite finish sharpening all of them. The more I look at it, the more I can live with the softness as you have it. I wonder if I might like a darker background or if the green extended all around the clump. Sorry, I am just thinking “out loud”. It is a beautiful picture.
Thanks, @Barbara_Djordjevic! Never be sorry for thinking out loud – that’s what this place is about – ideas and reactions/critique lead to learning and development – on both ends of the stick!
This was a frustrating attempt for me, deciding how far to go – how many of the stack to use. I wanted to emphasize the roundness of the cluster. (Not all are this nicely spherical.) The BG wasn’t uniformly dark, but I could probably fudge in that direction also. I’ll be back to this subject asap. Tomorrow I’m 101% focused on a simulation of shooting the upcoming solar eclipse, on a rare day when we might see some sun. And a Clematis is about to bloom…
