I took the suggestion from @Bill_Fach to leave color in the flowers in the background. Thanks for that excellent suggestion.
Critique Style Requested:Standard
The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
I naively thought I could focus stack this unwelcome visitor in my yard. Not even two frames would give a clean image. I had the seed head firmly clamped in place and my camera on a tripod, but I still could not get a clean stack. So, not to be outdone by a dandelion I settled for what seemed to be the sharpest image and then played with the flowers and developing seed heads that I could find in the lawn. I am down to photographing weeds now! I should call this “A Nightmare” rather than “Dreaming”. It is my nightmare and the dandalines’ dream. I understand that a single plant can produce 2000 seeds.
Specific Feedback
Is this image of the seed head in acceptable focus? The flowers and smaller seed heads did not need to be as sharp. In fact, I had to soften them to make them look more dreamlike. There was a method to my madness!
Technical Details
I photographed in my kitchen “studio” with a Sony A7iv and my macro lens. I processed in LR and Photoshop. I used Nic SilverEfex Pro and various blending modes on the “dream” items. That was the fun part.
I like this, Barbara. You chose a focal plane with the rim of filaments in nice crisp focus and that works well. I like what you did in the background as well. Focus stacking really has problems with exceedingly complex layers like you get out of seed heads like this. I’ve had better luck just stopping down as far as I can and taking what I can get.
Thanks, Dennis. I agree about taking what I can get. I was very uncertain about the BG. It is the kind of thing I like to experiment with, but I wasn’t sure how it would be received. Your feedback is encouraging.
@Barbara_Djordjevic I noticed some artifacts in the background and softness in the seed head. I find that the easiest way to get a sharp image of a dandelion seed head is to go outside, hold the stem in one hand with only the sky, preferably blue, behind it, and with the other hand holding your camera with a macro lens, aperture f/22 and a flash attached. The flash will only illuminate the seed head and the background will be rendered black. I am attaching an image as an example of the method I suggest. Happy shooting.
Barbara: I like your capture of the seed head and while dandelions are a real pest I do like them a lot as subjects. I’m not completely enamored with the BG. At first glance on the thumbnail I thought the flowers were smudges or some horrible sensor dust. As is I find it more of a distraction than a complement. I actually think it would look better with the natural colors and perhaps a low opacity. Bob’s example is a nice alternative but showing the natural BG would work nicely for me. >=))>
I’ve stacked dandelion seed heads, but not for a number of years…my new “lawn” is too shady for dandelions. Getting the fringe of the seeds sharp lets this view work well. The miniature dandelions/seed added to the background are nicely playful. Getting something with this much overlap sharp in a stack really needs what’s called the pyramid method of deciding what is sharp. Another stacking “trick” is to retake (or take) the final slice using a much wider aperature for a softer background, but you’ll have to paint that background in. Hopefully your stacking software will let you do that.
Bob, only in my dreams would I be able to hold my camera with one hand. Maybe years ago, but not now. I am better if I don’t try to hold it with two hands.
Thanks for your comments and the outstanding example of your craft.
