The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
While shooting our Ginger flowers this morning some cobwebs in my brain cleared away and I remembered how one can get some interesting results zooming the lens with the shutter open. One thing I find most fun and delightful about this technique is that you never know what you’re going to get. >=))>
Specific Feedback
I had several of these but chose this one for the spotlight on the petal tip and the implied energy. I had some slower shutter speeds but got lucky with this one as I twisted the zoom ring as the shutter opened. Enough structure apparent?
Technical Details
Sony A7rIII
Sony FE 70-200 f2.8 GM-II, 2xTC @ ~154mm (70-200 zoom), CPL
ISO 50, .5 sec @ f11
Critique Template
Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.
Vision and Purpose:
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I’ve never tried that technique Bill. When I first looked at this I thought maybe you had fogged the lens to get the effect, but looking close there is a very attractive motion blur that makes sense with your description.
I really like it. Much like a fogged lens, it gives an ethereal quality to the image that is very attractive. Composition, color, and light all look great too.
Very good, Bill. I do like the light on that upper petal and I think the zoom blur worked quite well in this case with enough structure evident to define the subject but enough blur to give it a mystical look.
At first I thought you had used an Orton effect here with a blurry background – or fogged lens. The zoom movement gives this some nice energy. At first I wasn’t sure about the highlight on the white petal, but looking a few times, I see the strength of it being part of the frame. Though, the center of the flower might need to be a little lighter. Maybe tone down the greens at the bottom or crop them a little? It would then keep the eye on the light up top. Nicely accomplished for not having done it for a while.
This is very lovely, and more subtle than I would expect from a zoom blur. You hit some sort of magic spot. I also haven’t tried one in a long time – maybe I should. The green at the bottom is lovely but it feels unbalanced. Maybe subdue it a little and do a somewhat dark vignette at the top?
Bill, a “return to the old days”. I remember when shots like this were the rage (now it’s ICM). The effects still look good and have a definite role. You’ve got a good sense of the mystical here that works well. I could also see cropping to 4x5 at the top and/or some mid-tone dodging of the flower’s lower half as alternate takes… Looking forward to more of this.
