The photographer is looking for thoughtful feedback on the image as a whole, especially around the areas noted below.
Feedback Focus: Artistic / Expressive
About This Image
Simple zoom of the inside of one of our lotus flowers. >=))>
Feedback Requested
For zoom “explosions” I generally like some part of the center to be sharp enough to be readily identifiable. Not sure I achieved that here but I still like it. Vignette too strong? Your thoughts?
Technical Details
Sony A7rIII
Sony FE 70-200 f2.8 GM-II
ISO 50, 2 seconds @ f45
Bill, this is a very pleasing image. It is very dreamy. I like your composition as well as the colors. The only thing I would do differently is something you mentioned. It looks like a light vignette but in my opinion went too far. I think it’s a great idea for this image, just too much of it.
Bill, this is nicely gentle, warm and inviting, making a fine abstract. I do wonder if the frame would be better filled without the vignette (or maybe square?). Given that flowers so often have well coordinated colors, do you suppose we humans developed our ideas of color theory from looking at flowers???
Hi Bill,
I like this. There is something about a radial composition that just begs for zoom exposure (in my mind, anyway). I think when I was doing the zoom exposures with Agave last winter, I would delay a moment before zooming (longer exposure, maybe, like 3-4 seconds). That gave me some center sharpness, or maybe it was actually zooming in and staying a moment in closest focus? I really should have taken notes while practicing this last winter.
I am loving the dreamy look of this scene as well as the pastel colors of your lotus flower. I will have to remember this technique for the next time I go back to Longwood Gardens for the waterlilies. For my own personal tastes I could see backing off the vignette a little. Now you have me wondering what it would look like without it as I could see those lovely pastels filling up the whole frame. Either way you go this is wonderful.
I must echo the thoughts of the others about being dreamy, and also what Mark wrote about being “gentle, warm and inviting” All those things.
I don’t know what made me think of this, but with the radial design, the pastels and even the zoom effect, for some reason I’m thinking of a bakery and a cake decoration… maybe??? And actually, I think the white vingette is playing in to that perception. Personally, I like the vignette because it helps “contain” the image, the design.
The only other feedback you touched on. This works beautifully as presented, but my initial thought was also looking for something, near the center ideally, to be a bit sharper? ML mentioned a technique I’ve used with ICMs and that is simply having the camera, or in this case the zoom ring, still right at the beginning of the exposure. With that you get an “impression” of reality combined with the zoom or motion blur. And of course timing is everything, as is experimentation!
And actually, I think the white vingette is playing in to that perception. Personally, I like the vignette because it helps “contain” the image, the design.