The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
From a trip to Sonoma Botanical Garden two weeks ago. This is my favorite time there, when these lilies bloom. The “garden” is 60 acres of wild-sourced native Asian plants, in a wild setting. There are several large stands of these lilies, all in dappled light from overhanging trees, but the stalks are 5-6 ft long and the slightest breeze is deadly for stacking. I can’t believe that these delicate stamens survived a stack, although shooting at 20 fps helps minimize motion – I only had to retouch one edge on one where there was a secondary double edge.
Specific Feedback
All comments welcome!
Technical Details
Minor global tonal adjustments in LR; into Zerene for a stack of maybe 15. (I usually shoot 20 but always start short and delete the first few.) In PS, NR and removed the tips of 2 leaves. Microsurgical cloning as described above. Added a little canvas top and bottom as it felt crowded. Full frame otherwise.
Critique Template
Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.
Thanks, @SandyR-B, @Dennis_Plank and @Ed_Williams! I did get very lucky, for sure. Seeing the replies by email the image is on a white BG and it looks too dark. Maybe I should give it a bit more exposure?
Ed, 1000mm is a new favorite macro lens! But I had the TC off here, to get a wider aperture softer BGs.
Diane, this is beautiful. I love the colors. Stacking is the way to go with flowers it seems. I haven’t tried it yet, but to get details throughout it seems necessary. You have mastered stacking.
Diane: Beautiful bloom superbly captured. I gave up trying to keep track of camera innovations, especially non-Sony changes. I have enough trouble keeping up with Sony! Does your camera adjust the focal point automatically? What a cool feature, especially at that high a frame rate. I used to get aggravated when people would compliment my images and ask what kind of camera I used. If I was feeling especially snarky I would reply, “Would you ask Beethoven what piano he played?” However, a good tool in the hands of a master can produce stunning results which you have clearly achieved here. Most excellent.>=))>
Thanks, @Shirley_Freeman and @Bill_Fach! Same here on innovations. Too much to keep track of, hardware and software both.
The R5 does auto focus bracketing. I specify the number of shots and the spacing, which is just a 1-10 value for tight or loose. It will decide what the spacing is according to the aperture I have set. And it does the steps at 20 fps, which helps minimize movement. I need to be in AF for it to work. I focus at the closest point I want sharp and hit the shutter – I’m always in back button focus so it doesn’t try to re-focus.
And then I set LR to auto-stack by capture time so different focus bursts are segregated. Then I can import to Zerene with its preset and it converts to the TIFFs, loads and then deletes the TIFFs when I’m done.
Thanks, @Giuseppe_Guadagno! I’m always so happy when late summer arrives and these lilies bloom – i can’t quit trying for the perfect picture, although I think I got it last year.
