This was growing in one of our nature preserves that is a fen. What caught my eye was the way is was back lit from the front. I like that way that translucence of the flower and the way that the stamen shadowed on the petal.
I wanted the flower to be soft, so I focused on the stamen and used a wide aperture. The BG around the flower is most in shadow, so dark. I had a green leaf on either side of the stem. However, a small part of the leaf on the right protruded behind the stem and was distracting. I had trouble cloning the part I didn’t want out and keeping the rest of the leaf looking natural. I decided it looked best with a black BG.
Specific Feedback Requested
Everything, but in particular my decision to photograph this soft instead of tack sharp.
Technical Details
Canon 5D IV | EF100mm Macro | f4 | 1/320s | ISO 100 | 100mm
Process using ACR and Photoshop
While I’ve seen many marsh marigold photos and have taken some myself, none are like this. What a great interpretation and new angle. That you’ve focused on the stem means the stamen are also crisp and I think that helps a lot given how little we have to see here. Reducing the bg to black simplifies things in a way that going lighter wouldn’t have done and gives it a lot of unexpected drama. I especially like the shadow of the stamens because they add contrast and detail that our eyes hunger for with shots like this. Super job! So is #2 coming soon?
Hi David. To me, soft is good in close-up or macro flora images. Your view from underneath is also good and it gives the image some real ‘power’ instead of just showing the beauty of the flower and its various upper bits. I just like the whole scene and the simplicity of it. Really good. Cheers.
