As spring winds down, my attention begins to move to plants of the garden. This particular photograph was made more for design qualities rather than species portraits.
Specific Feedback Requested
As stated above, this image is about graphic design rather than species portrait. Any comments are welcome.
Technical Details
Is this a composite: No
Much the same as my other work. In situ, lightbox with flash background, frontal illumination by flash, Nikon D850, Zeiss 100 mm.
Looks good as presented. The comp is complex but works well. Mark summarized the comp very well and I agree with his interpretation of the comp. Awesome…jim
Thank you John. I very much appreciate your comments. I’ve watched your work and enjoy what you post.
I guess I’m a floral whisperer, but sometimes it seems only posion-ivy is listening. For each of the images you are seeing, there are thousands of plants that were considered and for one reason or another passed over.
My mental checklist includes everything from the freshness of the bloom, location near a place I can place equipment without leaving a mark and not damaging surrounding plants, to with the small species, near a place I can lay on the ground without crushing the ground cover. For the latter I find plants that are beside trails, or rocks. It’s always a tedious search, but always a joy being outside.
Sort of reminds me of a drawing from a plant identification book that shows the flower and the leaves of a particular plant. I like the diagonal stem to create some movement and think it looks good, but also maybe a bit “clinical.” Processing-wise, I see some white and black specks that could maybe be cloned out. In this type of presentation, it would seem you’d want to remove these things.
Thanks, Tony, your comments are appreciated. As to the specks, I’m not being flippant and accept your opinion. I make adjustments on the floral parts for color, sharpness, and other fundamental “darkroom” aspects, but I make it a point not to remove blemishes, insects, chewed leaves, etc. My approach to those flaws is that they are part of the life of the plant. Sometimes a dark spot is an insect on the back of the flower or leaf.
Again, thank you for your comments and I understand and appreciate you point.
Thank you. I try to follow the Nature First-principles as much as possible. I’ve read articles about conscientious approaches to wildlife photography and have begun to consider a similar article for floral photography.
For 30 years I was in charge of several thousand acres of natural areas in Western Pennsylvania. The damage to some of the more fragile ecosystems, especially with rare species, was appaling. That experience has molded by approach to native plant, and garden plants.