An improved version:
Critique Style Requested: Standard
The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
… maybe for the year. Today was the only chance I’ve had at soft light and raindrops, and it was accompanied by too much breeze. But luck prevailed for a few focus stacks. I was attracted to this flower for the wabi-sabi appearance.
Specific Feedback
All comments welcome! The front petal edge is a little cryptic but getting a slightly different perspective was foiled by the breeze coming up again and an adjoining limb was about to bump into my lens and knock the droplets off. I loved the two leaves floating above the flower but now they look too detached. The stem is hidden, as is the flower’s – I didn’t touch anything in that area.
Technical Details
Zerene focus stack of 12, in between zephyrs of wind. Some softening of the BG in PS – nothing done to the flower except shadows and highlights in LR before the stack.
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Hi Diane,
that’s a beautiful capture. The details are amazing. The entire flower and leaves are beautifully sharp.
Yes, the fact that you can’t see the stem makes an artificial impression. As if the flower were floating in the air. But that doesn’t bother me at all.
I have no major suggestions for improvement. If I have to be picky, there are two things:
- The flower has a very, very slight green cast, so I would try to make use of the Tint slider.
- There is a halo at the top of the petal, which was probably introduced by stacking:
I admire your patience. I have never successfully made a focus stack with my Macro lens. I’m always a bit too lazy to set up my tripod because I’m not sure if it’s worth it.
Did you use your tripod here?
Thanks, @Jens_Ober – I missed that halo! (And the color cast.) It’s from slight movement during the set of frames. Dogwoods are on long stems and the move at the slightest hint of air currents. There must have been slight movement in this one petal edge. I’ll post a correction asap.
I can sometimes get away with a stack with slight air movement. If the flower itself moves slightly but without changing shape, the software can align the frames, but if it is moving relative to a strong BG feature, that is what will be aligned and the flower will have wierd halos.
I always use a tripod when stacking but if you are steady enough you might get away with handholding. At macro magnifications it would be tricky to not change the distance to the subject.
Technically a beautifully done stack, Diane. I don’t mind the free-floating leaves and petals, they add to the the feel of the image for my taste. I do find myself ambivalent about the Wabi Sabi look of the main bloom. It does convey a sense of reality in the image, but seems to conflict a bit with the beautifully soft background blossoms.
P.S. @Jens_Ober , @Diane_Miller I have done stacks hand held but only when my hands and/or the camera were on the ground. For something like this you’d have to be rock steady and I most certainly am not.
Thanks, @Dennis_Plank! I’m always ambivalent about these less-than-perfect flowers, but they do attract my attention when surrounded by hundreds of perfect ones. I liked this one for the blush of pink and the leaves and decided the flaws sort of fit with the odd shape from the shooting angle. I’ll also do a cleaned up version when I tweak it – something about it is still bothering me a bit, but haven’t found what.
@Jens_Ober and @Dennis_Plank – an RP now done --I think it’s much better – thank you for the extra sets of eyes!
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Very nice job on the repost, Diane.
