Living in Manhattan I do not often get the chance to shoot sweeping landscapes, but there is always Central Park… In particular I went regularly to ‘The Ramble’ this spring, which is great for flora as well as for birds.
This photo is basically out of camera with minor exposure adjustments. I took it in early spring when the greens were still very vibrant. I like the position of the firm behind the main subject.
I would appreciate any feedback as usual.
PS. I am moving back to Italy soon so I hope to share some images of lesser known parts of that country with this group.
Thank you for sharing a bit of Central Park with those of us who have never visited the park. First, I will say, I am certainly not one of the better photographers on here, especially in the floral department. So take what I say with a grain of salt. I am feeling like the background is just too bright, so if you could pull the highlights (especially on the ferns) down some, the ferns will compliment the subject much better. I don’t know, with that out of focus flower and stem on the right, that you can do a good crop off the right, without having an out of focus stem running out of the frame (which would be bad, in my opinion), but the rest of the image I think would be improved with that crop, as I think then the 2 in focus blooms would balance well. Now some of these photographers on here know how to remove the stem with content aware or something like that. Also, a slight crop from the bottom to remove the partial leaf might improve the shot as well. You have an image with potential, but I’m probably not the best for giving you good clear advice. Wishing you the best on your move back to Italy, and looking forward to seeing your photos from there as well, Joseph.
Excellent detail in the main Columbine bloom and the left bud. I agree with Shirley that the fern in the background is a bit overpowering. If you’re using Photoshop or an equivalent, I think you could crop from the right a bit and use one of the healing brushes to remove the stem of the out of focus bud on the right. This is definitely an image worth a bit of extra work.
Joseph, it’s neat to learn that these Columbine grow wild in Central Park. The central flower and the bud on the left look very good. While burning-in the fern leaves behind would let the flower stand out more strongly, you might also be able strengthen the focus on that flower by burning-in the flower and keeping the sunny spring brightness of those oof leaves.
In most instances an overcast day (or when a cloud goes over) gives the best light for flower photography. In softer lighting circumstances the lighting on the ferns would retain definition and not overpower the Columbine. Your choice of composition is fine. I agree that the out of focus stem and bud could be removed (I use content aware).
Central Park is an oasis amid the chaos of city life and a great place to photograph nature as well as many other subjects. Look forward to seeing your images from Italy.
Using content aware (thanks Patricia) I removed the stem on the right . The composition is no doubt cleaner.
I brought the highlights down slightly, but I also did not want to loose the separation with the subject. Thoughts? Is it going in the right direction?
Thank you for your patience!
Joseph: Major improvement with your repost. I also edited your title to let others know you posted a revision. Great find and a nice presentation. >=))>
I find the repost a definite improvement, Joseph. The bright ferns still pull my eye into the center of the image, but then they tend to move back to the bloom and bud, so it works nicely.
