Sunfower

I just shot this sunflower this morning. It is in the garden of our neighbor across the road. I didn’t realize that there was a good size bug/insect on it until I brought it up on the screen in LR. All comments and critiques welcome.

What technical feedback would you like if any?

Any

What artistic feedback would you like if any?

Does the composition work?

Pertinent technical details or techniques:

Taken HH with Canon 5D Mark IV, Canon 180 mm L macro lens, manual exposure. Edited in LR (just a little brightness and contrast) and Topaz AI Clear.

(If the background has been replaced, etc. please be honest with your techniques to help others learn)

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Shirley, this is gorgeous. I must be doing something wrong tho’, the website doesn’t let me click on the photo to view it larger? Any ideas?

Thank you, Linda for your kind comments. When I click on it it goes to the large size, and click again and even larger. Not sure what is going on. Maybe try again later if you want.

You’re right. . .now I can see the bug! I do like the composition with the sunflower center. For me it adds to the boldness of the flower. The detail is fantastic. Can you tell me what aperture you were using?

I can’t believe I didn’t put the settings right after I said manual settings! Senior moment! :upside_down_face:

1/250, f18, ISO 640. It was overcast skies, so it helped with the lighting at around mid day (just before lunch).

Thank you, no worries . . .happens to me all the time. One more question; did you use an ISO of 640 because of a breeze? Or the darker skies? Or both? Just curious. . .

Thank you, Linda. It wasn’t very breezy, (so only needed the SS at 1/250), but it was overcast, and I had the f-stop at f18 to get all of the flower and the leaves as sharp in focus as I could, so to get the exposure right, I had to us ISO 640. Hope that helps. I tried a f14, etc., and felt like everything wasn’t in focus. My BG was far enough away from the subject that I felt it would still be oof at f18. I had to darken some of the brighter limbs a little in LR, and lower the contrast of the BG some.

Outstanding, thank you for walking me through your though process. Helps a lot. :+1:

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Shirley: Beautiful flower superbly captured. I find sunflowers especially fun to shoot in real close to the center also. This one is so pristine that I would be tempted to really work it over. If you had not mentioned the bug I would not have noticed it and had to go to the largest image to see it. For me it’s a non-factor but if I was printing this I would make it go away. Great to have you getting back out and shooting. Keep 'em coming.>=))>

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Gorgeous flower well done. f/18 has worked well to keep everything in focus. composition works well for me. It would have been much better if the leaf in front of the flower wasn’t there, but you can only get what nature gives. colors well done and details are good.

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