The photographer is looking for thoughtful feedback on the image as a whole, especially around the areas noted below.
Feedback Focus: Artistic / Expressive
About This Image
Symbiosis
Yellow Lady Slipper Orchids are stunning beacons of light on the dark forest floor. All orchids require specific soil conditions to thrive. Most propagation occurs through the roots. Something interesting about their seeds is that they are so tiny that they contain no nutrients. They rely on a symbiotic relationship with mycorrhizal fungi to provide the food they need to germinate. These fungi actually tie an entire forest together through a fascinating network in the soil and roots of the trees and other plants. These flowers have formed a mutually beneficial symbiosis with me too. I get to witness stunning beauty in a peaceful environment and they get a free portrait session!
Feedback Requested
These are artistic edits for sure. This was photographed in the field just after sunrise, so it was dark, but not this dark. I used 8 different masks on various portions of the flower and background to achieve the look I was going for…but, what do you think about it? I have also been experimenting with black and white flower portraits. Did I overcook these or do they look good to you?
Technical Details
These were captured with a Sigma 105 Macro lens on aNikon Z8 using the focus shift function. I use step 4 and took 100 shots. I used 70 of them to create this image in Helicon Focus using Method C and smoothing level 10. ISO 400, f/4, 1/50th second. I used Lightroom Classic CC to process them using a plethora of masks to achieve the look.
Paul: The color version is breathtakingly beautiful. I like the B&W version but for me on these flowers their color is such an attractive element that I hate to see it diminished in any way. That said, the form brought out by the B&W is very appealing too. Sounds like you put a lot of effort into the capture and presentation of this wonderful subject and it shows. Superbly crafted image. >=))>
The color image works very well for my taste, Paul. I don’t find it overworked at all as all the edits apprear quite subtle and go together to form a beautiful whole. The B&W doesn’t particularly appeal to me. While the tonalities seem to align with the color, it doesn’t have the impact for me.
I’ve done many B&W flower photos and think it works more than people try it, but of course color is one of the major draws for the genre, so I see why it is relatively unusual.
In terms of presentation, I find that I notice the processing before I note the subject details. That is neither good nor bad or a judgment. Painters and other visual artists have always applied heavy technique that is often noted before the subject. That said, I think it’s pleasing and adds mystery to an already semi-elusive wildflower. The light’s directionality brings up a lot of texture and we can easily see how waxy the main bowl structure is compared to the ribbony bits (bracts??).
The monochrome brings more attention to the structure, but I can’t say it does more than that. I’ve been messing with the Magic Mixer tool in the TK9 panel collection and I probably would have tried messing with it there to come up with something maybe a little wild, but who knows. With more direct light it could probably be really dramatic.
I like the color version because it has a more visual impact to me over the BW version. Comp is fine and these orchids typically dwell in shady areas, but also in sunny fens where moisture levels are quite high. I would not change a thing and that yellow lady’s slippers are challenging to shoot due to the shiny, yellow pouch. Photographing this at dawn worked well. Awesome photos…Jim
I meant to reply here earlier, to say how much I love this!! I’m not familiar with the flower but it looks perfectly natural – and pretty much perfect! I prefer the color because it’s a new subject for me. but the B/W is also lovely. Toggling between them, the B/W doesn’t seem to have any extra mojo – it feels like a pretty basic desaturation. It sounds like you have worked hard on this so I assume you have tried a number of options. At any rate, I love both posts!
