Two's Company

[Bill_Fach]

Stack

Critique Style Requested: Standard

The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.

Description

Was delighted to see this pretty pair showing off this morning. Had decent light and calm winds so could have done a full blown stack but wanted to do a comparison. >=))>

Specific Feedback

For me the Stigma on a hibiscus must be sharp. It’s the first thing my eye goes to. The plane of focus was really close on these two so I was able to get both sharp with a single f11 capture. Just for fun I did a two image stack at f5.6 with critical focus on each stigma. Do you have a preference for either presentation? I did have to do some cleanup on bright BG leaf reflections so you may see some subtle differences in the URC especially. All comments welcome.

Technical Details

Sony A7rIII
Sony FE 70-200 f2.8 GM-II @ 171mm
ISO 400, Image 1: 1/20 @ f11 Image 2: 2 shot stack in Helicon Focus 1/60 @ f5.6

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Critique Template

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Vision and Purpose:
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[Dennis_Plank]

In this case, I prefer the single exposure, Bill. Mainly because the f/5.6 stack puts a bit too much of the petals out of focus for my taste and it feels like to abrupt a change from the beautiful focus on the stigmas. The f/11 version is really sweet.

[Don_Peters]

A beautiful shot, Bill. I also prefer the single exposure.

[Paul_Breitkreuz]

Bill, this is a wonderful floral display. I will go with the single exposure too. For me it works best in overall detail coverage. With that said, they both are excellent examples of optional photography processes and it’s a matter of personal tastes in the end…