After our killing freeze of last week Chrissy had to spend a lot of time trimming away dead stuff. It was pretty depressing but she decided to lift our moods by getting some Shasta Daisies at the garden center and designated them as the first step to recovery. I thought I would present a relatively conventional shot with close to full DOF and also a selective focus variety with just the pollen particles on the little aberrant petal sharp. On the old NPN we used to debate the values of DOA (Deep On Arrival) vs SOA (Shallow On Arrival) images. I’m posting the full DOF version first and the SOA version in the first comment so that you can see each image full size. All comments welcome. >=))>
Specific Feedback Requested
Do you like one more than the other or are they different enough that you appreciate each genre?
Technical Details
Is this a composite: No
Sony A77II
Minolta 200mm macro
ISO 400, .4 sec @ f22
Bill, I am so sorry you lost so many of your flowers. Glad you have started to replenish them though. I like the first shot best of all. I had to look for a bit to find the selective focus (keeping me on my toes). Nice composition of this beauty.
They’re both interesting shots, Bill!
So, to answer your question, I can definitely appreciate both. I do prefer the first one, though. Great composition and detail.
Bill, I like both very much. The focus point of the second shot is very unique and fresh for me. I ‘ve rarely seen photos like this. At first glance the image looked a little too blurred, but after viewing for some time strange feeling disappeared. I prefer the little aberrant petal and the pollen particles would be more standing out.
Nicely done, Bill. Took me a minute to realize what the abbreviations were referring to, I’m feeling kind of slow these days. Wonderful experiment. While both are gorgeous, at least for me, they both have their own sense of feeling and moods. The first with the amazing amount of detail you’ve captured and the second for its soft feel but then it has that wonderful little petal (with pollen) which is crystal clear. Very creative and nicely done.
Hi Bill! I’ll have to say they each have their own. I can’t really say one is better than the other. The top one is a more traditional everything in focus beautiful flower closeup and the bottom is very artsy! They both are great!
Bill, the first one is pretty conventional, but it took me a minute to see where the focus is. If you are able to rotate the image so the aberrant petal is on the right lower quadrant of the frame, it may significantly make it more visible. More I look at it, more I like it, but it’s worth a try to see how it feels with the petal in a different position. The pollen grains on the petal is a subtle finding and that makes the image for me.
Both shots are interesting, even though I prefer deeper DOF’s. Shallow DOF works very well for subjects under large levels of magnification. I would crop your second image which would increase the impact of the small in focus petal. I will have to try this and hope that your plants will recover from the freeze…Jim
Hi Bill
I like both but like the first better because that yellow center of the second draws my eye. Im wondering if something like this might be better???
