The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
This is a rose from my garden. I try to find beauty in all things, including decay. I actually prefer
to shoot decaying or dead flowers to shooting pristine, perfect flowers. This was shot in near-dark conditions with a Canon RP and Canon 100 mm 2.8 usm lens. 10 second exposure at f16, iso 1600. Processed in Lightroom w/ LR noise reduction, as well as Photoshop. I have tried to attach a screenshot of the medata, I hope it worked.
Specific Feedback
I realize now the green leaf is garish, and I should have toned it down. I would like to know if the vase is appropriate, or would the flower stand better on its own, perhaps with a textured background? Also, is the brown / gold color on the petals overdone?
I think this works really well as presented! The vivid color on the black BG, along with the texture in the decaying pedals grabs my eye. I think this could work even better by including the bottom of the jar in the composition.
Well that’s so accommodating for it to wilt in such a nice way. In terms of color, I find the green a tad much given its state, but that’s just me. I like the texture and the repeating pattern of the petals and the curls on the edges. The dark background works, but I’m not wild about the crop or the vase. It feels too heavy and colorful, plus its dead center. If you leave the vase in, I think cleaning it up would help, too as there are dust spots. I photograph the jewelry I make and this is the BANE of my existence! Cleaning before and in post is always part of my process.
I like the flower treatment, Frank. I’ve seen a local photographer do a lot of textured backgrounds and they can work nicely, if done properly, though I personally can’t see how they would combine effectively with the vase. I think you’d have to support the flower some other way to make it work well. The black background here is quite effective.
The bright green on the sepals does pull my eye from the petals a bit and I could see toning it down.
I do find the reflection of the stem on the back of the vase a little distracting, so I think I’d vote for supporting the flower so the container doesn’t show. Small diameter PVC pipe can be used to make simple and effective stands and there are lots of elbows and T fittings available. I use it for supporting perches for bird photography.
Frank: I’m going to be a bit of a contrarian here and say that I like all the colors and the vase as is. This reminds me of work done by my old NPN 1 colleague Pat Sampson who did some marvelous work with his wife’s collection of vases and flowers of all sorts. My only adjustment would be the crop which could be tighter and decentered a bit. Overall a terrific image of what most would consider unworthy of a shot. >=))>
