The photographer is looking for thoughtful feedback on the image as a whole, especially around the areas noted below.
Feedback Focus: Artistic + Technical
About This Image
Our local arboretum has a large indoor pond, and at the moment all the water lilies are showing off their blooms. I took my old Helios manual focus lens out for a spin, just for a change.
Feedback Requested
Is the composition all right?
Technical Details
Camera: NIKON D500
Lens: Helios 58mm
Shutter speed: 1/1000s
ISO: 500
F stop: about 5.6
Minor tweaks of contrast in LR, tidied up some bits in the water with PS and cropped
Mike, the lily and its pads look great. You’ve got excellent details and a flower in perfect condition. The yellow stamen stand out from the rest of the flower.
This is beautiful. Yes imho the composition is good with the flower slightly off center and not smack dab in the middle. DOF is perfect with the BG pads slightly soft keeping the focus on the lily.
Gorgeous!! Excellent DOF and lovely details. I love the water just over the edge of the leaf – a very nice secondary point of interest, and a tertiary one would be the surface tension at the edges of the petals. Well seen and presented!!
I was sure this was going to be from Bill, so it was a surprise when I saw your face pop up, Mike. A beautiful image of this water lily. Depth of field is excellent as is the composition. Nice to be able to shoot nearly straight down at it as there aren’t many opportunities to do so. The flower itself is utterly gorgeous.
Mike: A beauty pageant winner here for sure. The only tiny <1¢ point of improvement for me would be to soften the stem exiting the frame on the right. I very much like seeing the other submerged stems in a more subdued appearance while that one cries out for attention just a smidgeon too much. I haven’t been to my local water lily haunt for a while. I think you just prodded me to get over there soon. >=))>
Thanks everyone. @Bill_Fach : yes it was an eye-puller. I’ve softened it; thanks for noticing. @Michael_Lowe : I was definitely inspired by the great water lilies you and Ed submitted recently.
Hi Mike, I’m new to the community and I’m trying to follow the idea of commenting on more images than I post myself — and of giving constructive but honest feedback. So I hope you don’t mind if I take the critique a little further.
This is certainly a beautiful representation of a water lily. The flower itself is lovely and very regular in shape, the colors work beautifully together, and the composition is balanced and pleasing.
My hesitation is whether the image could have gone beyond a beautiful representation of the flower. To my eye, the framing is quite tight and concentrates almost entirely on the main subject. I wonder whether a little more of its surroundings might have given the flower more context and perhaps made the composition more interesting.
I have a similar feeling about the light. It is soft and even, which renders the flower very nicely, but for me it is perhaps too even. I find myself wondering what some directional light, highlights or deeper shadows might have added in terms of depth, atmosphere and individuality.
So while I certainly find this a beautiful image, I’m left wondering whether different framing or more expressive light might have turned a very good depiction of a beautiful flower into a photograph with a little more character.
As I’m new here, I’m also interested in whether this kind of broader feedback is welcome. I joined NPN because I’m hoping for exactly this kind of honest but respectful discussion about my own images as well.
First of all, a big welcome to NPN, @horst. And your critique is very welcome, too. I tend to agree with it. Both the framing and the lighting could have been better, but I was constrained by the flower being in an enclosed space with a roof. The reflections of the glazed roof meant that it would have been difficult to get a pleasant wider view,
though this shot could have canvas added.
As for the light, I’d much prefer better lighting as you suggest. Maybe if I go back there towards evening this can be achieved, at least a softer light, though the enclosure won’t admit much direct sunlight. These are excuses, however, and I appreciate your comments, as hopefully they’ll improve my treatment of subjects like this one in the future. Thank you!
