The water lily is growing in a covered pond in a Korean arboretum. The first photo is a stack of 11. Noticing the diagonal lines (a reflection of the roof covering), I tried to bring these out in the second photo below, by adding one further photo to the stack, the one where the lines were in sharpest focus (other images between the flower and this reflection only disrupted the lines effect).
Specific Feedback Requested
I realized that because the roof texture reflection was well beyond the flower, the flower edges in the photo containing sharp diagonal lines would add a blur encroaching outside the sharp outlines of the flower in the earlier shots. I could only find one way to alleviate this magenta blur. By selecting the flower in PS followed by Inverse, then going to Accented Edges in the Filter Gallery, I managed to attenuate the blur around the flower. Can anyone suggest a better post-processing way around this problem caused by the much longer focal length of the diagonal lines shot? (David Bostock comments in the Focus Stacking discussion: “The only real option in these cases is to close down to a smaller aperture.” I read this a day too late!)
Technical Details
Is this a composite: No
D500 + 105mm macro lens f 5 1/400 ISO 640 Tripod 11 shots (12 in 2nd photo)
Stacked in Zerene (PMax). In Photo 1 I selected the flower for Shadows/Highlights, and the flower reflection was selected separately to bring out some further colour in the same way. I added a vignette as the texture reflection was partially creating this effect anyway.
In both photos I removed some larger bright algal spots, but left many for water texture.
I like the first photo. The beautiful lotus flower is standing out nicely from dark BG. The reflection of the lotus on the dark water surface is fantastic. The second one is unique and interesting. For me BG seems a little too strong and distracting. Just my thing, I would darken the lotus to the level of the first one to stand out from BG.
I love the first, for the color, reflection and vignette, but it feels a little underexposed and flat in contrast, maybe just midtone contrast on the flower. You might try for something about halfway between it and the flower in the second version. The second is a fun idea and I think the processing issue is not a problem, as it strikes me as a fantasy image anyway. I agree with @Nao_Koju that the BG is a bit overpowering.
Is this plant considered a lotus over there? What we call water lilies are genus Nymphaea (what you have here) and lotus is Nelumbo, with some structural differences. Both are gorgeous, and would certainly be classified together in that regard.
Many thanks @Diane_Miller for pointing out my confusion. For someone who often enjoys the pickled rhizomes of the lotus, I should have known better. The lotus is more common hereabouts,and I sometimes try to catch an insect (or bird) on its bud or bloom, but so far none have properly obliged. I’ve adjusted the first photo as you suggest, and it does seem an improvement to my eye.
@Nao_Koju Thanks for your comments, Nao. I’ve darkened the flower as you suggest and also reduced the brightness of the stripes. I do prefer the first one (without the stripes) myself.
