The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
Last night we had a genuine April shower, so I went slogging through the knee-high grass and across the creek to the neighbor’s little hidden-away grove of Dogwoods under a couple of mighty oaks. It’s a lovely little area down by the creek that they can’t even see from their house and they are happy for me to document it. (They have a couple of prints.)
Specific Feedback
All comments always welcome!
Technical Details
Minor Highlights, Whites and Shadows tweaks in LR and about 30 files into Zerene. Then some BG retouching and a few stacking issues repaired.
Hi Diane,
wow, that looks really like spring. I love how the detailed bloom stands out against the beautiful soft background.
And this drop of water reflecting the surrounding is an interesting detail.
Well done!
What a wonderful, softly lit Dogwood blossom! I really like the soft feel and the details in the texture as well as the refraction in the large waterdrop!
The square crop and center position works very well.
I may have waited too long to get a decent shot of our pink blossoms.
Oh wow! I am so anxious for things to start blooming in my part of Montana! We had such a cold, wet winter that very few things are blooming yet, even the domestic trees haven’t leafed out yet. I love the shot. I’m sort of traditional in that I don’t really like cropping away from a more standard 2:3 dimension, but thats just my personal peculiarity! I do wonder though if moving a bit to the left and getting more of those blurry branches in the background might look cool. I sure do love how I can smell the crisp cool air and feel the wonder of the moment that drew you there.
Excellent one, Diane. The water drops helps make for the perfect springtime rain feeling along with the fully open dogwood. Selected DOF minimizes any eye wonder to the BG too.
Any thoughts for trying a polarizer?..
OMG woman you just go from strength to strength. That water droplet is so precise, so perfectly placed that no one could miss the thought in this execution. I like the way the main branch comes at you and BOOM flower. Are the highlights on the edge? They seem that way, but not by much. Really a terrific portrait of a complex tree flower.
Many thanks, @Jens_Ober, @Merv, @Paul_Holdorf, @linda_mellor, @Paul_Breitkreuz and @Kris_Smith! Paul, I was in landscape format but there were some bothersome features that I couldn’t avoid and the crop seemed the best solution. There wasn’t much maneuvering room and if I screwed up I would have knocked off all the drops. And it probably won’t rain again until November.
Kris, yeah, the highlights are blown. I’m never able to tame water droplets even on a cloudy day.
Paul, I didn’t even think of a polarizer, although I should have a note taped to my camera that says when you see a leaf get out a polarizer. Thanks for the reminder! Maybe I’ll go for them again in a few days when the leaves are a little bigger, but having another rainy spell might be asking for too much.
This is simply gorgeous, Dianne! Your stack looks perfect as the sharpness is right where it should be; on the soft delicate blossom; and that hanging water drop with it’s reflection is a great finishing touch IMO. I love the OOF BG as well. Absolutely no suggestions from me.
