Western Dogwood

[Diane_Miller]

Critique Style Requested: Standard

The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.

Description

The Dogwood is starting to bloom and a cloudy morning with reasonably calm air gave me a chance to try for some focus stacked images. The insect isn’t exactly gorgeous but added some interest. (No idea what it might be.) The BG is native grass which will soon be golden brown.

Specific Feedback

All comments welcome!

Technical Details

Initial raw adjustments in LR (minor tonal adjustments) then a Focus stack in Zerene. Cropped from the sides and a few tiny dark spots on the flower cleaned up.

[steven8 (Steven Drown)]

Another beautiful image. I like the composition and the softness of the background. This image has everything it needs and nothing it doesn’t. Outstanding!

[Dennis_Plank]

A lovely composition, Diane. Your partial stack worked very well for this image as I really like the second bloom being in soft focus.

[Don_Peters]

Very nice, Diane. It needs the bug.

[Diane_Miller]

Thanks, @steven8 , @Dennis_Plank and @Don_Peters ! I was hoping for a few water droplets as a gentle rain was starting, but not visible here. I did get a few on other blooms – will post more later.

[Glenys_Passier]

Well, that was fast work! The colours are so lovely. The bug is a nice touch. I love the zoomed in image. Beautiful texture in the bracts and there’s water trapped in amongst the tiny florets.

How many in the stack, Diane?

[Bill_Fach]

Diane: The two things that I really liked upon first opening were the DOF management and your party crasher. The comp and lighting are marvelous as well. Terrific capture of a beautiful blossom and moment. >=))>

[Jim_Zablotny]

This one is very nice and the insect adds something of value to the comp. It is a micro-lepidoptera possibly a gelechiid or gracillariid moth. The whites in the dogwood bloom are spot on and the second OOF flower fits perfectly in the scene. A nice shot that fits the season of Spring…Jim

[Youssef_Ismail]

Diane,

The luminosity of the FG blossom is what really caught my attention. Its just glowing. Nice work.

[Igor_Doncov]

Wonderful image, Diane. Why is it that adding a bug to a flower closeup seems to add so much interest to the image? The vignette works well here also.

[Diane_Miller]

Thanks, @Glenys_Passier , @Bill_Fach , @Jim_Zablotny , @Youssef_Ismail and @Igor_Doncov ! I often find bugs here, and the dropping blooms from the big Blue Oak that looms over the Dogwoods. The light is usually nice as this is a low spot surrounded by trees.

Glenys, I usually shoot 30 in a stack, and depending in the aperture that may be too many or not enough. I set a general spacing and the camera determines how many focus steps that should be according to the aperture – more steps for the shallower depth of wide apertures, less for narrow ones. If it doesn’t look like I went far enough I just hit the shutter again and it proceeds from where it was. I’m in back button focus so I tweak the focus ring to start just closer than the nearest part, but the camera doesn’t refocus when I hit the remote release. I never keep track of how many I actually use, but I’d guess about 15 for this one.

Maybe a trace of rain midweek and the leaves will be out a bit more so I’ll try again.