Tubby, the not so wildcat, liked hanging out in the light tent.
Critique Style Requested:Standard
The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
Last weekend, the weather was dark, gray, and drizzly with rain. I decided to do some documentary shots of some of the dahlias growing out in the vegetable garden. So, off I went and found this nice flower of a variety called Wildcat. It is a semicactus, bicolor dahlia that is rather spectacular. I used 5 flashes in a light tent to get the lighting just right. Then, another bicolored wildcat named Tubby jammed himself into the light tent when I wasn’t looking. I bumped up the speed on the camera and took several shots of the kitty before he hightailed back upstairs
Specific Feedback
What do you think about the colors of this dahlia.? Some varieties of dahlia do not photograph well as they require some UV light to show off some of the purple coloration. Flash photography, by itself does not provide enough UV to get some of these colors to show up.
Technical Details
Z9 105mm f2.8 Micro (1/8 second at f6.3, ISO 320, 5 off camera flashes for lighting; 36 image stack with PMax) Sharpen, Rotate canvas, Crop for Comp, Boost in exposure…Jim
Critique Template
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Jim, this is a feast for the eyes! Absolutely perfect lighting , flower and bud position, and comp. I like the way the bud’s stem weaves through the petals. ( 5 flashes? how big is your tent?? )
Th tiniest nit - I’d like to see a bit more of the stem.
Really excellent!
(Kitty is cute but does not look thrilled)
Very good image of this Dahlia, Jim. You said you were doing this as a documentary shot, but it’s also quite artistic. It does feel to me as if it could use a bit more canvas on the left and personally, I’d probably put a border on this one as I find myself wandering off the edge. Other than those very minor things, no nits. And I like Tubby as well.
Wow Jim, the colors in this are drop dead gorgeous! Nice detail and I like the overall composition. I am with @Dennis_Plank for just a bit more space on the left, the border sounds like a great idea, and a slight CCW rotation might look good with the extra space on the left. Oh yeah, You have a very nice, very healthy cat that doesn’t seem too enthusiastic about getting its picture taken.
Thank you @SandyR-B , @Dennis_Plank , and @Ed_Williams for your critiques. Sandy, I wish that I had more stem. One of the lower leaves escaped out of the fram so I cropped above it. There’s always next time. Dennis and Ed, I can add more space on the left and maybe rotate it a little more to satisfy your critiques. Dennis, Tubby was brought into the clinic where my wife was working to be euthenized after his owner passed away. Jenny noticed the cat’s sweet personality andecided that we could provide a home for the Tub. I’m not a cat person, but have 2 cats including Tubby that have chosen me to be their human companion, And I don’t mind that all.
