Orchid

[Tom Wertman]

Comments would be welcome. Thanks.[img]/cfs-file.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Components.UserFiles/00.00.00.22.75/2_5F00_001-copy3.jpg.jpg[/img]

[piiooo]

Very nice pic, I like the composition, crop, sharpness, and concept of placing bright flowers against dark and uniformbackground. Simplicity works here well.


On my monitor it looks slightly underexposed and maybe the whites are too red. Contrast may need to be increased as well.


What camera/lens/settinggs did you use to photograph those orchids?

[Sheiky]

Very nice pic, I like the composition, crop, sharpness, and concept of placing bright flowers against dark and uniformbackground. Simplicity works here well.

I'm on the same page here. Also like the fact that the background isn't plain black. Nice job, I think a few small adjustments could make it even better just like piiooo said.


Jan

[Tom Wertman]

Thanks. f/14, 1/160sec, ISO 50, 100mm f/2.8L Macro

[Chuck Lee]

Tom,


Thanks for posting your image for comments.


1) Light source isa bit lop-sided. There's an ambient source lighting all and a harsh window/artificial light coming in from a strong side angle camera right. The shadows created on the front right two completely disconnect them from the others. This kills the uniformity of photographing the four forward facing blooms together. I find this very distracting and my eye's can't find a place to rest. I go back and forth lookingacross your image feeling a bit lost. The ambient needs to be down a half to a stop and the key light needs to illuminate all four blooms. shadows are good but need to give shape and definition not elongated distracting shadows.


2) I agree with previous posters, there's a definite reddish color cast.


3) I don't think the exposure is pushed to it's fullest. Contrast looks a little low as well.


4) I strongly disagree with a previous poster about the background. Black is where it's at. IMHO, it makes flowers of all kind pop big time!


5) The arc of blooms is a difficult composition to render. You tackled it well. I try to stick to fewer numbers when possible.


Some shots of my Sister's garden taken in 2008.











Canon 5D, EF28-70 f2.8 or Tamron 28-75 f2.8 at f11, ISO 100, 1/200sec.


We built a makeshift photo booth using white paint board on three sides ( right, left and top) and some black velvet like material over a chair set up on the table as a backdrop. My sister held up a pillow case and I aimed my strobe connected to the camera by a chord,to shoot half through the pillow case and half against the camera left white board to get a nice key and surrounding fill. For a make shift studio, I thought the results were really good.


Keep experimenting and studing...that's the key. Be encouraged.

[crosbyharbison]

Here's the edit I came up with:








Addresses exposure and color issues.

[btaylor]

I went a step further and gave it the Chuck Lee treatment and blacked the background out. I also cloned the shadowed areas on the right orchids to remove the harsh shadow. Hope you don't mind! []





[img]/cfs-file.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Components.UserFiles/00.00.00.28.34/testvz_5F00_bt.jpg[/img]

[Chuck Lee]

Nice edits guys...[Y]

[Tom Wertman]

I took the constructive criticism and shot this again since I am not a
PS expert. Another flower had bloomed and I shot the other side this
time. I like the results much better. What do you think now? Thanks for
the help.[img]/cfs-file.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Components.UserFiles/00.00.00.22.75/_5F00_002-copy3.jpg[/img]

[Madison]

Tip: more dramatic lightring works better with flower photography. Look into how Mapplethorpe lit his flower series: those are considered flawless in many a photographers book.