First post and one of the first images from my new lens.

[Onslowdaisy]

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"]<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"]Evening All,
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"]<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"]Just thought I'd do a first post and say hi to everyone. I have just received my new lens and this is one of the first images out of it. Never done flowers etc before so this is a nice change of pace. Any thoughts appreciated. Be gentle...;-) BTW, only after I took this particular one did I notice the iso was at 200. This was done using a manfrotto monopod. Processed with Adobe Camera Raw 5.7. Small amount of levels adjustments along witha small amount of sharpening to the output. This was taken at the Ada Ryan Gardens in Whyalla, South Australia.
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"]<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"]Cheers
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"]<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"]Onslow
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"]<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"]
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"]<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"]
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"]<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"][img]/cfs-file.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Components.UserFiles/00.00.00.45.26/Flower-Resized.jpg[/img]
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"]<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"]Model - Canon EOS 50D
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"]<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"]Lens - Canon 70 &ndash; 200mm F2.8L USM
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"]<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"]ExposureTime - 1/500 seconds
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"]<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"]FNumber - 2.80
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"]<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"]ExposureProgram - Aperture priority
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"]<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"]ISOSpeedRatings - 200
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"]<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"]ShutterSpeedValue - 1/500 seconds
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"]<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"]ApertureValue - F 2.80
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"]<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"]SubjectDistance - 1.45 m
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"]<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"]MeteringMode - Center weighted average
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"]<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"]FocalLength - 108 mm
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"]<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"]ExposureMode - Auto
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"]<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"]White Balance - Manual

[iND]

Nice composition.


The compliment I like the least on my work is "nice photo, you must have some nice equipment."


That always deflates me, because it is the artist not the equipment, but the equipment help.


This photo speaks to the versatility of that lens. (70-200).


Nice bokeh.


What was your distance from the object.

[Brendan7]

What was your distance from the object.

the EXIF says 1.45m

[Sheiky]

Welcome Onslow!


Nice picture, what type of flower/plant is that? It looks pretty exotic [H]

Any thoughts appreciated. Be gentle...;-)

It's rubbish! Pure rubbish! [:P] Nah just kidding. I think there are a few things in the composition which with some change could be better for your photo:


- The leaves are a bit distracting, not sure if you could change anything about that.


- I personally don't have problems with the main-subject in the centre(there are some rules about this [:P]), although I'd like to see interesting stuff around it as well if your main-subject is in the centre. Otherwise putting your main-subject outside the centre can make your image much more interesting, but also harder to make...


- Try a bit lower angle and be sure you're standing leveled. In this particular shot I'm getting the feeling that we're watching a bit from above AND a bit angled as well. If you're shooting at the same hight as the plant/flower. The flower gets much more powerful. In normal life you view a plant slightly from above and for instance an insect totally from above...however the most interesting photos are shot at the eye-level of your subject .. most of the time, of course there are exceptions!


Anyway these are more tips than commentary, have fun around here!

BTW, only after I took this particular one did I notice the iso was at 200

Is something wrong with that?


-Jan

[Onslowdaisy]

G'day Jan,


I believe it's a Eucalypt of some description, I'm going back today and will talk again with the head gardener. She originally pointed it out to me. It was buried deep in a mass of bushes which made the position very awkward to be in. Really leaning back into big bushes which did'nt want to move out of my way. She told me the last one that flowered was stolen and the tree damaged.


That comes to your point about the leaves, I could have broken them off but I thought that would make me as bad as the sods who stole the last one! I was actually level to slightly below the flower so I could have some detail inside the ??? Not sure what the inside part is called.... I do recall the the flower not being level so feel the angle is about right. Having said that, I was using the monopod in a very awkward position so there is a chance it is out. The back of the flower was the only other viewpoint I could really use and will try again there today. However, I didn't think the ones I took really had quite the same impact as this view.


Cheers for the comments. Much appreciated.


Onslow





btw, I uually try and run as low an iso as I reasonably can. In this circumstance, I think I could have run lower.

[Onslowdaisy]

Thanks for that....[]


I do like the lens. I got it as I'm not happy at all with the canon 75-300mm f4-f5.6 lens I got with the camera when buying the outfit. I do sport pics for the local newspaper and think I'll be able to get MUCH better results with this from the little I've used it so far. I'm starting to see why the L series have a good name.


The distance was 1.45 metres.


Cheers


Onslow

[btaylor]

Hi Onslow,


As soon as I saw that pic Isaid to myself in shock"That's a bloody gum leaf!". Good to see another Aussie on the forums.


Nice shot by the way, I like the contrast in colours.


Cheers, Ben.

[MrGreenBug]

Wonderful colors!

[erno james]

agree about the comment regarding "...you must have some nice equipment." Tiger Woods must have really good golf clubs then.

[Onslowdaisy]

Thanks for that...........[]