OH NO! Another flower.

[Frog]

Since I'm so picky about flower shots, I thought I'd throw this one out to be critiqued.
I'm happy with color but not much else.

[AgingEyes]

Since I'm so picky about flower shots, I thought I'd throw this one out to be critiqued.
I'm happy with color but not much else.

And the sharpness, depth of field, lighting situation, background, etc..?

The problem I've found with flower photos, more specifically my flower photos, is how to make them look different, stand out from the rest. It seems to me some impressive ones are actually shot in the studios.

[rylan]

looks great to me Frog, loving the color of it

[Frog]

The problem I've found with flower photos, more specifically my flower photos, is how to make them look different, stand out from the rest. It seems to me some impressive ones are actually shot in the studios.[/QUOTE]

Exactly! There is really nothing wrong with this shot but it just sits there. Look..here's a flower..yippee!
I'm glad someone else knows what I'm talking about but I don't do studio shots and eventually I'll find a flower shot that does something.

Ty, rylan. The color is what attracted me to it and I do have some other shots but alas they are all just a pic of a flower.

[MB1]

Since I'm so picky about flower shots, I thought I'd throw this one out to be critiqued.
I'm happy with color but not much else.

I think you picked a good flower to shoot too. I like the sort of fuzz on the side of the petals.

This is really done but the problem (I believe) with flower images is that the subject is so simple that it is hard work to get an outstanding image. Well worth trying though as it stretches our creativity.

[Greg McCary]

Nice shot Frog. I like it.......

[Lori11]

I think its beautiful

[marco1910]

Hey Frog,
what's the f/stop and shutter speed?

thanks

[Samyule]

I'd have to agree, I love the color 100%. It looks like every other flower shot though. I would go for a little more detail in the stem to bring the entire flower into focus and than have everything behind it out, but I think that is just my preference.
I like the shots were you are focused in on a solitary flower and in the background you have a bed of flowers that are slightly out of focus. To me this represents the beauty of that one flower out of many. In this photo it's just one flower and it makes me feel that this flower was shot because of a lack of options. Kind of like taking portrait shots and the only person around is you.
Hope this helps, I am a rookie, so please feel free to critique my critiques.

[Frog]

Thanyou all for your comments.
MB, I totally agree about flower shots. They are basically quite simple when you get your aperture setting figured out for best results. The problem comes when you want it to be something other than another flower shot,(no offense intended for those who do like flower shots) I do have a couple of shots a group of these flowers but they're no better. I did crop this one to get rid of an intruder.
Marco: aperture f/8
shutter 1/100th
iso 400
wb auto
d80
18-135 lens @135

Again thankyou all for commenting.

[AgingEyes]

...The problem comes when you want it to be something other than another flower shot...

One thing about shooting flowers in their natural environment is that sometimes they are so close to the ground that, if you want to photograph them with a different perspective, you have to go very low, lie on the ground or get yourself into other physically uncomfortable positions. Here, I think an angle viewfinder could help.

One solution I use is to shoot close, very close, shoot macro, go for flower abstract instead of a photo of the entire flower (I posted an example of that kind for critique before and there's another one in my gallery in case anyone want to see examples).

Or, instead of shooting one flower, shoot a group of them. Shoot a pattern of flowers instead of just one flower.

Just some ways I can think of.

[Frog]

Thankyou AG. All good points.

[jkriminger]

Frog, this is really nice. The rich color of the flower(don't see this color too often) combined with the bokeh and the DOF is great. Focus and sharpening is right on. Great pic!

[armywife1984]

I love the color, i dont really know of a way to make it more interesting except maybe if there was some dew or maybe a bub of a contrasting color?

[Yoyo Szeto]

I also like the saturated blue colour a lot.
yoyo

[MB1]

...MB, I totally agree about flower shots. They are basically quite simple when you get your aperture setting figured out for best results. The problem comes when you want it to be something other than another flower shot......

Perhaps a stream of yellow (a nice complementary color to that dark blue) fluid coming above, shot at just the moment of impact!?! :blush2: :idea:

[Tony Figueira]

Frog I think you are being way to modest.

1- Focus is absolutely spot on.
2- Color is outstanding.
3- D.O.F. I cant imagine being any better than it is.
4- lighting is perfect no big shadows or highlights.
5- The angle of the subject is very complementary to the all idea of the shoot.

I think the only way, that you would make this picture look more amazing, would be getting a butterfly or a bee in the flower.

You most have some stunning work if this one does not do anything for you, that I sort of guessed by the five star critiques that you magnanimously provide to people in this forum.

Hope to see some more

Very well done

[Lori11]

MB :frown2:

[frleal70]

I think it's gorgeous.

[Frog]

Thankyou, all! I guess what I'm trying to say is that as good as this picture is it lacks something to make it memorable. If I could have caught it with a different background, had a prop of some sort, or even a person sniffing it, then it might be memorable.
Flowers are beautiful but I prefer them in some sort of setting.

[GB1]

Frog

Wow, this one is different. It's cold blue against a warmer green. It's somewhat dark instead, looking sinister in some ways. It's very saturated. The composition disturbs me a bit.. not sure why, but maybe if some of the top was clipped off then it would be more balanced.

G

[Grandpaw]

I like the the shot but would like it better if it were cropped from the bottom up to were the bottom leaf touches the stem, Jeff

[Frog]

Just for those who mentioned the saturation.....no post processing saturation was added.
A small amount of contrast, levels, and sharpened..that's it. I need to find out what kind of flower it is.