A tigerlilly and another flower

[dwaugh]

Let me know what you think. I think they are both pretty good, but you tell me.

[Loupey]

I think that shooting large flowers is actually really difficult to do well. Too close and you can't get everything you want in focus. Too far and you get too much background. Etc., etc. That said I think you did good on the top one. I don't care for the inclusion of the white sky but for this specimen, from your angle, it could not be helped.

As for the bottom one, I personally find shots made straight down to be academic. Good for identifying species but kind of bland and lifeless. Like a pressed flower.

[dwaugh]

Thanks. For the second one, they are pretty flat flowers as they are, and I dont know what kind of angle would look really good on them. I really just like the sharpness of it.

[Loupey]

Thanks. For the second one, they are pretty flat flowers as they are, and I dont know what kind of angle would look really good on them. I really just like the sharpness of it.

David, I don't disagree with you on the second one. It is sharp and you did a great job keeping the detail in the whites. I guess what I meant was that most people have taken shots like this at one time or another and I always try to find something different and eye-grabbing to compete for the viewers attention. For such a flat subject like this, thinking out loud, perhaps:

shooting from the rear (if it were bent) against the sun
edge-on with a telephoto (like looking at a distant galaxy)
a tighter shot of mostly the central area (to show detail and symmetry)
one with a bug on it
one that isn't symmetrical

you get the picture. Just keep shooting :thumbsup:

[drg]

The tigerlily needs more light on the lower portion (Stamen and Pistils) to show the detail.
More transition from the blown exposure in the corners to the darker lower portion the photo, the stem unfortunatly gets lost in the photo.

You other image, though leaning towards the clinical, I believe could be strengthened by using a square format for the crop. By doing this a very symmetrical flower would be complimentarily framed by a symmetric presentation. It also need a bit of contrast adjustment to allow the natural moire of the center to really work. Part of that may also be that dreaded problem with resizing.

Good selection of flowers to photograph. You did well with the white and yellow as they can trick a meter into an improper exposure.

Looking forward to more (like I don't have enough flower images to look at!!).

[dwaugh]

Thanks for the details, it gives me more to think about. A bee almost landed on the second flower, but did not. I did, however, get a shot of a bee on the Tigerlilly, but decided not to post it. I want to go find that flower again and try some different angles. Also, the only way I could get really close in would be to get a new lens that would work for that.

Someone else suggested a square crop for the second one, and if I print it I may do that.