SOFT FOCUS DAHLIA

[gary ellwein]

This is my first venture into the Macro and Floral Forum. A Dahlia close up from Swan Island Dahlia Farm, Camby, Oregon. The image was captured during an Artie Morris and Denise Ippolito IPT. Nikon D3s, Nikkor 200mm Macro lens, F9, 1/125, iso 400, shaded subject with reflected sunlight from a gold reflector. The image was captured after a slight defocus in order to impart an element of softness. C & C appreciated.

[Don Nelson]

Beautifully captured! I love the colors and soft golden light.
Good to meet you at lunch at the workshop
Don

[Mitch Haimov]

Welcome to Macro and Flora, Gary. Excellent first thread! The softness works really well here. Dahlias make great subjects, and you chose one with lovely colors. Off-center comp works very well; half of me wants the center to be near a lower rather than upper corner so the vertical petal lead into the frame rather than out, but the other half doesn't want to give up being able to see all the way into the base of the petals below the center. One thing I try to do with compositions such as this (not always successfully!) is avoid clipping any petals--not always possible, but nice when I can either cut them or leave them whole. (Compare your top and left edges to the right and bottom.) I really like this one a lot as is. :5 Keep them coming!

[Jonathan Ashton]

Beautiful image, love the colours and gentle focus, sometimes I find creative images a little too contrived (no imagination you see) but I really like this. I think you have probably considered placing the cetral part in keeping with lower left rule of thirds and placed it where it is for good reason.

[gary ellwein]

Don, Mitch and Jonathan thank you for your kind comments. I usually try to put most subjects off center. I tried to get as many complete petals as possible in the 12-3 and 3-6 o"clock quadrant. In flower photography circles, is a lower left rule of thirds special?

[Nancy Bell]

Stunning! The glowing golds and the radiating red/pink petals make a spectacular image! I never thought of backing slightly off sharp focus. Very effective and well done.

[Jonathan Ashton]

Lower left third not special but more conventional (as I said I have no imagination!!)