marsh Iris

[Bob Smith]

147207
Fraser R. delta marshes are loaded with these glowing gems, in an endless variation of shapes and forms, in May and June. 5DMIII,70-300mmf/4-5.6L,ISO 250,-.67 EV,f16,1/500,Ap.prior,cropped to 70% original size

[Jonathan Ashton]

Lovely flower, I suspect the lighting was very contrasting and you were keen not to blow the highlights as a consequence I think the image is rather underexposed. If you were using a tripod I would recommend using the same frame at differing exposures and then layering the images in Photoshop to optimise exposure.

[Bob Smith]

Thank you for the advice Jonathan. I do have an inclination to lean toward underexposure with -ve EV and am working on "expose to the right" at least one exposure for each subject. Problem is I like the darker images so I had actually reduced the exposure of this shot a bit in post. I was here I think trying to emphasize the depth of colour of the browns and yellows and also trying to bring out the sparkle that areas of these petals have.

[Diane Miller]

Some underexposure can bring out colors nicely, but the darks here feel too pushed up against the wall. The reeds could easily go too bright, but I wonder if there is leeway to go back to the raw and bring shadows up and highlights down? That could give better contrast on the flower, which feels to low as presented.

Tough light to work in. It can be a miracle to use a large diffusion screen over a subject like this. The closer you can get it to the subject, the better the magic.

[Don Railton]

Hi Bob... You are Fighting tough light here... as a result the contrast on the light and unlighted reeds is pretty extreme unfortunately, but the flower is beautiful...

DON

[Bob Smith]

Thanks Don and Dianne--I found a DIY vid to build a diffusion screen so I'll give it a try when the flowers come back.

[Diane Miller]

When you first start using it, shoot the same shot with and without it. The camera records a much bigger difference in contrast than we notice, because our eyes and brains accommodate so well to high contrast.

[Steve Maxson]

Hi Bob and welcome to Macro! The flower is beautiful and I like your comp. I would agree about the tough light conditions - flowers often photograph better under shade or overcast. Use of a diffusion screen is a great suggestion and I think you will notice a dramatic difference in before and after shots when using it. I hope to see more of your work here in the Macro forum!

[Bob Smith]

Hi Steve and thanks for the welcome--yes, lots more pics to post.