calla

[Ron Conlon]

This is a stack of about 75 images, each
D800E, 200mm f6.3 iso100 1/200, two flashes
a few blemishes removed.

[Jonathan Ashton]

Just beautiful Ron, the colours and tones are gorgeous. I wonder what it would look like with a natural coloured background?

[Ron Conlon]

Thanks, Jon. Thanks for coming back to the backgrounds. I had a fling with printed backgrounds, and have given up on them for the time being. Unless I build a fairly comprehensive library of them (varying lightness, structure, color) I don't I will be satisfied. I hate to have to do major surgery on a background in post. I considered setting up outside but the dragging all the equipment out and mitigating the wind soon killed that idea. I have had a few small attempts at bringing suitable foliage etc into the "studio". Your ciritique reminds me I need to persist in that.

[Jonathan Ashton]

Thanks, Jon. Thanks for coming back to the backgrounds. I had a fling with printed backgrounds, and have given up on them for the time being. Unless I build a fairly comprehensive library of them (varying lightness, structure, color) I don't I will be satisfied. I hate to have to do major surgery on a background in post. I considered setting up outside but the dragging all the equipment out and mitigating the wind soon killed that idea. I have had a few small attempts at bringing suitable foliage etc into the "studio". Your ciritique reminds me I need to persist in that.
Your welcome Ron, another simple method to consider is just to brush different colours in, for example I recently posted a puffin shot and the sky was totally white so I brushed in blue but left it slightly patchy. I wondered if it looked false this was becasue I had done it of course, when I asked other's opinions everyone liked it mostly saying they wouldn't have known it was false if I hadn't declared it.

[Diane Miller]

Incredibly gorgeous flower with great detail. I could wish for more room in the frame -- easy to add canvas here.

Have you tried selecting the flower and adding a BG in PS? With a sharply-defined subject like this one it could be done very effectively. Something high key would fit well.

[Ron Conlon]

Thanks Jon and Diane. I know this will sound weird coming from someone who stacks a huge number of images, but I don't like doing that kind of manipulation. I don't know why, because I do other things wihtout reservation like adding canvas, healing spots, dodging/burning, cloning, smoothing backgrounds, occasional painitng backgrounds etc etc. I think I have Jon's issue that when you do it, it looks manipulated to you, despite the fact that most others may think it is fine. I just need to stick something physical in the background to give it a little more interest, something high key in this case.