Don't shoot 'til you see the whites...

[Ed Vatza]

Image made with my Canon Rebel XT; Sigma 150mm Macro lens; Canon 430 EX Flash with LumiQuest Softbox bracket-mounted and everything tripod-mounted with a Novoflex Focusing Rail.

1/60 sec at f/11; ISO 800; -2/3 EV; FEC -1

[Kaushik Balakumar]

Beautiful. Liked this one the most, out of ur flower images off late. Lovely bokeh & well composed frame.
Keep 'em coming Ed.

[Julie Kenward]

I agree with Kaushik...very nice image, Ed. The composition and DOF is quite nice. Is that an ant on the one main bloom's petal or some kind of debris? You might want to think about cloning that little thing out.

Beautiful job with the flash - you'd never know you used one!!!

[Bruce Murden]

Can't say much here but thanks for another lovely shot! Good choice of framing (comp and dimensions), and great play of bokeh, color, light, and detail!

[Ed Vatza]

Kaushik, Julie, Bruce,

Thanks a million for the feedback/comments. As always, they are much appreciated.

One area where I think I am getting better is at visualizing the possibilities when I am walking along looking for images to make. My wife, who accompanies me at times, will ask "Why this one, of all the flowers we've walked by, why this one?". I can only answer that "This one talks to me." :) I still may not correctly hear what it is saying but at least now I do hear it, see it, feel it. Probably sounds hokey. But it's a step in the right direction.

[Ken Kovak]

Ed,

Another nice shot. Where in the valley are you finding these guys? I need to get out more and shoot someplace besides my own gardens.

[Gus Cobos]

Congratulations Ed,
Your composition, exposure and image are great. I like the soft mellow green tones in the background. The flower is well placed in frame, and the whites are in check. I really like this one...:D

[Ed Vatza]

Thanks Ken. Thanks Gus. Always appreciate hearing others' thoughts and opinions. Feedback makes us better. ;)

All I can say, Gus, is I love it when a plan comes together. When I came across this particular plant with a single bloom surrounded by buds, I knew I wanted to work with it. I had to work around it a bit until I found the perspective with arms wide open and none of the buds blocked by the bloom that I was looking for.

Ken, I've been finding wildflowers everywhere. This particular image was made near the Thomas Iron Works cinder banks along the Saucon Creek. I live just minutes from there and go there often when I just have an hour or so to spare. Golly in addition to this image, Moth Mullein Bud Opening, How Sweet It Is, Butter-and-eggs were all made here. Of late, I've been heading there in the evening in the hour before dark.

But I have also done quite a bit along the Lehigh Canal, up at Jacobsburg State Park, Franco Park in Salisbury and the list goes on.

My wife and I are heading to Sandy Hook early Saturday morning to see what we can find in the way of shorebirds. There have been some great reports from Forsythe/Brigantine but I haven't seen much reported from the Hook yet. We shall see.

[Robert O'Toole]

Hi Ed,


The comp looks good, exposure good, DOF and sharpness are great.

Its great to see your work progress as it has this year. I always look forward to seeing more of your work Ed, well done!

Now you can move onto fine tuning them in post processing in ACR/LR/PS.

In this case I warmed up the image toned down the white, lightened the BG and ran NR on the BG selectively.

Let me know what you think.

In addition to my photography workshops I also lead photoshop/work flow workshops year round. If you would like help any time just let me know. Also I have a new Photoshop CD, APTATS 2, coming out soon.

Robert

[Ed Vatza]

Hi Robert,

Thank you for the critique and the edit on the image. While I know I still have much to learn about making the images, I recognize that post-processing is my real Achilles heel right now. I use a combination of LR and PS-7 but really just attempt the basics. It is ironic since I am surrounded at work by two graphic designers who are Photoshop wizards. But relatively simple things like layers and such baffle me. I guess I just haven't spent the requisite time.

Now for the images. Actually, I like both of them. Yours definitely seems more alive but mine better captures the mood of the moment. Its a little more somber in tone as I look at it. So if I was looking at it for the first time as an interested third party, I would probably go for yours. And if I ever hope to get to that point where I am out selling images, I need to lean toward what that interested third party sees. If that makes sense.

[Mike Moats]

Hey Ed, I really like the crop with the three buds in different directions around the flower. Robert is a master with the post processing and did a fine job on this one.

[Ed Vatza]

Thanks, Mike. Yes, I have to agree Robert is a wizard with PS. I'm going to have to pick up his CD and start to get my head around post-processing.