Easter Lily

[mikedelaney]

canon 40D
sigma 70mm macro
f 8.0
1/400 s.
ISO 400

well it isn't Easter and i'm not really sure this is an Easter lily, but i shot it a place called Chanticleer Gardens in Wayne, PA. it is 47 acres of beautiful flowers and trees etc. they even have a Oriental pond with those gold fish.
i hope this one is ok.

[Anita Rakestraw]

Mike, this is well focussed, nice and sharp and clear!! The exposure looks great to me - certainly did not blow those whites at all!! I'm curious - what are you doing different now - the focus on your images has improved hugely!? Good going!!

[Nonda Surratt]

Agree with Anita!

[Alfred Forns]

I like it also Mike and agree with Anita !! I think one difference could be having full frame images they do make a difference.

The mixed light worked well here since it spotlights the flower, looks good. I 'm not sure about the second flower? Single would be a stronger composition !!!

[Julie Kenward]

I agree with the others, especially on the composition factor. You've got a little empty space on the left but then you have cut off part of the bloom on the right. If you want them both to share the focus, watch your framing before you click that shutter! ( I know how you feel, though...I see nice lighting and I lose my mind!!!)

Focus and detail are lovely, though. Flowers are a hard thing to get right but you are certainly moving in the right direction.

[mikedelaney]

i credit the better focus to my tripod and better lighting. i have, in the past couple of months, used a sturdy tripod in my bird shots, which helps enormously. i have a condition that makes my hand very shakey. i can't even hold an IS lens well enough to get a good focus. for the flowers i also used a tripod. the less i touch the camera the better picture i get. LOL but true.

[mikedelaney]

hi Al,
i used the second flower as almost a filler. "i also cloned in'' the purple flowers on lower right hand side to keep you more on the page. it didn't look finished without them. or at least i thought so.

[Anita Rakestraw]

All right, Mike! Keep using a tripod for steadiness, and I'd recommend a remote shutter release too - so you really don't have to touch the camera even to focus! The BLUBB (beanbag sold in the Field Equipment Store on this site) is great too - and for non-moving subjects, try using the self-timer on the camera.

[Brian Wong]

Hi Mike!

Good to see nice progress! Anita made some great recommendations! In a pinch, I've found the camera's self-timer works great! For white flowers, as with with white birds, a cloudy or overcast condition really help fight the wide range of light. If you can control the flower conditions, next time, why not try placing a diffuser between the sun and the flower.

[mikedelaney]

Anita, the best reason, and one i forgot to mention is that YOU GUYS make me feel like the idiot i am if i don't give you one that is in focus.

[mikedelaney]

Brian, i don't mean any disrespect at all but i think the mixed light MAKES the picture. seeing that stamen and splash of light at the bottom of the picture really captures your eye. i guess it is a matter of personal taste, but i vote for the mixed light.

[Anita Rakestraw]

You're too funny, Mike! Hey, don't want you feeling like an idiot though!

[mikedelaney]

i wanted to show what an image, almost the same as the original looks like with nothing extra to distract. here it is.
sorry, i couldn't upload it right now, again i'm sorry.