I heard the flower call my name

[Ed Vatza]

After making a few Green Heron images this evening, my wife and I were walking along a path paralleling our local creek when I stopped to photograph this flower. She said I have lots of pictures of these flowers to which I responded but not this one. This one called for me to stop.

Yes I wish the buds weren't behind the flower. And I really wondered how this was going to turn out using my 30D and 300mm f/2.8L IS with 2x TC giving me 600mm (960mm at 35mm equivalent) - a whole lot more than I need for a flower portrait. But how could I say no. I don't think it turned out too bad. You thoughts?

1/60 sec at f/6.3; ISO 400; -2/3 EV; Natural evening light

[Amy DeStefanis]

HI Ed,
I agree about the buds, but it also has a mood that fits your title. There's a certain time in the evening when flowers' colors seem to just glow, and they are so beautiful it's impossible to describe. It's difficult not to stop and try to capture that.

It seems to be sharp - I can even see threads of a spider web between the petals. It would be nice if there were more room beneath the point of the leaf....

Amy D.

[Ed Cordes]

I like the comp and the detail. Overall the image appears a bit dark. Can you lighten it without ruining the yellows?

[Julie Kenward]

I see why you stopped...this is really beautiful. I, too, wish that bottom leaf wasn't cut off, especially with all the extra room on top. It's certainly got a lovely mood to it.

[Kaushik Balakumar]

Ed, I liked this image. DOF works for me & the flower has a nice contrasting, smooth BG to go with. Agree with you on the buds behind (only wish they were visually separated from the subject). Also wish u'd not clipped off the tip of the leaf below...

[Ed Vatza]

Amy, Ed, Julie, Kaushik,

Thanks for feedback on this image. Always much appreciated. And its good to be back home on the Macro/Flora board. :)

Ed, I can lighten the image up a bit but chose not too. Actually I darked it just a tad to better match the image to what I saw, felt and heard there in the field. It was late. The sun had dipped behind the hill on the far side of the creek. The shadows had overtaken everything. The mood was dark with this flower still offering a glimpse of brightness that was also on the wane. Trying to capture that mood was also the reason that I turned off the flash and went with just what ambient lighting there was.

Regarding the leaf at the bottom, I noticed it but it didn't bother me terribly. However, I do have a couple of images that I made with the tripod pulled back a couple of inches more and the leaf fully in the frame as the one I am posting here.

[Julie Kenward]

I like that much better, Ed. That missing leaf tip was making me crazy!

[Kaushik Balakumar]

Much better Ed.
This looks sharper & the DOF has covered more of the flower. The leaf now completes it...

[Amy DeStefanis]

Ahhh - that feels much better to see the tip of the leaf, and have some room there. I like the repost better, too.

:)

Amy D.

[Mike Moats]

Hey Ed, like the image alot and even better on the repost.