Beach Sunflower - Canaveral Nat. Seashore

[Robert Amoruso]

One from last year the I forgot I had. Be interested in your opinions. Created with Canon's 90mm Tilt-Shift lens tilted to get the whole image in focus. Bracketed exposures to fine tune exposure and possibly try and HDR on it. Single image looked better.

Canon 1D Mark III
90mm Tilt-Shift Lens
1/125 sec, f/32
Mode: Av
Metering: Evaluative
Exp comp: -2/3
AEB comp: -1 1/3
Total Exp comp: -2
ISO: 400
AF mode: Manual Focus

[Steve Canuel]

Hi Robert,
My untrained opinion is as follows. This one doesn't work for me. The colors are too similar to my eye with little standing out to draw my interest. The strongest elements to me are the differing textures of the two types of plants. If I isolate the top portion, I like the sideways "s" line created by the flowers. If I isolate the lower portion, I like the repetitive pattern created by the leaves. When viewed together, they seem to compete for attention.

[Robert Amoruso]

Thanks Steve. Seems you are having the same problem I have with it.

[Steve Maxson]

Hi Robert. Looking at this through a biologist's eyes, I think it works just fine as a habitat image showing the different species and their spatial relationships on the dune slope. All the technical aspects (light, exposure, focus, etc.) are good. A good use of the 90mm t/s lens. :) This would be an excellent photo for, say, a book on the plants of Canaveral N. Seashore.

[Mike Moats]

Hey Robert, my take would be less of the plants in the foreground, and it seems like the harsh light blew out the colors.

[Robert Amoruso]

Steve, thanks for the positive take. :)

Mike, can you believe that this is less then 1/2 hour after sunrise. That's why I tired the HDR but did not like the results.

I could not put me finger on why I did not like this and thought I was being overly critical. Seems I was not so I appreciate all of your help in confirming what is wrong with it.

I do have some of the flowers by themselves. Will have to go back and look at those.

[Julie Kenward]

Robert, I tried to play with the lighting and WB a bit and man, that's one weird image. I couldn't get it to look pleasing and natural for anything.

I do think a horizontal crop just below the dirt line between the flowers and the plants would work much better but you've still got that funky color palette to deal with.

[Valerio Tarone]

Hi robert
As I saw many others your images I say this is isn't at the same level. The lower part isn't a nice geometric pattern, doesn't meet well the upper part. I'm a bitignorant about HDR: I know needs CS4..Could the section General Photogr. discussion or digital photogr. shows the updates in the field? thank you.

[Robert Amoruso]

Thanks everyone for your comments.

My initial feeling was I did not feel this image was strong both compositionally or from a processing perspective. I appreciate all the comments to help me verify my feelings on this image. This has been a very useful discourse.

Julie, Thanks for the work but I have others that may be better compositionally - but summer is coming and I will be back out there and looking to make a better, stronger image of these flowers.