Muscari

[Julie Kenward]

I've been playing around with the Muscari and trying out the different extension tubes to see which I like best. To be honest with you, I can't remember if I had them on (or if I had one or all three!) when I made this image. Oops!

Canon 40D, EF 100mm f/2.8 macro
f3.5 @ 1/200th, ISO 200
Manual mode, Sunny WB, pattern metering
Late afternoon sun, no flash
Processed in ACR & CS4; small crop, small levels adjustment, did a slight radial blur to the BG to help diffuse it a bit.

[Mike Moats]

Hey Jules, very nice, like the DOF on and the soft colors in the BG. Good details on the main flower.

[Dave Mills]

Julie, I like the selective focus you have chosen on the front flower. The image has more to it than that. By the use of color you've created a path that the viewer can take and go past the dominant subject. It also creates an impressionistic sense of place. I like this very much....

[denise ippolito]

Julie, I like the use of the radial blur for the BG and the colors on this are fantastic! I see some artifacts at the top of the main flower. Was that from the radial blur?

[Julie Kenward]

Yes, Denise, they are. I probably should go back and reselect just a little further out so it doesn't "catch" the edge of the muscari and pull it out. Thanks! Good eye!

[Kaushik Balakumar]

Julie, like the DOF here.
I understand the kind of BG you are trying to get. If it were me, I would perhaps create a bit of separation between the in-focus flowers in the front & the blue OOF flowers in the BG. May be by moving towards left & pointing right-wards. This helps in excluding the OOF blue blotches (flowers again) on far left (edge) - which IMHO don't seem to offer much to the comp.

[Roman Kurywczak]

Hey Jules,
Very well done. I do lean towards Kaushik's recommendation...as the far left edge color....isn't as important as the 2nd oof bloom. Easy fix........these are not easy!.....IMO you did extremely well! Guess I have to venture from f32!