Bluets

[Ed Vatza]

From Saturday at Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve in New Hope, Pa.

Canon 30D; Sigma 150mm Macro lens; natural light; handheld

1/100 sec @ f/10 ISO 400; 0 EV

[Kaushik Balakumar]

Ed, I like the colours. Might darken the open petals (the flower on the right) a wee bit. In two minds regarding the in-focus regions in the image. The large flower (due to its size tends to suggest that it the main subject) The stamen of the same flower looks sharp. However the smaller flower on the left looks pretty tack sharp which tends to pull my eye away from the large one. Eye's a bit restless while looking at both of them.
Just my thoughts... :)

[denise ippolito]

Ed, I really like the colors in this image and your framing is pleasing. I like the sharp bud,but think the lg. flower needs to be alittle more in focus. But that's just my opinion

[Roman Kurywczak]

Hey Ed,
I tend to agree with the above comments but will add....maybe if the 3rd BG flower was more offset....so it was blurry....tack....blurry.....may have worked??? not sure just another thought.... as originally I too was leaning to FG one sharp.

[Julie Kenward]

I agree with the others...I really want that largest bloom to be the one with all the sharpness. Lovely lighting and BG to this one, though.

[Ed Vatza]

In the face of these mounting allegations, I will defend myself! :p:D

First of all, the Bluet bud to the left is in the same plane and is sharp. However, I believe the large, open Bluet to the right is also in focus. the difference is the outside of the petal has texture while the inside is smooth. You can kinda see that in the partially open bud to the left, I think. That doesn't change the fact that if it doesn't work, it doesn't work but I have about 20 Bluet images and they all look almost exactly the same. So the "texture" defense may have some merit. The texture makes it look sharper than the smooth surface.

Guilty :eek: or Not Guilty :D ?

[Joseph Martines]

Ed:

I like the composition.

I like the diagonal line created by the composition.

Rough texture throws the minds eye out of focus though the subject really is in focus.

I like the lighting.

What more can one want?

[Mike Moats]

Hey Ed, agree with other on the sharpness of the larger flower, it my be an optical illusion but it hit me as soon as I opened it.

[Anita Bower]

I agree that the flower on the right looks out of focus, whether it is or not. I have found these little flowers difficult to get in sharp focus.

I like the composition and the warm BG!