Flower Float!

[Ramesh Adkoli]

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3493/3887130636_dd80376aa3_o.jpg

This Dahlia looks as if floating in mid air! Would have preferred a further blurred background, but couldn't get it due to the distance. Appreciate your views and comments.

EXIF: D700, 24-70mm @70mm + Canon 500D closeup lens, 1/500s, f/2.8, ISO 200, hand held, early morning, cloudy
PP: Curves, levels, selective colors, cropped a bit from the top.

regards,
ramesh

[Dave Mills]

Hi Ramesh, Beautiful lighting on a lovely specimen. I would have preferred the bright areas on the upper right and left (lower rt also)to be toned down or eliminated. I feel it's important for the flower to have an anchor so I would have liked to have seen a stem.

[denise ippolito]

Ramesh, I like the lighting and the colors. I agree w/ Dave regarding the stem. Very nice details.

[Anita Bower]

I am impressed with the sharpness your achieved handheld and at f2.8. Excellent. I think if you cropped it into a square with the Dahlia filling most of the frame, the floating effect would not be a problem.

[Connie Mier]

I immediately thought of what Anita said about the square crop. Maybe work in PP with the blurring effect on bg. Otherwise, beautiful capture of the flower.

[Ramesh Adkoli]

Thanks Dave, Denise, Anita and Connie for your views. Dave, my idea was to depict the flower as floating in midair and hence put the stem OOF. Will take care of the bright spots on the upper part.

Regards,
Ramesh

[Julie Kenward]

I'm with everyone else on a more square crop. I think the angle is interesting but the yellow areas are really distracting so I'm for cropping in closer and letting the blossom carry the show.

[Ramesh Adkoli]

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3478/3892103695_0d8535e31d_o.jpg

Here is a re-post with bright spots removed. I have left the crop as is.

regards,
ramesh

[Roman Kurywczak]

Hi Ramesh,
The re-post looks very good! I don't mind the extra space as the tones of green are nicely blurred but do feel the flower would be strengthened with the square crop. Very nice job on the lighting......flower just glows!