Orange Flower-2

[Dave Leroy]

My concern with this one was the increased dof and additional detail in the bg. I tried to make the bg less visible but there was just too much around the actual stem. 50D, 70/200 witha 32mmTC, 1/45, f/11, ISO400. Dave

[Sadja Herzog]

I assume you mean 32mm extension tube, not TC. The flower looks like a California Poppy. You could create a mask around the bloom, invert it and then blur the BG to taste.

[Jerry van Dijk]

Hi Dave, nice Californian poppy. They're my favorite flowers in the garden and they make wonderful subject. Personally I don't mind the BG too much, because it contrasts nicely with the subject. I may consider using flash or a reflector here, to lighten up the inside of the flower. Your masking left a little trace around the lower petal.
Kind regards,

Jerry.

[Anita Bower]

I love the shape of this flower, with the petals curving and the center parts creating a spiral. The color of the foliage seems rather blue, giving it an unnatural (to my eye) look. I wish I had some suggestions for you. Masking something like this has never worked for me. I would try cloning to blur the BG.

[Dave Leroy]

Thanks everyone for the comments. California Poppy. It is a very pretty plant. Yes, Sadja, you are correct. I had meant to say extension tube. It sounds like post processing suggestions for improvements. Better masking techniques, use them to advantage better and perhaps have a closer look at final bg colours. Much appreciated and thanks again. Dave