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Hazel Grant
05-06-2010, 01:14 PM
Ok, I'm going back and forth between in-the-yard and inside photos, wanting to take advantage of Spring's bounty while I can. This one was taken in the yard. I'm posting the Photoshoped work first, adding the original as a secondary post for comparison. I thought about taking out the lower horizonal leaf but thought it gave some balance to the whole effect.

Nikon D40x, 1/200, manual exposure setting, f/18, iso200, no flash, 75mm.

Hazel Grant
05-06-2010, 01:15 PM
This is the original. I thought about just blurring the background but am not sure it would give enough contrast.

Mike Moats
05-06-2010, 06:03 PM
Hey Hazel, I can see why you blacked out the BG, it's way to cluttered. I don't care for the horizontal blade, I don't think it adds anything to the comp and kind of confusing as it's just floating and not connected to anything. Good details on the flower.

denise ippolito
05-06-2010, 07:40 PM
Hazel, Nice details and I agree w/ Mike regarding the horizontal blade. Blackening out the BG is not an easy thing to do and I think you did a good job w/ it.:)

Julie Kenward
05-06-2010, 08:27 PM
Hazel, first I need to remind you it's one photo per post. (You can always post an additional image the next day for comparison.) It's okay to leave them up this time but try to remember that for the future posts.

Now, as for the original, I have to agree with Mike that the horizontal blade is cutting your image right in half. I can see why you would originally consider keeping it but it really isn't adding anything to the vertical frame of the image. (Can you see that now?)

Also the first post looks way too dark in the flower's petals. When you have a really cluttered BG as you do here, expose the image as you normally would and then darken the BG in post-processing. Another suggestion would be to use fill flash - that also tends to darken the BG in many cases when shooting outside. The most imporant thing to remember is to get the main subject exposed correctly in field and play with the distractions in pp.

Another suggestion for a cluttered BG is to sit down on the ground and shoot straight on to the subject or even at a slightly raised angle - this will often get you a better, more uniform BG or at least will diffuse the DOF so it doesn't look so distracting.

Hope those suggestions help. Let me know if you need me to explain anything further. Keep going...you're learning a ton of stuff that will really help you with those iris images!

Ken Childs
05-07-2010, 07:17 AM
Adding to what Jules already said, you can put a sheet of black foam core behind flowers in the garden. Put it at about a 45 degree angle behind the flower and keep the black side pointing away from the natural light.

Anita Bower
05-07-2010, 07:17 AM
An advantage to shooting indoors is not having to worry about the BG--you can create your own. When I photograph flowers, I try using different focus points so that I have several images to choose from later on. It is also a good way to learn where to focus in macro flower photography. Keep on posting.

Hazel Grant
05-07-2010, 08:09 AM
Thanks for the great tips from so many of you! Sorry about the over-posting, Jules. I had misunderstood about that. Won't happen again.

I'm making notes from your suggestions and will work on this. Shooting flowers like this is a newer area for me. I really enjoy it, as they are so beautiful.