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Cheryl Slechta
03-13-2011, 04:10 PM
Hi, folks. My first post in Macro (my New Year's resolution was to get out of my comfort zone at OOTB and try something different so here goes.) This was taken in my garden using
Canon 30D, 100mm macro, f/2.8, 1/250, ISO 200.
Thanks for looking. All suggestions and comments will be greatly appreciated - I definitely feel like I'm out of my element here.:S3:

Mark T Helm
03-13-2011, 06:38 PM
I like the colour, just enough focus and the milkweed feathers are very very difficult to get in focus. This is an effort you should be very proud of

Ed Cordes
03-13-2011, 07:47 PM
Beautiful image with very nice soft colors. A small suggestion would be tohave had a bot more DOF on the lower seeds.

Allen Sparks
03-13-2011, 09:47 PM
very nice. love the filaments and the texture of the seeds. well done.

Linda Dulak
03-14-2011, 06:45 AM
I love milkweed and this image shows great promise. I wish for more depth so more of the image is in focus. I see that you used f2.8 which gives you a very slim depth of focus. Try making several images at different f stops next time such as f8, f16 and f22 to see the difference and choose the one you find is most pleasing to you. Some of us like a shallow depth of field for some shots and others prefer to see more. For me I'd like to see more depth of field in this one to see more of the feathery parts. Keep up the good work.

Linda

Joe Senzatimore
03-14-2011, 10:00 AM
My vote for more DOF as well. The oof left side is a bit distracting as are the oof seed pods. Beautiful comp. and exposure.

Ken Childs
03-14-2011, 10:34 AM
Hi Cheryl, welcome to the macro forum!

I love the base image....those tack sharp seeds looks great! If this were mine, I'd want to crop to get those sharp seeds closer to a ROT position. I like the shallow DOF in this.......it takes my eye right to the one sharp area. The few wisps of white going across the seeds is a bit of a distraction but it's not a deal breaker and I think you could convincingly clone most of that away.

Here's my take on it. I cropped some from the right and bottom. This moved the sharp seeds closer to a ROT position but also left a white strip on the right that I wasn't happy with so I cloned over that area. I'm undecided about the white triangle in the UL which is why I left it alone.

A very nice first macro forum post....I'm looking forward to many more. :S3:

Cheryl Slechta
03-14-2011, 06:35 PM
Thanks everyone for your helpful comments. And thanks, Ken, for a much nicer repost. I'll get to work on another one to post soon.:S3:

Steve Maxson
03-15-2011, 09:27 AM
Hi Cheryl. Welcome to the world of Macro - you're off to a good start and you'll soon be feeling right in your element. :S3: I tend to be a "more DOF" person, but shallow depth also has its place. I really like what Ken has done in his repost where my eye goes right to the sharp seeds and there are fewer OOF seeds to draw it away. Keep them coming.

Roman Kurywczak
03-15-2011, 10:07 AM
Hey Cheryl,
Been away on my tour in Florida.....so late to the party and a big welcome from me as well! I think all the points have been covered. I do think if you cut parts you have to be careful......and Ken's crop adresses that for me. Either all in or deliberate cut is the motto for macro.....so just keep that in mind. You have a very good eye for these things so keep at it and you will be doing great in no time!

Anita Bower
03-15-2011, 02:44 PM
I love this image! I liked it when I first saw it and like it after reading the comments. I like it emotionally.

I prefer the crop of the original post. The lovely curves and cool color of the seed pod framing the smaller, roundish, warm-colored seeds. The wispy "hair" seems to float I like the shallow dof--but that is a personal bias of mine. :-)

For me, it works as is. Looking forward to more!

Cheryl Slechta
03-16-2011, 07:15 PM
Steve, Roman and Anita - Thanks so much:S3: