Center of The Yellow Flower Universe

[Lynn David Cole]

Yellow Flower - Satsuma, Texas

Camera Model: Canon EOS 20D - Lens: 17.0-40.0 mm - Focal Length: 40mm - Aperture: f/16.0 - Exposure Time: 0.0013 s (1/800) - ISO equiv: 1600

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[Steve Maxson]

Hi Lynn and welcome to the Macro forum! You have good sharpness and DOF on your flower and pretty decent IQ for ISO 1600 (though IQ would be even better at ISO 400 and ss of 1/200). There are a few things you can do to improve this image. First, there is a rather pronounced color cast. I did some quick adjustments in PS5 (Color Balance - increase cyan, green, and blue. Hue/Saturation - decrease saturation in the red channel) in the repost to give you an idea of what I mean. I'm sure you could do even better working with the original. You might also clone some of the imperfections in the petals and tone down the bright spots in the petal just above your name - if you are OK with such things. Applying some noise reduction to the greens in the background would also help. :S3: I hope to see more of your work!

[Bob Miller]

Hi Lyn and welcome! Good advice given above! You might consider cropping a bit from the top!

[Lynn David Cole]

Bob,
I agree with the advice above.
Please explain why the top should be cropped.

[Julie Kenward]

Lynn, I think he mentioned a crop from the top because the two dark centers of the other flowers draw your eye up to them and away from the flower in focus. If the top was cropped the eye would easily rest right at the center of the main flower. That said, I think a crop in this case might make the frame too small and leave the flower feeling "squashed". Another option might be to try either a dark or light/white vignette around the entire frame so it either lightens the other two flower centers or closes them off so they aren't so noticeable. Just a thought...

[Lynn David Cole]

Julie,

Thanks for the explanation.

I very intentionally left the dark circles in as repetition of the main subject to draw the eye up to give a sense of continuation.

I can't be sure that I have achieved the desired effect, as you bring up this valid classic critique point.

Do you think there is a better way that this sense of extension could be conveyed?

Lynn

[Julie Kenward]

Lynn, it's a good idea to try to repeat the main subject...the problem here is that they are both so close to the frame's edge that they draw the viewer's eye there and then out of the frame. If you had more yellow around the top and two sides, bringing those other two flowers further into the middle of the image, that might have made for an even more successful composition. If that had been the case, the viewer's eye would have probably gone to the main flower first, made its way to the two other flowers and then circled back to the main flower again. As it is presented here, my eye sees the main flower, goes to the back two and then leaves the frame.

For a test, scroll the image up so that the two top flowers roll out of the frame and see how your eye lands right on that main flower and stays there. Now roll it down and watch what happens when you view the image. Feel your field of view go up and out?

[Lynn David Cole]

Julie,

I see your point and I tried to re-crop to better advantage with no satisfactory results. This was a good learning experience for me.
I will re-shoot this one as soon as the flowers start blooming here in Texas. :-)

Thanks for all your help,

Lynn