I posted several photos of this dahlia last year, and have gone back to the well. I like the dark rich colors and the symmetry.
I normally pick flowers shortly after they bloom to get them at their freshest. This dahlia starts out incredibly dark and the first unfurled petals bleach to a lighter shade, adding tonal variation, so I left it outside for about a week. As a result of exposure to the elements there was a fair bit pollen on the left side which was removed in PS with the scratch/dust spot healing tool. I left a blemish or two, less for moral reasons than exhaustion.
This is a stack of about 150 images, taken in an automated fashion with tethering software (Helicon Remote--I focus the first and last shots and it does the rest as I do other things) then stacked in Zerene by PMax (while I do yet other things).
Lit from the left with a remote diffused flash, black background, a whitish wall to the right which probably acts as a reflector, tripod.
D800E 200mm f6.3 1/200s iso100.
Very dramatic and eye-catching! The varying shades of light and dark are exquisite. These fabulous results make me think harder now about working with the automated technique you have described.
dahlia
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