Flower growing wild

[Jonathan Ashton]

Hand held
Camera Model Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Shooting Mode Aperture-Priority AE
Tv(Shutter Speed) 1/320
Av(Aperture Value) 5.6
Metering Mode Evaluative Metering
Exposure Compensation 0
ISO Speed 800
Auto ISO Speed OFF
Lens EF180mm f/3.5L Macro USM

I wasn't really too sure about posting this in this forum but I would be curious to see what you make of it. I have been messing about with Nik filters and various things to homogenize/mute the background.
I am not sure if it is a wild flower but it was at any rate growing on some waste land.
The main reason really was to check the performance of the camera, I have bought this 5D Mk II purely for macro and some landscapes and as emergency backup for holidays. Looks OK to me WDYT?

[John Robinson]

Hi Jon. Don't recognise it as a wild flower( or cultivated for that matter. Looks like a Hawkweed or Chickory family.
Looks OK to me. Would take some off the top and maybe a little at the base.
Cheers
JohnR

[Diane Miller]

Looks wonderful to me, with fantastic sharpness on the flower and a gorgeous soft BG. We have something that looks like this that I know as salsify. But so many plants seem to have a different name in the next county.

It makes a large tan dandelion-type seedhead. The flower stalk is fairly tall -- maybe 2-3 ft.

[Jonathan Ashton]

Looks wonderful to me, with fantastic sharpness on the flower and a gorgeous soft BG. We have something that looks like this that I know as salsify. But so many plants seem to have a different name in the next county.

It makes a large tan dandelion-type seedhead. The flower stalk is fairly tall -- maybe 2-3 ft.

Sounds good to me Diane - a salsify it is!

[John Robinson]

Yes-Salsify- used for its root with herbal properties. Introduced. Never seen it.
JohnR

[Steve Maxson]

A beautiful, sharp flower and the background looks great! The comp works, as presented, but it would also look good if you took a little off the top. Very nicely done!

[MiroslavMaric]

Good DOF and sharp details. Like color, BG and light too. Well done. Agree about taking off a little from the top.

Cheers,
Miro

[Anita Bower]

Beautiful. Great detail in the flower. I like the soft, out of focus leaves at the bottom. Some off the top would work.