Charles Ginsburgh  


Five Blooms by Charles Ginsburgh

January 2020 - Five Blooms

About the Image(s)

Another attempt at getting some differential “drop off” in light across the subject. Here, as with many of my images I enjoy the concept of the subject “emerging from the darkness”, so I often employ a black background. Again, I am inspired by the work of Melanie Kern-Favilla.

One of the hallmarks of Melanie Kern-Favilla’s macro technique is to carefully “sculpt” the light and shadow falling on her subjects using a black felt lined box, a variety of screens, flags and diffusers (mostly created from household items such as sheer curtains and paper) and long exposures at darker exposures (-2 to -3 stops). This is what I tried here in this image of this dried rose. The was a 3 second exposure at f/8, ISO 100 at -2 stops using a 100 mm f/2.8 macro lens. Here I only needed on shot as the subject was “fairly “in the plane” of the camera sensor and I was willing to accept some drop-off in the focus toward the back of the subject.

In this image I was really trying to introduce and capture shadows and shading across the subject. See what you all think.


This round’s discussion is now closed!
5 comments posted




Bob Crocker   Bob Crocker
(Group 57)
Hi Charles, just visiting from Group 60. Luv this image, although I don't think it's a dried rose. I tried shooting these orchids before and always seem to over expose the whites of the petals. Nice sharpness and focus, the drop off is very natural. I have never heard of Melanie Kern-Favilla but the technique sounds perfect for the subject matter. I will definelty look to her work for inspiration as well. Well done !   Posted: 01/10/2020 11:55:01
Charles Ginsburgh   Charles Ginsburgh
(Group 63)
Opps ! - Its an orchid, and not a dried rose. Cut-paste error on my part. Thanks for catching the error.   Posted: 01/15/2020 15:34:51
Peter Newman   Peter Newman
(Groups 20 & 79)
I suspect that Bob was referring yo the image you treated us to, last month.   Posted: 01/23/2020 17:53:55



Hi Charles,
Very beautiful image and I really like it especially with the clean black background. Its a new technique and I am already looking forward to try it myself.

Regards
Vinod K   Posted: 01/13/2020 11:23:10



 
Beautiful image. The sharpness and focus is great and the angle you chose to capture the orchid is spot on. If I were to nit pick, I would take out the spots on the bottom left white petal. But that's if I were to nit pick...   Posted: 01/23/2020 21:55:03