Jose Cartas  


Bleeding Hearts by Jose Cartas

May 2021 - Bleeding Hearts

About the Image(s)

I'm not a big fan of flower photography. However, not having done much this last year, I kept looking at these flowers--planted by my wife--every morning while having breakfast. Finally, yesterday I decided to give them a try. I used a macro lens and a higher ISO, so I could get a fast shutter speed. The background is a blue piece of plastic, which I manipulated a little to give it a tone closer to the sky. I did some post-processing to enhance the flowers' colors and cropped from the top and bottom, and also a little from the right to get a half flower on each side. This was the first of a series of 25 shots with different compositions and backgrounds. Technical specifications: 100 mm. macro lens, 1/320 sec. at f/6.3, ISO 1600, handheld.


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




Bob Benson   Bob Benson
Have you tried substituting a different color background (either post or before, if the flowers are still blooming)? I think a dark green background would be more pleasing as it is complimentary to the magentish blooms. This perspective creates a lot of tension, if that was your desire. Otherwise, picking a viewpoint that shows the end tip of the blooms gives an "end" that has less tension.   Posted: 05/07/2021 13:25:52
Jose Cartas   Jose Cartas
I have other shots with a natural green background provided by the leaves; but I wanted to share this non-conventional approach. Here, I prefer to keep the tension.
Also, thank you for correcting my mistake in identifying the flower!   Posted: 05/09/2021 10:43:01



 
These are really unusual shaped flowers. I think you captured them very well and I like the blue background that you added. That said, I'm so left brained that no one should rely on things I say about color. :)   Posted: 05/10/2021 09:59:37



 
They are beautiful and unusual flowers. Even as perfectly sharp and focused as it is, it is too static for me; but, it makes a nice record image. I don't mind the bold colors, but as a macro shot I'd look for a different angle of fewer blooms.   Posted: 05/10/2021 15:59:42



Anges van der Logt   Anges van der Logt
Very nice image of beautiful flowers indeed! For me, I would clone out the half shaped flowers at the left and right hand border, which makes a cleaner border and gives more focus to the flowers in the middle of the frame. But that is my taste probably. I do not mind the bold colours, although I would experiment with different colours as well, which could be done in post to ease the process.   Posted: 05/10/2021 23:23:36



Tony Au Yeong   Tony Au Yeong
In my opinion you have created tension with your title. At first glance they do not look like flowers. You have done a technically good job in keeping all the flowers in focus with your macro lens handheld. I wonder if a curved stem could add one more element to the image. Looking forward to see your series of flowers.   Posted: 05/11/2021 11:41:58



Mervyn Hurwitz   Mervyn Hurwitz
I happen to like this image very much. The colors are great and well balanced by the blue "sky". The diagonal presentation is also appealing, and I like the way you have cut off the flowers at each end to act as "bookmarks".
So many of your previous architectural shots are so graphic, and I think this one also tends to be graphic.
I would love to see the original.   Posted: 05/12/2021 15:23:56