I took the original photo at the Biltmore House and Gardens, in Asheville, NC. This was the home built by George Vanderbilt, back in the 1890s. It has 250+ rooms. Many years ago, the Cecils (descendants of the Vanderbilts) converted it into a tourist attraction. The house is on 8000 acres bordering on the French Broad River and I-40. Originally, George Vanderbilt owned 125,000 acres, but over the years, his descendants sold or gave most of it away. A large portion now exista as the Pisgah National Forest. About 75 acres of the property encoupasses a formal garden, on the edge of which is the huge greenhouse, where this orchid lives.
The original photo was taken with the idea that it would be cropped, and the background would be replaced. But, while I was looking at how to crop it, I zoomed in fargher than I had anticipated. When I did, I noticed the interesting color scheme of that part of the background, and how it mimicked the yellow, green and rose of the flower. So, I decided to try this very tight crop, with only a little editing of the saturation and sharpness of the flower, while adjusting the background to make it just a bit darker. I also removed some noise from that part of the original background.
There are obviously many other ways that I might have cropped the image, including including the petals on both sides of the center, and more of the bulb of the flower. I'd like to know what all of the group thinks, and how they would edit the original.
4 comments posted
Cindy Lynch
I love your composition; it is unique and artistic. I have taken so many orchid photos and it is hard to make something that stands out and is different. You have done it! The blurred background colors are perfect for your subject and the background gives dimension to your photo. The details and focus on your subject are very good, especially the little hairs on the petal. My only suggestion is to flip it horizontally so that the petal leads the eye into the frame. Posted: 04/04/2026 19:42:56
Paul Halphen
Perfect, Cindy. It is such a simple thing to do, and yet I rarely think to try it. Somehow, my brain gets stuck on the subject as we saw it. Sometimes the scene is such a well-known subject that flipping it is disturbing for the viewer. But this is an ideal place to use a flip. NO ONE would know or care that the image was flipped, and yet it makes so much difference to the presentation. Thank you! Posted: 04/05/2026 00:29:02
David Terao
What an interesting and unique composition for this orchid. I love it! The close up perspective pulls your eye into the detailed patterns of the orchid and brings out the little, black and white hairs on the petal. Very well done! Posted: 04/04/2026 20:47:02
Mike Bullington
Your crop takes the image from ordinary to interesting, I'd say. Cindy's suggestion to flip the image is brilliant. I would not have thought of that but it really does help as we read from left to right. Posted: 04/04/2026 21:18:37
