This image was shot at a local public garden this month. It has just snowed, and I wanted to get some winter landscape shots. I couldn't find any decent landscape scenes, but I was surprised to find many small, dead or dormant plants and flowers sticking out of the snow. Fortunately, I had my macro lens with me and took several close-up images of unusually shaped flowers and plants against the white background. Normally, without the snow, you might not even notice the fine texture and detail of these small plants. But against the snowy white background, they had a strong presence. I desaturated the image and added a slight blue cast to give the image a sense of bleakness and cold. Taken with a Fuji X-T50 and 60mm f/2.4 lens without a tripod.
10 comments posted
Barbara Asacker
Nice minimalist image, David. I like the shape and curves of the little plant. It looks cold and lonely as you intended. Well composed. I would prefer sharper details on
the flowers. Nicely done. Posted: 02/06/2025 01:32:16
David Terao
Thank you, Barbara. You're right about the narrow focus. This is a tiny flower. So even though I used an aperture of f/13, it didn't capture the entire flower. I wish I had brought a tripod. I would have focus-stacked this image. Posted: 02/06/2025 01:36:25
Dick States
I like the composition in this image. I wish there were more DOF. In this kind of shot, I feel detail in the snow showing texture and patterns in the snow would really add to the image. Posted: 02/15/2025 02:32:35
David Terao
Fully agree with your comments. At least I learned that there are subjects to shoot in the snow. Posted: 02/15/2025 11:45:27
Maria Mazo
Hi David, you have created a beautiful minimalist image, isolating this little flower in a snowy landscape.
It would benefit from a bit more depth of field, but even so, it stands beautifully. You have chosen a nice composition. Posted: 02/19/2025 23:52:06
David Terao
Thank you, Maria. Maybe I'll get it right the next time. Posted: 02/20/2025 00:54:22
Diana Duffey
Hello David
You found the perfect flowers to photograph. This is a nice minimalist image. I like the composition. Adding a slight blue cast added a nice touch.
Everything is covered in snow here in Wisconsin. I need to get out and find some treasures in my garden to photograph. Posted: 02/21/2025 14:12:10
David Terao
Thank you, Diana! It's always worth going out, even in the snow. You never know what you might find. Posted: 02/21/2025 18:00:19
Amy Murphy
I love the minimalism. Snow can be so difficult to capture but you did it here nicely. I like how you changed the color of the flowers to create a white emphasis. Would it be asking too much for more detail in the snow beneath the flower stem? Posted: 02/23/2025 00:47:01
David Terao
Thank you, Amy. Yes, it definitely needs more detail at the base of the flower. But, I tried to get as much of the flowers in focus as possible. Posted: 02/23/2025 13:36:13
