Cheryl Diermyer
April 2025 - Magnolia Seed Pod
About the Image(s)
I found this Magnolia Seed Pod while on a walk in my neighborhood. Not knowing what it was at the time, the texture, shape, and fine hairs caught my eye. I brought the pod home and placed it on a black box on my backyard patio table. Using natural light and a weathered photo umbrella as a diffuser, I captured this image. I placed my Sony a7iv with a Sony 90mm macro lens on a tripod. I captured the image using Manual Mode at f13, 1/125, ISO 250, auto white balance. I added a slight black vinette on the borders in post production.
8 comments posted
Margaret West
Really nice image! I had no idea what this was until I read your blurb. Love the magnolia seed pod itself as a subject and the black box has variations, I suppose from the light, which look really nice here as well. Great colors and swirls. Wonder if we have these in Omaha? Posted: 04/04/2025 03:51:51
Thank you Margaret. The Magnolia is a pretty hardy tree. My guess is you have them in Omaha. I learned that it can take 10 years for their first bloom! Posted: 04/08/2025 13:48:52
We have a large magnolia in our garden. It's many years old, and is beautiful at the moment, albeit starting to go back now. However, I've never seen a seed pod on it. Your picture shows a lovely structure and details.
Whilst I can see some hightlights that mustn't be blown out, I would have lifted the shadows to lift the lightness and reveal the detail more clearly. I don't know if your original was a RAW file, it would yield this detail well.
Posted: 04/10/2025 08:43:28
Whilst I can see some hightlights that mustn't be blown out, I would have lifted the shadows to lift the lightness and reveal the detail more clearly. I don't know if your original was a RAW file, it would yield this detail well.
Posted: 04/10/2025 08:43:28
Thank you for your feedback Stuart. Yes, my original is a RAW file. I will try giving the shadows a lift and play with the highlights a bit. I know little about plants. I wonder if there are different types of Magnolia trees? I'm curious why your tree has never yielded a seed pod. Posted: 04/12/2025 03:08:10
Your capture of this seed pod is so spot-on...the lighting, the detail and the macro magnification. It is nicely situated against that soft but dark background. My only thing I might suggest is that there's a light-colored line on the left that shows up too clearly. If it could be easily eliminated, I think it would be great. The others aren't as strong. Posted: 04/10/2025 20:29:25
Hello Carol. Thank you for your feedback. The white line you mention, is it the line of light? If yes, I can fairly easily take that out.
Posted: 04/12/2025 03:10:03
Posted: 04/12/2025 03:10:03
Yes-there's actually 3-4 diagonal lines of light. If it's easy enough, I'd like to see them softened up if not eliminated altogether. The eye of a viewer is drawn first to the lightest part of an image. Posted: 04/12/2025 20:26:20
Cheryl, very interesting and unusual subject. Love the colors and texture. I agree that the shadows take away some from the crispness of the image. Only suggestions would be to crop a bit from left side, also I wonder if a lighter background with less texture would work even better than the gray one you have now to enhance the main subject. Posted: 04/19/2025 21:16:42