Gloria Grandolini
August 2026 - Dried Out Beauty
About the Image(s)
This is a close up of a Dried Wild Leek Seed Head, I took it last week in Mount Srd, above Dubrovnik in Croatia.
This is a wild leek plant after the flowers have faded and dried out, transforming into a rustic beige framework of small seed capsules. They are very durable and are used for rustic floral arrangements and dry bouquets in the Dalmatian coast. I did not carry the Macro lens so for the close up I used the 200 m zoom lens.
Canon R5
200m handheld - post rotator cuff surgery shoulder not happy that night..
(RF 70-200 f 2.8 IS USM)
1/640 at f/11 ISO 400
In Lightroom cropped, denoised and adjusted exposure
8 comments posted
Wow! We are heading for Dubrovnik in September.
I'm sure it was an interesting picture when viewed live, but somehow the image doesn't grab me much. Sorry. Despite f11, the DoF is a bit to shallow to render either seed head fully sharply.
Lenses are heavy, even without shoulder surgery! Personally I always carry some extension tubes to use with a shorter focus length lens in this situation, although today (we are away for the weekend) I have my 30mm macro which, in micro 4/3, is a real lightweight (128 grams, 4.5 ounces) Posted: 08/01/2026 06:45:20
I'm sure it was an interesting picture when viewed live, but somehow the image doesn't grab me much. Sorry. Despite f11, the DoF is a bit to shallow to render either seed head fully sharply.
Lenses are heavy, even without shoulder surgery! Personally I always carry some extension tubes to use with a shorter focus length lens in this situation, although today (we are away for the weekend) I have my 30mm macro which, in micro 4/3, is a real lightweight (128 grams, 4.5 ounces) Posted: 08/01/2026 06:45:20
Thank you Stuart for the useful feedback. I just bought and extension tube for my next trip… Posted: 08/12/2026 22:19:39
I have a close-up lens from Nisi that attaches to my 70-200 for trips. Hard to focus but not too different from a macro lens. Very narrow DOF , probably a little less than my macro. I think the blurry seed heads in the background distract me Also you might tone down the highlights some. Try removing the blurry seed heads in PS. I think that would enhance the photo. Posted: 08/01/2026 12:56:01
Thank you Margaret for the suggestion. And I just ordered the Nisi for the 70-200. I am going to Glaciers park in a couple of weeks and I think will be easier to use than extension tube while hiking. Posted: 08/12/2026 22:32:20
You will love Glacier National Park if you haven't been before.
I found a few things that were a distraction for me personally: that third pod that is very, very blurry, and two bright areas (one on the right, one on the left).
One of the hardest things when shooting flowers and plants is the shadows that get cast. I once saw a comparison of several flower images and you really could see a huge quality difference when the sun wasn't diffused. I will sometimes block the sun with myself if I don't have anything to hold between the subject and the sun. That is the case here--a sharp demarcation line and some blown areas. These are just my personal opinions but on this one, I'm not sure I would spend a lot of time trying to fix it. Posted: 08/17/2026 01:28:46
I found a few things that were a distraction for me personally: that third pod that is very, very blurry, and two bright areas (one on the right, one on the left).
One of the hardest things when shooting flowers and plants is the shadows that get cast. I once saw a comparison of several flower images and you really could see a huge quality difference when the sun wasn't diffused. I will sometimes block the sun with myself if I don't have anything to hold between the subject and the sun. That is the case here--a sharp demarcation line and some blown areas. These are just my personal opinions but on this one, I'm not sure I would spend a lot of time trying to fix it. Posted: 08/17/2026 01:28:46
Thank you so much Carol for the comments and the light/shadow advice Posted: 08/21/2026 19:05:32
I have pretty much the same feelings as people have already mentioned.
I have the NiSi closeup lens and found that I needed to use a focusing rail to actually get good sharp focus. Posted: 08/20/2026 13:19:40
I have the NiSi closeup lens and found that I needed to use a focusing rail to actually get good sharp focus. Posted: 08/20/2026 13:19:40
Thanks Jeff, will test the Nisi lens next trip Posted: 08/21/2026 19:06:04