Keith Au
May 2022 - Cherry Blossom
Original
About the Image(s)
This image was freshly taken today from one of the local parks
with cherry blossom. It was not a great macro shot as was taken
outdoor with a bit of wind while handholding the camera.
I like its shape pattern with balance blossom flowers beside
a blooming bud in the middle. The image was taken with early morning
back-lighting.
I have not done much editing except cropping a tighter shape and
improved the contrast and a bit richer color.
Gear: Nikon D850 w/Nikon Macro lens 105mm f/2.8; No filter used.
Settings:
Manual exposure: f/4.5 @ 1/1000s; +0.7EV; single-point focus; ISO @125
Post-processing tool: Adobe Photoshop & Camera Raw (ACR)
4 comments posted
Very challenging conditions, Keith! I think it has come out very well considering those. Ideally I'd like a smaller aperture and greater depth of field, but of course the other key parameters would suffer, so it would be a hard shot to nail.
I think the final composition is great, and your crop is nearly perfect - I think you've taken off about 1mm too much on the top as the petal is clipped. Perhaps you could darken the background a little to make the flowers pop out a bit more? Posted: 05/16/2022 17:29:15
I think the final composition is great, and your crop is nearly perfect - I think you've taken off about 1mm too much on the top as the petal is clipped. Perhaps you could darken the background a little to make the flowers pop out a bit more? Posted: 05/16/2022 17:29:15
Very good eyes, Stuart.
Yeah.. I should have left a bit more room on the top.
I tried a few shots under similar condition.. with some wind blowing and morning sunlight as back light. This was one of the better ones. You are exactly right - totally agreed that the background should be darkened so the flowers would stand out better. I tried darkening the background, but it looks less natural, hence Given up that idea.. Will take more time with PS to do a better job.. Thanks for your input.. confirming my initial considerations. Posted: 05/16/2022 17:58:36
Yeah.. I should have left a bit more room on the top.
I tried a few shots under similar condition.. with some wind blowing and morning sunlight as back light. This was one of the better ones. You are exactly right - totally agreed that the background should be darkened so the flowers would stand out better. I tried darkening the background, but it looks less natural, hence Given up that idea.. Will take more time with PS to do a better job.. Thanks for your input.. confirming my initial considerations. Posted: 05/16/2022 17:58:36
Very shallow DOF and I think the alternatives of narrower aperture or focus stacking are perfect for this setup. The dark foliage behind will still be there in sharp contrast no matter what aperture you use. I'd like better focus in the middle flower personally. Also more room at the top, especially on the left. It's strengths are the white balance and the lighting-beautiful! Try the same thing with focus stacking, then lighten the background leaves in post a bit. Posted: 05/18/2022 13:57:56
beautiful flowers as a subject! I think white is hard to do. the part of the white that is exposed to see the "veins" is what I like - a transparent look. I actually like the look of the original photo background where you can see more light/shadow. getting the flowers positioned in that type of space would be ideal for me and no twig on the left side - I know in the outdoors it cannot always be achieved. Posted: 05/22/2022 16:18:04