|
| Group |
Round |
C/R |
Comment |
Date |
Image |
| 95 |
Jul 24 |
Reply |
Here is my remake of the bee; turns out that the original image left lots of room at the left side. I cropped the bottom and used Burning and Dodging to fix some of the blown-out bits. I used the healing brush and the cloning tool to fix that stem and eliminate the petal in the lower righthand side. Better? |
Jul 9th |
 |
| 95 |
Jul 24 |
Reply |
In looking at it again, I wish I had cropped slightly more on the bottom. And I think the bee needs more space on the left side than I've provided...he feels too tight to the edge to me. I see what you mean about the cropping on the right--I don't like to crop out any of the flower if I don't have to, so I might just crop a bit from the bottom and darken down the stem as Stuart suggested. Since this won't be suitable for any nature competition, I will add to the left edge in Photoshop and eliminate those other bright areas in the background. Thanks for the input! |
Jul 9th |
| 95 |
Jul 24 |
Reply |
Boy, you are so right, Stuart! This is one of the benefits of the DD groups: others see things that we have missed completely! Great input. |
Jul 9th |
| 95 |
Jul 24 |
Comment |
Keith, kudos to you for continuing to perfect your focus-stacking. Your leaves look sharp, but other areas (especially the pot) feel out-of-focus. I am wondering if the issue is where you are placing your first image. I have struggled with that--sometimes it has to be one-third of the way in, while other times it has to be focused on the very front edge of the subject. I have one other suggestion. In the January, 2020 PSA Journal (access it online at PSA-Photo.org), Bas Montgomery and Harold Ross did an incredible article on Still Life Photography. There was also a free online, interactive class offered through PSA at one time on Still Life. It is all in the lighting....almost like light-painting. The beautiful lighting that wraps around the subject makes the image. Although I like your background, I think you might want to explore Still Life through that article and the course? It is fun and you can spend hours on the set-up and capture, but it is so well worth it! |
Jul 9th |
| 95 |
Jul 24 |
Comment |
Hi John, and welcome to the group! Since Stuart has given such a thorough critique and suggestions, I won't repeat, but what works well here are the color combinations. I would like to see a less tight crop and more softness in the background. Did you use a flash? It appears that lights were reflected on the flower surface. Although it is extremely awkward, you might try a diffuser or even a reflector for more even lighting. A reflector would eliminate the more obvious shadows in a soft manner if held at the correct angle, but it isn't always possible in tight spaces (and unless you have several arms!). Stuart is amazing at explaining focus-stacking, so you might want to try that on your next flower. |
Jul 9th |
| 95 |
Jul 24 |
Comment |
Beautifully done, Pat! You really nailed it on this one. The crop feels ideal, the sharpness feels like it is in all the right places, and the lighting feels pleasant. You've done well with the background. I would only suggest that you pinch out the wilted areas to the extent possible in future images of flowers (before you take the image). But you've done an excellent job on this image! |
Jul 9th |
| 95 |
Jul 24 |
Comment |
The fly is my favorite part of the image, and you've gotten it the sharpest. I hope it isn't just my eyesight, but it looks out-of-focus to me in other parts, including a large petal in the forefront that looks very blurry. But I read that you focus-stacked? At f11 with 8 photos in your focus-stacking, I wouldn't expect any blur. At any rate, I do love your background--it really works well for this and complements your subject nicely. The color combination is very pleasant. I'd love to see a tight crop on that fly on a small part of the flower. |
Jul 9th |
| 95 |
Jul 24 |
Comment |
Gloria, I have to say that I get the creepy-crawlies just looking at this image, which is a testament to how well you captured it! I agree with Stuart about the focus-stacking on this. However, it is beautiful image--sharp in the details, good coloring throughout. Your lighting is nice, without any lack of detail or blown out areas on the subject. I like the angle and the crop; the shadow works really well for it. If you don't like the white background, you can always add a very subtle texture. Good job! |
Jul 9th |
| 95 |
Jul 24 |
Comment |
This is a beautiful image to view, Margaret! I would agree with you that it doesn't feel completely sharp, but I believe that is due to artifacts being introduced. Without more information on how you processed it, I cannot say for sure, but sometimes you will get those purple "halos" on the edges in the sharpening phase.
Despite this, it sounds like a difficult photograph to get, so kudos! I think you've nailed the capture! You said you focus-stacked, but would you have to if you shot straight down (on a flat/level plane)? |
Jul 9th |
6 comments - 3 replies for Group 95
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6 comments - 3 replies Total
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