Showy Fleabane, Erigeron speciosus

This is a local wildflower that I planted on a mound behind our pond. I was trimming unwanted grasses there today and accidentally clipped a stem of this plant, so I brought it into the house to photograph it. I used the same light gray foamboard behind it that I used for the grasses, but didn’t like bringing the exposure up as high as I did for those, so I replaced the gray with white in Photoshop. That still didn’t look quite right so I painted in a very light green gradient. I thought about removing the top of my beer bottle vase, but thought it looked off without it.

What technical feedback would you like if any?

Anything

What artistic feedback would you like if any?

Anything

Pertinent technical details or techniques:

5DIII, EF 180 f/3.5 macro, tripod and cable release, f/29, 1/5 sec, iso 1000, manual exposure. Processed in LR & PS CC. In addition to all the processing mentioned in the introduction, I sued Topaz Detail 3 to bring out flower texture and the local adjustment tool in LR to enhance the brightness, saturation and sharpness of the flower centers.

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2 Likes

Dennis: This is marvelous. I think you hit the sweet spot with your BG and if you had not mentioned it I don’t think I would have noticed the beer bottle. Hope you got to enjoy the beer before repurposing the bottle :wink: Wonderfully crafted shot. >=))>

PS: Which lawyer did you use to sue Topaz Detail 3? If that’s what it takes to get them to do such fine work I want to get after them as well. :grin:

These have a really jolly look to them, Dennis, and are beautifully captured and framed. Fine work , too, on the grading of the background.

Great presentation throughout. Love the high key effect.

Hi Dennis! This is a really nice image of the Fleabane. Excellent lighting and comp, and the you changes to the background work very well. I’ve never considered adding a gradient color to a background but I’ll have to try it.

This is simple but elegant, Dennis. The color combo works nicely and I like the fact that one of the flowers has not opened up yet. I think it provides some nice visual tension to this lovely still life. Just curious as to whether you have an image with just a little more of the top of the beer bottle as I think that would also work. Anyway, beautifully done!

I have never understood why more flora photographers don’t capture our native wildflowers in arrangements! A beautiful, tough wildflower in a beer bottle vase - buddy, that’s my kind of floral arrangement! Excellent work all the way around, Dennis.

Best,
Terry

Dennis, this view looks ready made as an illustration for a book. The top of your “vase” at the bottom definitely belongs.

Beautifully done with the flower and the plant stand out against the white background. I also like the light green gradient in the background. I think these are either Daisy fleabane or Philadelphia fleabane. The tip of beer bottle definitely belongs.