I like the simplicity of the posted image, highlighting how the morning sun peeked through overcast skies and lit up this succulent. I’ve also attached in the comments a second “environmental” composition, showing more of the plant and its “home” in a terra cotta pot, and the sunlight of a different moment. Is the environmental scene too busy for a floral image?
Pertinent technical details or techniques:
D500 with 200-500mm at 500mm. 1/800 second, f/5.6, ISO 400.
Mark: Two completely different images and both excellent. The light is great on both. My initial impression when viewing the first was that I might like it rotated 90 degrees CW so the bloom was vertical but after looking behind door number 2 I like it the way you presented it. I think you showed just enough of the pot for it to be a very successful complementary element without being a distraction. Really good DOF choices too. On the first image my only suggestion would be to clone away the dark OOF blob on the upper border. Many kudos. >=))>
PS. i would crop it on the right to take out that partial leaf. for me that helps also to simplify the arrangement and seem less busy. i think they are both excellent floral images!
Thanks for your thoughts Marian. My first edit had that leaf in full full view but there was too much of the clay pot…making the scene look unbalanced. If I crop from the right the pot looks too skinny for my eye, but maybe I could burn it away. Anyway, thanks for commenting!!!
Mark, I think I like door number one! It is nice to see the whole environment, but for me, I am enjoying the details more on the first image. I agree with Bill’s comment about the cloning. Lighting is nice.
I love the details and light in the first. My initial reaction was also for a vertical rotation. I haven’t tried, but I’m wondering if the direction of the light would become awkward?
The “environmental” image is wonderful in it’s own right and could stand alone. Even though I know they are the same plant, I see these as independent images (which allows for a rotation without any other references.)
@Lon_Overacker, Thanks very much for your comments. I rotated the image and your intuition is right (at least to my eye). The lighting looks kind of weird, as if lit from below. But it was fun to check it out. See attached image:
I think I vote for the way you first presented it, just because of the light. Our minds can deal with a plant in an odd position, but we have difficulty accepting the light coming anywhere than where the sun would come from. It is always good to try different things though, so Lon had a good idea that was worth the try. Thanks for posting it so that we could see how it would look rotated.
