Macros of a Sedum 'Herbstfreude' aka Autumn Joy Stonecrop -- you feel'n any of them?

[m8o]

The Sedum 'Herbstfreude' aka Autumn Joy Stonecrop is that flower that looks like a head of broccoli; it starts out green and turns a red/pink/purple color @ the end of the summer into the fall. They grow in clumps, just like -- can you guess? -- a head of broccoli. Each flower is tiny, which lends itself very well IMO to a 1:1 macro photo w/a 125mm lens, the vernerable Voigtlander Macro APO-Lanthar. Shots at or close to 1:1 magnification.

Wondering if are you feeling any? I threw in a poll to make it easy, somewhat in the order that I like them myself; please vote and leave C&C if you'd care. You can pick from 1 - 4 of the 7. Thanx for playing!


#1 is this what is called use of negative space? I wish I had just a tad more height of the flowers on the bottom.


#2 A crop of a capture very similar to the one above.


#3


#4 Focus on the 'tips'.


#5 I thought this was going to be my #1... but am I right in thinking that it doesn't really work small? Really grabs you in full rez tho!


#6 Some success with high ISO ... really do need to over expose then reduce exposure in post. All the others captures that I didn't do that with are really 'junk'.


#7 Another high ISO with even more over-exposed 'bits', allowing for negative exposure compensation in post, cleaning the hi ISO's noise up a lot.


-=-=-=-

...yes, I need to learn how to edit and reduce the options...
There's more, if you didn't have enough, or if you'd like to see the full rez of any (like what I was pointing out in #7): Sedum 'Herbstfreude' aka Autumn Joy Stonecrop album | m8o | Fotki.com


Thanx for looking and hopfully playing / C&C'ing.
-steve

[m8o]

Some fun with the macro while I was shooting. Some surprise shots with bugs I didn't even realize were there until I started shooting and saw them through the viewfinder. Not included in the poll .

#8 A few with a gnat! (and you know how big those are)


#9 even resting on a table I learned shake can be introduced on shutter activation.


#10


#11 A crop showing something I didn't notice with the naked eye, a mite. Saw this through the viewfinder using the 125mm macro lens @ 1:1 only. Teeny tiny.


#12 Full frame ... that's just a bit over 1 mm I believe. Pic showing the mite, not the flowers, as that's too busy.

[Ole]

I prefer #3, I like the lines going up towards the upper right corner, and the DOF is right.

There is too much blank space on #1.

[NaClH2O]

I agree with Ole on #3. Good DOF and pleasing lines. I think one of the biggest challenges with Macros is what you leave out of focus just as much as what you get in focus. The DOF transitions are important.

NaCl(number 3 works best for me in this regard)H2O

[bc_the_path]

#8 has more DOF and contains sufficient detail (my favourite)
#3 good composition, higher magnification (my second as the yellow background did not appeal to me much).

[m8o]

Thanx all... #5 was my first fav, then #3 ... #5 is really eye catching, but loses way way too much when shrunk to 800px wide; almost an 'abstract art' quality in higher rez imo . I thought much the same Ole 'bout #1, but I'm often wrong when it comes to what's desirable in a photo ( ) so thought I'd play with having the subject just creeping in around the periphery; ya, not enough actual 'content' to the image.

[mtnbearhug]

Nice series.. m8o.. I really enjoyed looking at them.. big and small..

I like #1 and 5.. as with most .. Although on #1, I might personally take out the flower on the side and just leave the "negative space" open with the flowers at the bottom.. mainly because the yellow is very calming with a touch of color at the bottom..

#5 is truely a beautiful pic in my opinion. big or small.. the color you captured in the dried flowers is very nice with the blending of the background. This is one I would proudly hang on my wall!!!

#4 is the interesting one though... To me is almost alien being like.. lol I wonder what it would like like rotated 90 degrees to the left???.. making it more vertical....

Great shots!!!! Thanks for the sharing....

Kim

[mtnbearhug]

Originally Posted by Ole

I prefer #3, I like the lines going up towards the upper right corner, and the DOF is right.

There is too much blank space on #1.

Interesting... I actually like the blank space.... I am in christmas card mode though, so I see it rotated to the flowers are vertical (with the main one taken out) and then used as a background for card...

Just thinkin out loud!!

[m8o]

thnx for looking and the comments Kim.