[sqjaw]

I all ways appreciate comments on any of my work good or bad : That's how I improve My work. Thanks

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[Adam]

Very nice lighting/shadows on the flower, and I also like the way the leaves curve downwards.

However, I don't like that the leaves are cut off near the bottom, as it makes the shot look like it's missing something. Furthermore, the bokeh is quite distracting, and this should have been a vertical to begin with. Perhaps some cropping and BG blur + darkening would help here.

3/5.

[Rupert]

I may not be learning much about shooting....although I think I might just be, but I am learning a lot on critique here. Going over Adam's list, he pretty much nailed what I saw, but didn't quite know what it was I was seeing well enough to say.....if that makes sense?
Mostly, it is a little too bright for me, but it is a lovely bloom!
Best Regards!

[Miguel]

sqjaw,

I really like the color of the rose. Unfortunately much of the flower is awash in too-bright light. There are also undramatic shadows across some hanging leaves. My guess is that this was taken late morning through early afternoon? I don't like shooting flowers during July and August except when the sun is filtered by serious cloud cover, or closer to dawn or dusk. It's just too harsh, so I head into the forest.

Technically you could have used an ND or a polarizer to tone down the light, but the essential angle of the lighting would still be problematic. Consider waiting for a dreary, glum day that will cast lighter shadow. Colors like pink and red tend to stand out more then. I also use an off-camera flash to control the amount and angle of light that enters the frame.

But this leads to a larger question for you: What was your intention here? What attribute of the rose did you want to communicate? Did you want to include elements of the surrounding garden or landscape? Right now the background is very visible almost to the point where the rose is diminished. Adam's advice about background blurring and darkening is good.

Finally, it's best to use a perfect specimen when photographing plants. I see some tearing on a lower left petal.

M

[Ash]

Roses are always nice subjects - this one was not the best to pick, though, because of its wilting petals.

As for the image itself, Miguel's basically said it, but I'd wager that an ND filter wouldn't have solved the problem, since the harsh sunlight creates far too much contrast for the dynamic range of the camera to be able to render effectively.

It's all about controlling the light and creating a quality of light that is flattering - harsh directional light doesn't do this in most situations, and this is one where it makes the result just look like a snapshot.

You attempted to get a decent composition and control of background, but the result here is that the background is still harsh, due to the hard lighting, not complementary and uninteresting. This would deserve another shoot in more cloudy conditions or the use of a diffuser like a shoot-through umbrella to soften the sunlight and a reflector or barrier to cast a shadow behind the subject to eliminate the harsh background and focus the light on the subject matter.

Just some ideas...

[sqjaw]

Here is a new foto based on your suggestions:

[sqjaw]

Adams comment: Very nice lighting/shadows on the flower, and I also like the way the leaves curve downwards.

However, I don't like that the leaves are cut off near the bottom, as it makes the shot look like it's missing something. Furthermore, the bokeh is quite distracting, and this should have been a vertical to begin with. Perhaps some cropping and BG blur + darkening would help here. ]

Adam: Yes maybe I should have backed off a little since I was useing the 135mm F-3.5 Asahi Pentax lens and I agree with you on the Boken But if one was to put words there it might not be as distracting [?] Did darken the rose a little better: Thanks

[sqjaw]

Rupert: [Mostly, it is a little too bright for me, but it is a lovely bloom!] yes you are correct in thought of the pink rose:

[Jen]

I like this, the colours are more vibrant and the flower stands out from the background.