[Lloyd]

I'd appreciate honest (but gentle, this is my first post!) view on this image please. My wife really likes it, but there is something about it that does not seem right. May be the lack of something in sharp focus? (And what is the difference between soft focus and out of focus?) . Thanks in advance.

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[manishved]

I guess a sharper focus towards the center with a slightly deeper DOF could be better - but its just me.

[SpecialK]

I think soft-focus has nothing in sharp focus, whereas out-of-focus means your subject is not in focus but something else is.

I might try upping the contrast on the flower, which is nice as-is.

[K McCall]

It is quite nice, but I agree that it does seem to be missing something. I think my eye is drawn to the right side of the time - that being the brightest side - but the subject seems to be in the middle (or actually, left of middle). So I guess it's just a little out-of-balance-seeming somehow.

I think with macros especially, lighting is ultra-important. And I don't mean external flashes and clamps and bounce cards and all that. I prefer to work with natural light, myself. But the light has to come together with your subject and then YOU have to find a way to best show off both the subject and the light.

This is hardly a bad start and I can see why your wife likes it.

Also, you have a dust-spot from your sensor in the lower right hand side (easily cloned out in post-processing).

[Lloyd]

Thanks for the comments. I had spotted the dust spot (in fact there is a second one on left hand side), but had not got around to dealing with them yet. Looking at the image again, I wonder if the issue is that the petal at about 5 o'clock (wrt the flower centre), which is also nearly the centre of the image, is not in focus, but should be, as it is where my eye gets drawn to.

Lloyd

[tibbitts]

You might try just darkening that 5-oclock petal, and maybe some of the surrounding petals on the entire right and lower-right side. Then maybe boost the contrast and brighten the remainder of the image a little. It might help bring attention back to where you focused.

Paul

[Lloyd]

You might try just darkening that 5-oclock petal, and maybe some of the surrounding petals on the entire right and lower-right side. Then maybe boost the contrast and brighten the remainder of the image a little. It might help bring attention back to where you focused.

Paul

Good suggestions Paul. I had a quick play (don't have a lot of time today) with dodge and burn in CS2, and came up with the attached. I've not used those features before, so I've probably overcooked it a bit on the lightening (and I've still not dealt with the dust spots), but I think it has potential.



Lloyd

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