[bluestringer]

First photo post.

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Last edited by bluestringer; 12-10-2011 at 07:24 AM.

[Adam]

This is the critique section so I'm going to go ahead and say what I think. This is a nice attempt, but the first thing that kills the picture is the bulls-eyed composition and the lack of a focal point. Everything is soft, and there is very little contrast, so it's hard for your eye to focus on anything. The gray background and the weeds at the bottom only kill the mood, and the edges at the top of the image are either over-processed or in need of processing. There are some shadows here and there that have some potential, but the image would need to be "popped" for those to stand out.

There's lots to be done with a rose, so I would experiment a bit. Try having the stem emerge from one of the two bottom corners in order to give your image a more natural "flow", and stick to the rule of thirds for the rest. That should give you some good results! Also, one more thing to keep in mind for these kinds of flower shots: roses grow upwards, so your photos should generally be verticals!

[bluestringer]

Thanks Adam. That's why I put it here, I wanted some critique. I'm having a really hard time getting a sharp photo. I'm not as steady as I use to be and I think I'm shaking the camera too much. Getting a better composition is probably going to be the easy part. I noticed the edges at the top you are talking about. I did do some post processing in Picasa, just some auto contrast and color though, and a crop. Maybe I cropped too much, but there is really not much of a stem on these type roses, just some foilage. Thanks.


bluestringer

[Adam]

Are you hand-holding the camera? Definitely look in to getting a tripod if so. Also, a manual macro lens might be better suited for close-up flower shots, for example this one:
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/photographic-equipment-sale/165620-sale-s...pen-offer.html

Adam
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[bluestringer]

Yes I'm hand-holding. I do have a good tripod, a Bogen 3001 with 3025 head, but I hardly ever take it out with me. I Need to start using it more.

[Adam]

It is possible to shoot macros hand-held, but it pretty much has to be a bright, sunny day for that to work

[Gregory_51]

Hello and welcome, I see you just joined. I agree with the above. A tripod is a pain to carry around but needed for to get the best macro shots. I not only allows for a wider variety of shutter seeds and apertures but helps with the framing and placement of the elements as it isn't moving around. As for flower pictures there's probably a few million taken every day. It's going to be hard to make something that hasn't been done before but that just adds to the challenge and shouldn't stop us from trying. I'd suggest looking at other peoples work and find some that appeal to you and ask yourself why they do. Analyzing why a photo appeals to you is a good exercise as it teaches you how to look at a subject. Is it the angle , the subject, the lighting or the processing? What is it that appeals to you in a particular photo? Then you can try to incorporate these things when you try your photography. Even copy someone else's style just to practice and learn what to do and then develop your own style or approach.
Regards
Greg

[JohnBecker]

Yes, the tripod is a necessity, but you have to remember that if you're photographing this rose outdoors, any little puff of wind is going to move it in and out of your focus range. Macro photography in the field is tough.