Nature HDR Flowers

ruggiex · 04-24-2012, 09:30 AM

Cross post from weekly challenge but I would love to hear some C&C. I haven't done macro shot that much so I'm still learning DOF control. Hopefully it will become more natural soon! Since the lights were so harsh and I don't have filters for the 35mm yet, I did HDR on these shots to preserve detail and colors. Thanks!

35mm, f4.5, handheld

35mm, f2.8, handheld

Last edited by ruggiex; 05-01-2012 at 02:48 PM.

SpecialK · 04-24-2012, 02:44 PM

Nice colors and compositions. I think the first one has too much stalk and not enough tops.

ruggiex · 04-30-2012, 01:46 PM

Thanks. I left longer stalk partly because higher up was ugly and partly because I always get the "long legs" impression from ballet dancers. Then of course, my friend pointed out to me that those are Tulips, not Roses -- I'm not sure what I was thinking!

riff · 04-30-2012, 01:56 PM

I think these are very nice, particularly the second. I probably would like it more if the entire bloom was in frame. Thanks.

slackercruster · 04-30-2012, 01:58 PM

Great Work!

ruggiex · 05-01-2012, 09:38 AM

Thanks for the warm responses!

kaiserz · 05-01-2012, 02:15 PM

Nicely done. Bravo! My favorite is the 3rd one. I think the colors are awesome, and the simplicity is there, which I like. DOF is really narrow though, what aperture did you use? cause It's like OOF, also the leaf that's kinda on top of the flower is sticking up like a sour thumb. Whites are a little blown though? But nonetheless, I think it's a great shot.

ruggiex · 05-01-2012, 02:46 PM

@kaiserz Thank you. The third one is shot at f2.8 (just added these info to the first post). I've mostly shoot landscape in the past so I'm still not very good with precise DOF control for macro shots. I thought I needed it wide open to blur out other things in the background as much as possible. Of course it turned out to be too shallow for the object itself.

04-24-2012, 09:30 AM	#1
ruggiex Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: East Bay Area Photos: Gallery Posts: 811	HDR Flowers Lens: 35mm Ltd Camera: K-5 Photo Location: Filoli Cross post from weekly challenge but I would love to hear some C&C. I haven't done macro shot that much so I'm still learning DOF control. Hopefully it will become more natural soon! Since the lights were so harsh and I don't have filters for the 35mm yet, I did HDR on these shots to preserve detail and colors. Thanks! 35mm, f4.5, handheld 35mm, f2.8, handheld 35mm, f2.8, handheld Last edited by ruggiex; 05-01-2012 at 02:48 PM.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Nature Flowers, plants and more flowers.. :)	minahasa	Post Your Photos!	9	07-26-2011 06:52 AM
HDR labs -Review HDR in K-7	redpigeons	Pentax News and Rumors	60	04-27-2010 09:43 PM
No flowers, kids, pets or flowers	Urmas R.	Post Your Photos!	10	04-19-2009 01:23 PM
Feb flowers bring March Flowers....	Timtast1c	Post Your Photos!	16	03-16-2009 03:20 PM
HDR Software - Dynamic-Photo HDR	mithrandir	Digital Processing, Software, and Printing	3	03-03-2009 08:46 PM

04-24-2012, 02:44 PM	#2
SpecialK Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: So California Photos: Gallery Posts: 16,481	Nice colors and compositions. I think the first one has too much stalk and not enough tops.

04-30-2012, 01:46 PM	#3
ruggiex Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: East Bay Area Photos: Gallery Posts: 811 Original Poster	Thanks. I left longer stalk partly because higher up was ugly and partly because I always get the "long legs" impression from ballet dancers. Then of course, my friend pointed out to me that those are Tulips, not Roses -- I'm not sure what I was thinking!

04-30-2012, 01:56 PM	#4
riff Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Photos: Albums Posts: 1,408	I think these are very nice, particularly the second. I probably would like it more if the entire bloom was in frame. Thanks.

04-30-2012, 01:58 PM	#5
slackercruster Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: NE, USA Posts: 1,302	Great Work!

05-01-2012, 09:38 AM	#6
ruggiex Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: East Bay Area Photos: Gallery Posts: 811 Original Poster	Thanks for the warm responses!

05-01-2012, 02:15 PM	#7
kaiserz Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: NoVa The "burg" Photos: Gallery Posts: 899	Nicely done. Bravo! My favorite is the 3rd one. I think the colors are awesome, and the simplicity is there, which I like. DOF is really narrow though, what aperture did you use? cause It's like OOF, also the leaf that's kinda on top of the flower is sticking up like a sour thumb. Whites are a little blown though? But nonetheless, I think it's a great shot.

05-01-2012, 02:46 PM	#8
ruggiex Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: East Bay Area Photos: Gallery Posts: 811 Original Poster	@kaiserz Thank you. The third one is shot at f2.8 (just added these info to the first post). I've mostly shoot landscape in the past so I'm still not very good with precise DOF control for macro shots. I thought I needed it wide open to blur out other things in the background as much as possible. Of course it turned out to be too shallow for the object itself.