Prairie Flowers Final

Gallery: FloraPosted July 23, 201094 views11 comments

Mark IV, 500mm, ISO 800, f/13, 1/64th, natural light

I am so appreciative of all the helpful suggestions on this image as first posted. It is incredible the amount of creative expertise that is available and freely offered here.

David Kelly first mentioned the need for just a touch more vibrancy and Angela agreed while also suggesting the possibility of a curves adjustment. Several others agreed and so do I. This image reflects my interpretation of those suggestions.

Much more problematic for me were the cropping ideas. Wayne first suggested a slight crop from the left. Pat suggested the possibility of changing to a 5:4 ratio and cropping off even more from the left. Bill made the same suggestion in order to give more prominence to the tall flowers which are the primary subject.

I have such tremendous respect for Pat and Bill that their suggestions carried great weight and I did spend a lot of time looking at that way of cropping the image. In the end I opted to make just a small crop from the left. The other approach does give more prominence to the taller flowers but for me the overall image feels less balanced that way. I wanted them to have some "room". I probably do too many birds.

Sorry for writing a book, here it is, I like it. Thank you everyone!

Peter

Comments

11 comments

Comment posted by Dean Sauskojus on July 24, 2010 at 3:00 AM

Peter, the more central part of your image is were all the action is so to speak. I think you are wanting people to focus on what is in focus within the image. I would cut a little more off the left side so the eye has a place to settle. Just my two cents. Beautiful colors with beautiful flowers. Nice.

Registered on September 29, 2009, 137 Posts, 2659 Comments

Comment posted by Doug Benner on July 24, 2010 at 5:32 AM

I like the balance and feel to this version. Thanks for explaining the process.

Registered on December 8, 2003, 482 Posts, 1868 Comments

Comment posted by John Kerr on July 24, 2010 at 6:48 AM

To me it looks like it's balance very nicely. I like the bright prominent yellow throughout the photograph and the small amount of purple adds some nice additional color. The butterfly on the right adds a neat effect as well.

Registered on October 28, 2009, 111 Posts, 1070 Comments

Comment posted by Pat Sampson on July 24, 2010 at 8:37 AM

Peter,

I think this comp works well also. By leaving the room on the left you have a diagonal of flowers running across the frame with the sharpest ones in the center of it and that certainly works for me. I think this version is much stronger than the first. Good looking image IMO.

Pat

Registered on May 19, 2007, 953 Posts, 15989 Comments

Comment posted by Peter Conway on July 24, 2010 at 10:06 AM

Thanks Pat, I'll look at it again in a month or so. I may still be too close to the feelings I had when I took the image. For me the tall flowers (as a group) are the subject, which is how I saw and reacted to them is a sea of prairie flowers. I thought the long lens as a way to bring just them into focus within that framework worked.

Sort of a "flowers in habitat" look to put it in avian jargon.

Peter

Registered on June 25, 2007, 347 Posts, 3913 Comments

Comment posted by Ian Wolfenden on July 24, 2010 at 11:05 AM

The colours just sing, Peter, the butterfly is beautifully ` placed ' and the whole composition works well for me.

Registered on May 18, 2007, 1108 Posts, 7647 Comments

Comment posted by Pat Sampson on July 24, 2010 at 3:05 PM

Peter,

I understand. I've actually tried to do exactly the same thing - that is, shoot a flower or group like a bird in habitat and I've tried to do it using the 500 because it isolates its subject so well. I have yet to do it with anything I liked as well as this. I'll be interested in seeing what you do with this if you rework it.

Pat

Registered on May 19, 2007, 953 Posts, 15989 Comments

Comment posted by Bill Fach on July 24, 2010 at 3:48 PM

Peter: There are just enough improvements here to elevate this several notches above the original. I agree with your crop decision. Keep pointing that big lens at the flowers as well as the birds. >=))>

Registered on November 1, 2003, 1805 Posts, 26981 Comments

Comment posted by Albert Darmo on July 24, 2010 at 10:31 PM

Hi Peter

This version looks great to me. Very natural , and with pleasing colors and composition

Albert Darmo. Canada

Registered on November 25, 2008, 1386 Posts, 11978 Comments

Comment posted by Angela Classen on July 27, 2010 at 5:54 PM

Subtle changes, but made a difference. Nice work.

Registered on June 13, 2007, 434 Posts, 2742 Comments

Comment posted by Larry Lynch on July 30, 2010 at 9:19 AM

Beautiful capture. Love the pof and the vibrant colors in the front blooms. The bg falls nicely out of focus and blends well with the main part of your image. Excellent work.

Registered on September 16, 2006, 773 Posts, 9940 Comments