Garden Tour 4

Gallery: FloraPosted June 20, 2011164 views16 comments

Saddle Up Your Horses!
Sony A700
Minolta 200mm macro
ISO 400, 1/15 @ f16

Wild Horses day lilies that is. No tour of Chrissy's garden would be complete without day lilies. Besides this variety being one of my favorites this plant is one of the most prolific in the garden and has increased its production every year over the past three or four. Besides the drought conditions we're enduring it has been windy even in the early morning and evening, thus the relatively high ISO. Even then I could only squeeze out this fairly slow SS but I don't stack and I needed f16 to get all of the pollen heads on the anthers as sharp as I wanted but still leave the body of the flower mostly OOF. All comments welcome. >=))>

Comments

16 comments

Comment posted by Paul Duval on June 20, 2011 at 11:16 PM

This is always what amazes me about this gallery, the way the artists make images of flowers that don't look like flowers at all. Just "art". Fine study with all the right technical and processing decisions.

Paul

Registered on June 30, 2009, 508 Posts, 1907 Comments

Comment posted by Carol Hyman on June 20, 2011 at 11:28 PM

Bill, Lovely detail on the anthers, and a great OOF DOF. Stacking would not have made it any better. The only thing I might suggest would be to gently face out the one askew anther at the base of the image but I don't think it's a deal breaker as is.

Ciao ;^)

Carol

Carol: One of the features of day lilies is the single pistil that is always exiting the center at a different angle from the anthers. It can really get in the way of some comps and since there is no tip on it like these it looks pretty out of place. I usually compose to minimize it and if one is especially detrimental to the comp I've been known to pluck it off, but don't share that secret with anyone else. . . Bill

Registered on January 18, 2007, 597 Posts, 8062 Comments

Comment posted by Chris Grabski on June 21, 2011 at 2:40 AM

Bill, I think the softness of this shot is great. Agree with Pat, it's art.

Registered on April 29, 2011, 122 Posts, 431 Comments

Comment posted by Gary Yeoh on June 21, 2011 at 6:47 AM

Bill
Fabulous shot. Love how the anthers are framed by the soft petals. I like the comp a lot but like Carol, I am a little bothered by the pistil. May be you could dim it slightly or change the color to green to make it less obvious.

Registered on September 1, 2009, 588 Posts, 8184 Comments

Comment posted by Charlie Baugh on June 21, 2011 at 7:23 AM

This is really nice Bill. The sharp pollen heads and fading to oof blended colors is a beautiful touch. I'm inclined to think the "askew anther" is a minor distraction to your image.

Registered on April 18, 2011, 329 Posts, 1985 Comments

Comment posted by Bob Duff on June 21, 2011 at 7:28 AM

What I really like about your images from the garden are how clean they are. Either you're a master at digital gardening or most probably Chrissy is the Master Gardener!! Which ever, this is a pristine bloom and I love the comp and the image as posted.,

Registered on April 21, 2010, 160 Posts, 1675 Comments

Comment posted by Pat Sampson on June 21, 2011 at 7:58 AM

Masterful control of dof Bill and "masterful" is exactly the right word. Strong comp as well. Love the up sweep in the lines. Knowing about the pistil in these flowers, I think your decision to leave it in and fine a place for it in the composition was a good decision. To me the image is more interesting with it, than without it. I don't see anyway to make this image better than posted.

pat

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

Comment posted by Miro Susta on June 21, 2011 at 9:24 AM

One of your execellent fine artwork Bill. DOF & composition is marvelous. Well done.

Registered on August 18, 2006, 719 Posts, 3736 Comments

Comment posted by Mark Seaver on June 21, 2011 at 10:30 AM

Your composition and dof choices here are terrific. Love the oof flow lines and the sharp anthers.

Registered on January 23, 2011, 1103 Posts, 17270 Comments

Comment posted by Carolyn Derstine on June 21, 2011 at 12:59 PM

What a beautiful shot of a day lily! Love the comp, colors, and I really like your DOF choice to highlight the anthers and let the rest be in soft focus. Am a little bothered by the stray anther but I guess it depends what you are trying to say with this photo; wanting it to be naturally correct or to be more artistic and perfect Great job either way!.

Registered on February 16, 2011, 610 Posts, 3684 Comments

Comment posted by Nathan Buck on June 21, 2011 at 3:28 PM

Thanks for continuing the tour Bill. This is excellent. Wonderful work - excellent color and a nice comp.

Nathan

Registered on November 1, 2003, 1101 Posts, 13589 Comments

Comment posted by Wayne Jones on June 21, 2011 at 4:47 PM

Man, that must have taken discipline to concentrate entirely on the anthers and use the petal just for the background, I am glad you have what it takes to concentrate on the tiny details like this. The DOF is perfect. An artist could not have painted a better background, spraying out a burst of color in graceful curves to match the pistils. This deserves to be printed large where people can appreciate it.

Registered on April 18, 2007, 953 Posts, 6435 Comments

Comment posted by Giuseppe Guadagno on June 21, 2011 at 5:03 PM

Here is your favorite model! Bill, in the file of the images that I want to edit and post, there is a photo very similar to yours. Anytime I see it I think to you and say to myself: I have to post it. Sooner or later I will do it. Splendid image.
Cheers.

Registered on February 3, 2007, 827 Posts, 5052 Comments

Comment posted by Ramamohan Pai on June 21, 2011 at 7:23 PM

Bill, Don't let the secret out on that center pistil

- we should patent that art somehow. Lovely complementary colors - sharp & soft exactly where it should be

Registered on November 1, 2003, 550 Posts, 9037 Comments

Comment posted by Albert Darmo on June 21, 2011 at 9:15 PM

Hi Bill

To leave the body of the flower mostly OOF, at F/16 is like Pat said "MASTERFUL" control of dof

Love the comp, color and the fine and sharp detail

Albert Darmo

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

Comment posted by Bob&Charly Nelson on June 22, 2011 at 6:59 AM

This is just sweet art Bill. A fantastic capture of a flower that I have much trouble getting anything I like of. Superb in every way in my opinion.
Bob

Registered on October 27, 2005, 289 Posts, 4202 Comments