Seed Head 2nd Repost

These, whatever they are, are so great for varying effects. Great exposure and conversion. You were very careful getting that from nature to your home. I've bumped them only slightly and had a table full of little parachutes.

Peter,

My best guess on the ID is milkweed but whatever it is I like the image. In particular, I think the remaining leaf on the stem adds a sense of gracefulness and helps balance the image by adding interest to the stem. Nice conversion as well.

If you wanted to play with this some more, I remember seeing one a couple of years ago that was back lit with evening light and it was spectacular. Unfortunately I can't find it or the photographer with a gallery search. Although Doug Benner, Ken Smith and Will Brozy have all done very interesting work with with similar types of subjects - not that I'd say I prefer theirs to this.

Beautiful image as posted for my tastes.

pat

Wonderful symmetry in this. I would also be interested to see what a version would look like when playing around with different light and color. Overall, really nice.

Very beautiful image, Peter. Apart from the detail in the head I like the lighting and composition with the tiny leaf on the stem included. Nice conversion - no suggestions.

The plant is a Western Salsify. The almost milky white really stands out and works well with the black background. Fine image. I have shot these seed heads before. I had fun and made some nice images shooting macro very close to the head and working with the designs down to the center of the head.

Peter: Nice find and a really good portrait. I agree with Pat regarding the inclusion of the leaf and for me the lighting is excellent. I like the conversion as well although my first impression was the seed head was a touch dim. On the histogram there are no values above 225 and IMO if you move the white point close to that it has a lot more pop and life. >=))>

Great choice for a conversion, and well done Peter. Great find and preservation.
Bob

Richard, Thank you for the ID. I will try what you suggest.

Bill, Is this what you had in mind?

Peter

Peter, Repost is perfect if the seedhead was really white (like we usually see). The original was a bit greyish. I shot a seedhead day before but after seeing yours, I chicken out .

Great details and one more vote for the inclusion of the leaf - superb.

Peter:
The repost is just right and really pops. Love the fine details in the seed head and the leaf also.

Peter: 2 thumbs up on the repost! >=))>

Peter,

Good job on the repost. I prefer it to the original. The only thing, I might still consider doing is taking parts of it back to the original grey - so basically I'd darken some from the center out. (darkest in the center) It gives you more dynamic range and global contrast in the image, which I tend to like. I might also keep the stem at the original values.

pat

It's the most photographed seed in the world and always spendid. A good work.
Take care.

Thanks for all the help with this and the great feedback. One last version.

The second version for me lost the subtle nature of the seed pod and is too stark. On the other hand I agree it was an improvement over the first. This one is somewhere in between. Pat, I did darken the center of this version slightly. Thanks for that. I also kept the original stem values.

Peter

Peter,

This image is one of the best dandelion photo I have ever seen. With a black BG and a little leaf positioned in the lower part of the frame has perfect soft light on it. It is always hard to get a good DOF when shooting dandelion using macro lens but you have got enough DOF. It is perfectly framed. I tell you what, having a small laptop I wanted to see it with the large photo, I could only see a part of the frame in my monitor. I saw it in a square frame, Just the top of the dandelion. And it takes your eyes from the center to the outer diameter, That will be another way of framing as well, even though this is excellent framing you have. I love it.

Sorry,
i hadn't red others comment before adding my comment. An I don't know you had three different versions. I like the last one better. The second one is little too bright in my monitor,( my monitor is not calibrated anyway)

Sorry,
i hadn't red others comment before adding my comment. An I don't know you had three different versions. I like the last one better. The second one is little too bright in my monitor,( my monitor is not calibrated anyway)