Yellow Lady's-Slipper

Gallery: FloraPosted June 15, 2012100 views9 comments

(Cypripedium parviflorum) Photographed after a lull in 3 days of rain and wind which really made the colours pop. The shape of this beauty made for a challenging depth-of-field exercise.
I decided to focus on the flower and let the leaves fall away.
ISO 400, 1/6 second, f 16, Manual, spot metering, off-camera bounce flash
to freeze movement.

Comments

9 comments

Comment posted by David Schwaegler on June 15, 2012 at 10:34 PM

Very well done. I agree the shape of ladyslippers makes them a challenge, but you have handled it well.

Registered on December 4, 2003, 232 Posts, 1652 Comments

Comment posted by SandyRichardsBrown on June 15, 2012 at 11:03 PM

Very appealing - the colours are lovely and the perspective is interesting.
I'd like to see the edges not cut off, though - seems very tight in the frame to me, as is.
Sandy

Registered on November 24, 2003, 3937 Posts, 12909 Comments

Comment posted by Richard Teller on June 16, 2012 at 11:26 PM

I think the exposure is handled very well and the colors are very nice, but I agree that it feels a bit tight in the frame. Not having the ends cut off would really add to the composition.

Registered on August 23, 2010, 1162 Posts, 6692 Comments

Comment posted by Mark Seaver on June 17, 2012 at 9:23 AM

Great shot of the Lady's Slipper. Your dof choice works very well in showing the upper petals but keeping the emphasis on the lip.

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

Comment posted by scott lanz on June 17, 2012 at 11:36 AM

Hi Nigel, I like this as presented. Fitting everything inside the frame is not always possible when you are going for a nice close view and soft BG. This is a beautiful tight shot of this Lady Slipper.

Registered on November 14, 2003, 840 Posts, 12902 Comments

Comment posted by May Haga on June 17, 2012 at 4:15 PM

Love the rain drops. Very well done.
May

Registered on February 22, 2007, 714 Posts, 8470 Comments

Comment posted by Gary Yeoh on June 18, 2012 at 7:45 PM

Nigel:
Dripping with freshness! I like this comp focusing on the center of this flower and just the right exposure to bring out the color. I don't mind the tight framing and if anything I would shave a smidgen of the left (to exclude the brown vertical edge), right and top (to remove the small green area trapped by the brown).

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

Comment posted by Ramamohan Pai on June 18, 2012 at 10:27 PM

Nigel - These are tough flowers to shoot due to the intricate shape but beautiful all the same. Really like what you have done here - the angle chosen and the well controlled highlights from the flash (which can be a nightmare on wet petals).

Gary's suggestion is a good one but other than that, I would not change anything.

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

Comment posted by Catherine Reilly on June 23, 2012 at 10:45 PM

Fabulous closeup portrait of a flower I'd love to see in person some day. Covered in rain drops with a clean green bg doesn't get much better!

Registered on August 16, 2006, 603 Posts, 9192 Comments