Sunburst

I think you're on the right track here. I like the angle. The BG including the sunburst is too bright, though, and the mass of leaves does not really help the composition.

Emily: I like what you have here. I do like the high key from the strong back lighting. I might be inclined to crop some of the leaves on the left side but I'm OK with them as is. You might consider putting this on a black BG so the edges of the frame don't blend into the site frame. You can edit this yourself or I can do it for you if you wish. Nicely seen and captured.>=))>

Emily: I like the idea, but find the image a little busy with the sunburst, leaves and flowers all competing for attention. If you have the option, you can try changing the angle a little bit to get more of the flower.

I like the concept and bold look, Emily. And I like the evocative sun rays and the water drops. I think the sun is a bit too dominant, and it has resulted in a somewhat washed out appearance for the nice flowers. You could try reducing the exposure and maybe using a reflector to put some light back on the front of the flowers. I would also play with different fstops and different comps that reduce the dominance of the sun. I like that this is something different and I like the look. I may have to give this concept a try myself because I do like the look.

Emily - Love the idea. Sun being so bright and strong, it would be very tough to make the flowers also appear nicely while exposing somewhat nicely for the sun.

Mos people hide the Sun as much as possible behind the flower, foliage etc and show only a tiny bit and if shot with a narrow enough aperture, one could even add some extra interest with the star burst effect.

Thank you all so so much for the tips!! Truly appreciated.

I like the concept a lot, and your execution on the sun works pretty well, Emily. I think for me I would like two things different. 1. The blooms are just a little bit too wet and beat up for me. 2. I wish that the greenery on the left was not quite so heavy.

Nathan

Excellent and creative interpretation, Emily; I love it.
What do you think about a really square format that cuts out some leaves and stems on the left? Just an attempt.
Take care.

Nathan and Gigi, thank you both very much! I shot this a while ago and will approach it differently next time. I agree completely that the mess of leaves is very distracting! It's funny how there are times when I can't really "see" my images any longer after having looked at them too many times. So thank you for your eyes and suggestions!

Nathan and Gigi, thank you both very much! I shot this a while ago and will approach it differently next time. I agree completely that the mess of leaves is very distracting! It's funny how there are times when I can't really "see" my images any longer after having looked at them too many times. So thank you for your eyes and suggestions!

The flowers are lovely. Kind of wish the bright white background were a little more understated, but nice shot.


lucy