# Tropical Flowers - C&C Welcome



## cgipson1 (Dec 2, 2011)

#1  
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





#2  
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




#3  
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




#4


----------



## Robin Usagani (Dec 2, 2011)

Charlie, just wondering.. why do you crop your images to 800x629 or 800x628?  How did you come up with that number?  Just wondering.  

These are good shots.  Personally I would let in more ambient light on shot #2 and #4.  I think you probably used 0 ambient light.


----------



## cgipson1 (Dec 2, 2011)

Schwettylens said:


> Charlie, just wondering.. why do you crop your images to 800x629 or 800x628?  How did you come up with that number?  Just wondering.
> 
> These are good shots.  Personally I would let in more ambient light on shot #2 and #4.  I think you probably used 0 ambient light.



hey Robin... Thanks!  I crop to an 11x14 template usually... and when I resize for web posting, that is how the numbers work out.

#2 and #4 had zero background.... nothing for the flash to bounce off. I was using a sync speed of 250 on these, so yes.. ambient light is almost non-existent. Sometimes I will "drag" the shutter as it were... sometimes I don't! I actually like the contrast of a dark background... personal preference!  Shot these when we were at the Butterfly Pavilion.. you probably recognized them!  Good to see you posting!


----------



## Robin Usagani (Dec 2, 2011)

Ok,  I just find it odd you dont crop it the same as your native RAW file especially with macro work.

Yeah, I recognized them  .


----------



## COLTSFANATIC1 (Dec 2, 2011)

great work, I love the photos, I am new to this (photography) I think there is nothung wrong with the photos, but how would the ambient light help? I guess it will come with time, to train my eye to pick up on such tings.


----------



## cgipson1 (Dec 2, 2011)

COLTSFANATIC1 said:


> great work, I love the photos, I am new to this (photography) I think there is nothung wrong with the photos, but how would the ambient light help? I guess it will come with time, to train my eye to pick up on such tings.



Allowing more ambient light in would make the background lighter, and show detail on anything in the background.


----------



## Omofo (Dec 5, 2011)

I like the dark background as well, but would like to see more light on the red petals in #2.


----------



## jrice12 (Dec 5, 2011)

#1 I think the subject looses a bit of drama due to the background - my preference is to seperate the anthers from the flower (i.e. present them against a less colorful background).  My eye is swimming in color and I loose the details.  #2 is best but the subject scale is small with the top part swamping it. In the end, the flower IS the subject - try cropping off 1/3rd of the top and 1/3rd of the left.  The dark flower is struggling to be seen against all that black - maybe play with gamma curve at dark end to see if you can draw it out a bit.  #3 is ok as it goes, but would like a little more shadowing to give greater depth - might be able to drive down mid-tone brightness?  #4 gives a dark presentation (background is problem I think).


----------



## cgipson1 (Dec 5, 2011)

JRice12.... tried to implement what you suggested.. on #2 and #3.. didn't have much luck with #4


----------



## jrice12 (Dec 5, 2011)

I think they look better.  We get more depth and drama on #3 and the water droplets come through better too.  I think #2 has improved - we see the subject clearly (though you may be getting close to resolution limits).  Not sure I like it centered though - I think the top needs more cropping, placing flower 1/3rd from top?


----------



## cgipson1 (Dec 5, 2011)

Like so? This is actually another shot from the same set....  started from scratch on the original following your suggestions...


----------



## tevo (Dec 5, 2011)

#Juan -  Wish the whole flower was in focus, the OOF portion of the yellow flowers bothers me

#Too - Nice, did you use a backdrop?

#Tree - Looks like an artichoke!

#Salmon - Almost looks like an HDR... I like it


----------



## cgipson1 (Dec 6, 2011)

tevo said:


> #Juan -  Wish the whole flower was in focus, the OOF portion of the yellow flowers bothers me
> 
> #Too - Nice, did you use a backdrop?
> 
> ...



Thanks, T! No.. no backdrops.. just light falloff! With Macro.. DOF is very narrow.. on a shot like the Hibiscus anther.. it would be difficult to get the entire flower in focus like that.. I think I shot that at F16. Typically an out OOF background helps to emphasize the subject... but in this case the the contrast isn't really great enough to due the colors. Glad you like them!


----------



## blackrose89 (Dec 6, 2011)

I really enjoyed #2.


----------



## cgipson1 (Dec 6, 2011)

blackrose89 said:


> I really enjoyed #2.



Thanks!


----------



## jrice12 (Dec 6, 2011)

Ok, now on #2 we need more top cropping to get the center of flower at 1/3rd from top.  Then rotate 10.5 degrees CCW.  Then increase the gamma level at the bottom more, there are things in the dark that can be brought up (like the lone anther at lower left and the green blob thingy at lower right.  Though you are running out of both resolution and focus.


----------



## cgipson1 (Dec 6, 2011)

jrice12 said:


> Ok, now on #2 we need more top cropping to get the center of flower at 1/3rd from top.  Then rotate 10.5 degrees CCW.  Then increase the gamma level at the bottom more, there are things in the dark that can be brought up (like the lone anther at lower left and the green blob thingy at lower right.  Though you are running out of both resolution and focus.



at that crop.. still have about 1600 or so on the long side. I will see what it will do...


----------



## cgipson1 (Dec 7, 2011)

Here is what I came up with... still have 1300 on one side.. so am getting down to the max. I wish I had done a closeup on that red flower! (oh well.. the Butterfly Pavilion is close by!)


----------



## jrice12 (Dec 8, 2011)

Well, I prefer this to the original for composition.  There is some weird black outlining going on with certain white edges.  Is that due to the sharpening filter?


----------

