What would you do with this Flower Macro?

NorthstaNder

NorthstaNder

NorthstaNder

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Joined
25 Nov 2006
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Location
Ipswich, Suffolk
And don't say delete it! ;)

I like this shot...but, do you think I would have been better served by shifting focus slightly?

Instead of the middle of the swirl being in focus, what about the the tips of the stamen that have pollen on them instead?

2597761711_2c438fe012.jpg
 
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I would cover it in jam and eat it.


mmmmm jam.

Seriously though I would make it a desktop wallpaper because it is absolutely stunning.

I would probably try and get the whole of the stamen/swirl in focus but leave the background OOF maybe stop down by a half or whole stop and see what happens.

Panzer
 
As a flower macro it doesn't work for me at all. Not enough of the subject in sharp focus and too much going on in the background to keep my attention on the foreground. The veins of the petal(s) to the left are very overpowering and the pale sections behind the stigma (I don't think it's the stamen, but we both know what we mean) almost overpower the shot.

What you have got here is a perfect opportunity for some abstract flower macro work.

I'd get my tweezers or thin brush out (I always carry some when shooting flowers) and tease the arms at 9 o'clock into position so they're evenly spaced and look more starfish-esque. Frame the stigma against an evenly-coloured background (you might want to cheat and drop a different coloured petal in behind it for the shot) and make sure the whole of it is in sharp focus with the background nicely blurred. With the yellow grains of pollen and the small hairs on the stigma as sharp as a tack you'll have a fantastic abstract shot.
 
thank you for your comments guys. all taken on board, and panzerjborn i've already had a go at stopping down to the smallest aperture i can (which is only f/8) to see if that makes a difference. not checked the results yet mind.

glitch...great advice thankyou. just need a little more time and a slightly less windy day :)
 
glitch said:
It's has been rather blustery this weekend. Perhaps a small investment might be on the cards?

http://www.tripodhead.com/products/plamp-main.cfm

Very useful little tool for flower photography, assuming you're using a tripod?
Click to expand...

That's an awesome bit of kit! I do often use a tripod, although with such minute adjustments required to focus I found this shot easier to take handheld.

edit...just uploaded a new version of the shot following panzerbjorn's advice.
 
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