Black and white for c&c :)

[ayeelkay]

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[Derrel]

This basic photo has been done a lot, for years. Technically, I think this example needs some work...the highlights are blown out, the midtones are very one-dimensional, and there's a rather extreme heavy vignette added to the edges. Also, there doesn't appear to be a good,dominant point of interest, and it looks like there's a little bit of wind motion blur on the leaf on the right hand side. This particular camera point of view and focusing choice does not seem to bring everything together. The large amount of OOF leaf on the left hand side is distracting, and the big empty spot in the center is where my eye sort of loses its place and zips right to the background.

[ayeelkay]

Any better without vignette?

I think it looks pretty boring. Maybe the photo as a whole just isn't great.
I'm not sure what wind movement you are referring to.
Thanks for the honest critique though, I see what you mean by your eye moving right to the background in the center.

[Derrel]

I like rose leaves...they are pretty...I think it does look better without the vignette. As to the wind blur...the photo is small, and on the upper right leaf I thought I saw what looked like a tiny bit of wind motion blurring...that can often be a problem when photographing rose bushes during the rainy seasons of the year. At high magnification like that, even the slightest bit of wind can cause subtle blurring. Maybe I am projecting! (lol)

Here's a shot I did of some backyard rose leaves, that reminded me of your picture. It can be difficult to get those three leaf triads into good DOF...usually only one leaf can be the focus point, and the others need to be rendered out of focus in a pleasing way.
DSCF2316_morning dew.JPG photo - Derrel photos at pbase.com

[Paul Ron]

Leave it alone, is't beautiful as is in the spot light you created.