Aaaaaagggghhhh!

deeky · Mar 20, 2013

Spring Fever, Cabin Fever, Shack Nasties - whatever you want to call it, it's hitting hard here. Most of my shooting involves getting outside and walking, but I just can't bring myself to go out when it is at best 20 degrees with a 20+ mph wind. So I started wandering the house looking for things to shoot here.

I found a flower from my daughter's birthday sitting on the table in some nice sunlight. To get the angle I wanted for this shot, I ended up standing on my toes on a chair to get high enough with my head against the ceiling to keep me from wobbling all over (was using 300 mm lens with minimum focus distance of 4.9 ft). I must have been a sight. That macro lens I want sure would have made it easier.

Anyway, here's what I came up with (and as always, comments welcome):

IMG_2033a by breckmiller, on Flickr

Looks like tomorrow might finally allow a little time outside without freezing my face off. Cold is cold, but wind......

mishele · Mar 20, 2013

Just an idea...put the flower on the floor then you won't have to kill your neck on the ceiling....lol
SPRING!! I can't wait!!

Rick58 · Mar 20, 2013

Just my opinion, I think it could use just a touch of additional contrast

TCampbell · Mar 20, 2013

I feel your pain. It's 22º and windy here.

Last year I did a photo-walk around my neighborhood to take photos of the spring (you can see them here: Neighborhood Flower Photo Walk - a set on Flickr ).

The point is... I checked the DATE to remind myself WHEN I did this walk-aroud. It was March 24... which is only 4 days away.

I can tell you, based on the weather, that there's absolutely NO WAY the neighborhood will have so much as a single bloom in 4 days (not unless it was grown in a greenhouse or flown in from someplace warmer than here.)

Pallycow · Mar 20, 2013

Reminds me of the explosion of flowers and flower guts were are about to be inundated with. Myself included. lolol.

poor bitter...I wonder if he'll take a sabbatical during sprint.

deeky · Mar 21, 2013

mishele said:
Just an idea...put the flower on the floor then you won't have to kill your neck on the ceiling....lol
SPRING!! I can't wait!!

Another time of year and that would have been the first thought.

Rick, I did go back and play with the grays and contrast just slightly. I struggled with losing softness in the petals with too much of a bump, so it was just a little. But here it is:

IMG_2033b by breckmiller, on Flickr

MiFleur · Mar 21, 2013

Totally understand the feeling, we had 10 inches on snow in the last 3 days...
It's good to see a flower! but I am looking for FLOWERSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
nice shot! I would probably like it better in color...

ceeboy14 · Mar 21, 2013

deeky said:
mishele said:

Just an idea...put the flower on the floor then you won't have to kill your neck on the ceiling....lol
SPRING!! I can't wait!!

Click to expand...

Another time of year and that would have been the first thought.

Rick, I did go back and play with the grays and contrast just slightly. I struggled with losing softness in the petals with too much of a bump, so it was just a little. But here it is:

IMG_2033b by breckmiller, on Flickr

Don't lose anything. Either do a mask on the part you want to enhance, or do a luminosity conversion, dial it back to where you want the best contrast range, then mask back the softness of the petals.

deeky · Mar 21, 2013

Like putting the flower on the floor, a mask would make a lot of sense. Need...... fresh....... air........

It's finally not bad here today. Sun is out, 20 degrees at the moment, but almost no wind. Oh wait.... snow forcasted for tonight and tomorrow.