First flower picture

dakin

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Good evening all!
So I was just walking my dog around and saw this flower (i live in a big city so there are not many around). I took it home for the camera!


this picture is unedited besides compression from raw into jpeg in lightroom. This is the first photo i have ever taken of a flower by itself so C&C welcome. Thanks!


Exif data
Nikon D3100 (18-55 kit lens shot at 48mm on aperature priority mode at 200 iso for lack of light besides flash)
Exposure: 0.017 sec (1/60)
Aperture f/5.6
Focal Length 48 mm
ISO Speed 200
Exposure Bias 0 EV
Flash On, Return detected





DSC_0200 by gnnsk8, on Flickr

i added this second photo after taking criticisms to heart. i know there is a LOT of work to be done still but i believe this is a litte better composition and focus wise.

I am having a hard time getting eveything into focus with the 55zoom. i have my F high as poss. not sure what to do. suggestions/statements would be helpful - my understanding is the kit lens as a minimum focus distance which hinders a little but should not hold me back.


flower2 by gnnsk8, on Flickr
 
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A bit out of focus IMO and too much dead space.
 
A bit out of focus on the edges, but maybe you did that on purpose? Not sure. Also seems a tiny bit under exposed so it doesn't express the flower's "flower-nality" (personality lol) as much as I'd like. But keep taking pics, mess around with it, you never know what you can get!
 
thanks for the feedback! the out of focus on the edges was on purpose but maybe it does not give a good portrayal of the flower? I was actually thinking of it for a desktop background/minimalistic but beautiful at the same time. But i agree now that i look at it. too much dead space.
Thanks!
 
Nice shot.
 
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Don't know what's up LightSpeed ass tonight...but I guess..

If you want something out of focus, you would want other things in the background to make up for it...Since the background is complete dark...this is the time you want all of your subject to be in full focus...because that's all we look at.
 
I received your PM. I thought I might address it here. I re-read my original post.
I reminded myself of everything I hate in the critique arena of photography.

MY post was crap.

Apologies for having offended.

I will offer this : Try again. If that doesn't work, try again. Keep doing that and a few weeks from now that flower image is going to be a lot better.
 
thanks guys! i will keep practicing. i added another *new* image too the original.
all the best!
 
You could try an aperture of F8 or so and try focus stacking. If you're not sure what that is google will help...
 
yeah i was thinking that to. a lower f, not a higher.
 
Yeah I'd definitely shoot lower f as well. If you have a manual focus on your lens, try that as well. Sometimes AF just doesn't get it right.
 
thanks all. This is probably a noob question but why a lower f as opposed to a higher? I wanted the entire flower in focus and i was really close, so i figured i needed a larger DOF ~ a higher F. Can you help me understand that? Thanks!
 
thanks all. This is probably a noob question but why a lower f as opposed to a higher? I wanted the entire flower in focus and i was really close, so i figured i needed a larger DOF ~ a higher F. Can you help me understand that? Thanks!

Think lightspeed.

At a lower fstop light travels faster to the plain because you're taking more in.
The result is a faster capture. Negates motion blur. Think of it as a balancing act.
Think of it as a funnel.
You pour oil into your cars motor thru a funnel, but the spout at the other end is so small you have to stop pouring or it will over flow at the pouring side. Why? Because the aperture at the " pour" side is much larger than the delivery side.

Keep this in mind as you progress.
 

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