Flower in B&W

[PixelRabbit]

Flowers for me is a love hate relationship. It is way too easy to take a standard "pretty" flower shot but I still want to shoot them.
Today I challenged myself by not using colour, this is the one I liked best.

I like the light and how the subject looks different than those surrounding it. I dislike how abrupt the right side is.
Would love to hear your thoughts

 

[PixelRabbit]

I'm going to add this one, I keep looking at it and going hmmm...

 

[Parker219]

99% of the time I cant stand black and white flower pictures. I think this is that other 1%. You somehow made these pictures interesting, even being the black and white. Some might say that the sun is over-powering, but I personally like it, in these pictures anyway.

Very nice!

 

[Trever1t]

the crop in the first one is a definite no, for me. The second crop is much better but yes, the sun is a distraction.

I opened the page not expecting much, a colorless flower makes me think of tasteless food, poi or raw tofu (yes, I know) but I see now a colorless flower can look kinda cool, thank you.

 

[charlie76]

I think because this really isn't a flower picture! I don't see flowers as the main subject of this image at all! If anything, it's the stems. This is a composition with various elements...the flowers are just one aspect. Cool shot.

Comments above refer to the second image...didn't see the first

 

[PixelRabbit]

Thanks guys, I'm glad it is successful on some levels. Trever, I'm iffy on that crop too, I wish I had more room to add on the right but alas I only have left left. I'll take a look through the shots again and see if I have more in one of them, I'm really close to really liking that one.
As for the sun in the second I like the balance that it gives as an element but not how bright it is (lol yes I know how goofy that sounds), it competes, so again... I'm torn.

 

[yerlem]

I really really like the second one, a million times more interesting than a normal flower photo

 

[PixelRabbit]

Thanks Yerlem

 

[Sherm]

I like the perspective on both and using the black and white adds to that.

 

[PixelRabbit]

Thanks Sherm

 

[Jaemie]

These both work very well, but #2 has better composition. In both, the additional leaves, flowers, trees, whatever, seem to distract too much from the wonderful main flower and its lovely stem (or flowers and stems). The B&W is great. The perspective is intriguing - like a small animal's view! The sun adds life. I'm a fan of these and I encourage you to shoot more, perhaps isolating the subject with sun or sunlight.

 

[Scuba]

The first is ok. The second is much better and very interesting. The angle is great and I like the B&W here. Nice job. What Jaemie said about the animal view and how the sun adds life is spot on.

 

[PixelRabbit]

Thanks so much Jaemie and Scuba.

I really like this perspective too and will definitely play with it more. I think you all are spot on with where these are falling short and I have some ideas on how to redo. It's cool when a plan starts coming together

 

[irishguy0224]

second picture is much better imho than the first. Lovely shot!

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

Crop the bottom flower out of the first one. But try to leave as much stem as possible. Maybe clone a little of the flower out then crop.

See what you get....