getting hooked on plants--need feedback

[mapgirl]

This is my first spring in Western Washington and I love it! And because of a gardening project, I find myself getting totally hooked on photographing plants. But I'm new to that subject matter (and relatively new to my DSLR and a total spaz with Photoshop, so these are mostly untouched). I'd love any constructive feedback. Thanks!

1--the first of the rhododendrons at bud break

2--some sort of allium

3--lilacs

4--the end-stage for a tulip

 

[LaFoto]

You have the chance to see and photograph a lot of beautiful flowers.
Since they don't move, don't sulk, don't pull faces, but simply pose for you, you can practise your photography a lot with plants and flowers.

I can see that you are quite successfully "playing with" DOF (depth of field) by choosing a wide open aperture and good focus on the subject.

Quite similar to my first flower "portraits", where I was overjoyed to see how by choosing the wide open aperture I could "free" the flower from its background and give it a total "life of its own" within my photographical frame, also your subjects are very centred. That's where you spot focus, I assume, and then you take your photo already.

Next step might be an off-centred composition where you first focus, but then still shift the camera just this little bit to move your subject off centre. Makes the photos more interesting to look at. Test it.

Unless, of course, you aim for something very symmetrical, like the close up of a starlike flower.

 

[mapgirl]

I can see that you are quite successfully "playing with" DOF (depth of field) by choosing a wide open aperture and good focus on the subject.

Quite similar to my first flower "portraits", where I was overjoyed to see how by choosing the wide open aperture I could "free" the flower from its background and give it a total "life of its own" within my photographical frame, also your subjects are very centred. That's where you spot focus, I assume, and then you take your photo already.

Next step might be an off-centred composition where you first focus, but then still shift the camera just this little bit to move your subject off centre. Makes the photos more interesting to look at. Test it.

Unless, of course, you aim for something very symmetrical, like the close up of a starlike flower.

LaFoto--Thank you so much for your comments. It's true that my focus (personal as well as mechanical) is solely on the flowers. So my "composition" clearly reflects how narrowly my eye/brain is working. Kind of like falling in love with a person :blushing:
And I also see that how I've been shooting the native plant project I've been working on is carrying over to all my garden pictures. I'm shooting in a forest with mostly overcast conditions, without a flash. So I've got to keep the aperture wide open. And the purpose is to get the plant to stand out from all the other green stuff in the forest for informational purposes, like below. But maybe I can work on clarifying for myself when the shot is for information and when the shot is for, well, the shot itself.

Any more comments and suggestions would be appreciated!

Vanilla leaf with bud

Aging Trillium

 

[Ben-71]

If you can, try to take the pictures when the sun is low.