What in the carnation?

[rufus5150]

Another weekend, another trip to the florist.

I'm pretty happy with how #1 turned out except I don't like the stem coming from almost the exact corner of the image. This one was shot with an overhead tungsten light with a fairly long exposure. The other two use a 580exII and various reflectors.

#3 I'm not sure is as successful as I'd like it to be. I wanted to get one in with the vase (jar, actually) but to me it seems to look unfocused (subjectwise). Compositionally, I kinda blew it hiding one flower behind the other.

Any C&C beyond my own feeble analysis appreciated. Thanks!

#1

#2

#3

 

[Photog]

I'd say #1 is very accomplished, although you're bang on with your critique - I do find it ever so slightly disconcerting having it sticking out of the corner. Apart from that, it looks very nice.

#2 is good but I don't like how the top of the stem on the left is less visible than the others, almost to the point that you can't see it. But this is only minor.

I am put off #3 by the composition, so I'd give it another go - not sure about the focus, doesn't look too bad to me.

 

[rufus5150]

Thanks, Photog. I agree with your assessments.

In the 3rd, however, I could have probably found a better word. Focus is pretty sharp, what I mean is conceptually, the thing lacks focus. It's got 2 major attention points and one of those is flawed. "Unfocused" as opposed to "out of focus", I suppose.

Thank you!

 

[blash]

#1 is expertly done, congratulations about the corner, one of the beauties of black-background photography is that you can simply go into photoshop, make the canvas slightly bigger, and just paint in more black background above it - just a tad, or else your composition might start to look a little weird. Of course, you can't do the above trick to the left part of the frame, so you might want to reshoot.

2 is pretty nice, I'd paint in a little more background to the left of the frame though to give space for the curvature of the flowers to continue.

3 fails compositionally, I'd experiment with shooting at an angle here (camera tilted up or down, probably down so the petal arrangement can be given proper due) to get the vase in the picture but continue capturing the morbid majestic-ness of the flowers.

 

[Photog]

In the 3rd, however, I could have probably found a better word. Focus is pretty sharp, what I mean is conceptually, the thing lacks focus. It's got 2 major attention points and one of those is flawed. "Unfocused" as opposed to "out of focus", I suppose.

OK I get you, and I agree with Blash. In theory, the subject should be fine, but in the current composition, it ends up being a little flat, so maybe try shooting from above. This would also give the advantage of putting more emphasis on the flowers rather than on the vase which deserves less attention.

 

[rufus5150]

3 fails compositionally, I'd experiment with shooting at an angle here (camera tilted up or down, probably down so the petal arrangement can be given proper due) to get the vase in the picture but continue capturing the morbid majestic-ness of the flowers.

Thanks for the advice and I really agree with you on the composition. I was trying to take the shot from the level of the rim of the bottle but with the stems as long as they are, it puts too much distance between the flowers and the jar.

so maybe try shooting from above. This would also give the advantage of putting more emphasis on the flowers rather than on the vase which deserves less attention

Nod. Thanks. Will try this next go around. They're unfortunately not in their pretty state any more so I'll have to acquire new subjects.

Adding a 4th from this weekend's set, decidedly not a carnation, though:

 

[invisible]

I agree about the composition issue in the third one... yet that's the one I'm most drawn to in terms of subject. In my opinion there's probably too much bottle on the bottom, plus the bottle (even if well exposed) is being hit by too much light so it competes for attention with the flowers.

I like the new one that you posted. And happy birthday.