Iris #2

[RodneyBlair]

Quan Tran wrote:

Wow! This is simply one of the best macro shots Ive ever seen. Very, very nice!

BTW, did you sharpen the photo or leave it as is?

Rgds,
Quan

Quan,

I always shoot RAW with all in-camera enhancements set to OFF or the lowest setting. I then open the files in Nikon Capture and select the in-camera settings I desire for that scene. This image was processed in Nikon Capture. I used additional software only to add the borders.

Thank you for the comments.

Rodney

[Gordon_O]

Rodney,

I agree with what you've said here. I praised your "talent" and in your response you said "natural talent." Very few of us can get by on natural talent. We have to work hard to be good at what we do. Your example photos and what you have said in this forum have shown me that you have worked hard at developing your talent/skill.

Understanding the basics is necessary of course, and you are doing a good job at teaching these basics. Teaching is another talent to develop.

Thanks for being here,

Gordon

[/quote]

Gordon,

I do not have the natural talents that some are blessed with and I'm not a very patient person either. Anyone can take great looking pictures once they understand a few compositional rules and how contrast affects a scene, regardless of the equipment they have. Breaking the rules can produce nice results, but I feel you must first have a good understanding of the rules before you can break them. I've advocated this simple approach since I began participating on the forum.

I liked everything about my first Iris attempt, but it seemed to lack depth. My intent with the flash was to provide the depth that was previously lacking. Like you, I rarely have my hotshoe mount flash with me, but that may change.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me.

Rodney[/quote]

[Canna W]

Both iriseslook lovely,in their different ways, and it's very helpful be able to comparethe different lighting. The clarity of the pix is unusual with irises - I guess I'm used to gardening book illustrations - it's really nice to see them in all their complexity. Gorgeous!


Canna

[RodneyBlair]

Gordon_O wrote:

Rodney,

I agree with what you've said here. I praised your "talent" and in your response you said "natural talent." Very few of us can get by on natural talent. We have to work hard to be good at what we do. Your example photos and what you have said in this forum have shown me that you have worked hard at developing your talent/skill.

Understanding the basics is necessary of course, and you are doing a good job at teaching these basics. Teaching is another talent to develop.

Thanks for being here,

Gordon

Hi Gordon,

Indeed I work hard and I study hard too. When I began my career in photography, I was only interested in working with professional models. I quickly learned that even my bad images looked good because I was only as good as the model, fashion designer, hair stylist and MUA. A professional model with symmetrical features will look good in almost any kind of lighting shot from any angle. I find working with average individuals with asymmetrical features to be much more challenging so I prefer working as a portrait photographer.

I began shooting flowers and landscapes with the intent to be helpful on this forum. I never really had a desire for it, but since have found it to be quite challenging so I'm compelled to keep shooting. :-)

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I'm very new at this and find it quite helpful when more experienced photographers offer their thoughts. I'm so new that I often do not recognize when I've got it right. :-)

Rodney

[RodneyBlair]

Canna W wrote:

Both irises look lovely, in their different ways, and it's very helpful be able to compare the different lighting. The clarity of the pix is unusual with irises - I guess I'm used to gardening book illustrations - it's really nice to see them in all their complexity. Gorgeous!
Canna

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I often wonder where the appropriate line is for sharpness and detail in these types of shots because our eyes do not see such fine detail when looking at a flower. We often see a much softer more blended image except for very large flowers with distinct detail.

Rodney