Helpful Posts Helpful Posts:  0
Results 1 to 15 of 15

Thread: Milkweed

  1. #1

    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Canada
    Posts
    3,113
    Real Name
    Wendy

    Milkweed

    Couldn't decide between this one and the one I posted in the Oct. comp so I thought I would put this one up for some C&C on composition. I like doing this kind of shot but find it very hard to compose when there are so many distracting Elements.

    Milkweed
    Panasonic Lumix G1: 20mm: 1/2000s: f1.7: ISO 200: 20mm

    Wendy

  2. #2
    Moderator Donald's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Glenfarg, Scotland
    Posts
    21,402
    Real Name
    Just add 'MacKenzie'

    Re: Milkweed

    An absolutely first reaction - no in-depth ponerding or analysis. Clicked it open, read your comment and reacted.

    It feels too close up. I can't get the context. What is it? Where is it? Everything falling out of the frame. I want to put my hands on your shoulder and pull you back a couple of paces.

    Now I'll go and take a longer look and may arrive at a different view.

  3. #3

    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    South Devon, UK
    Posts
    14,401

    Re: Milkweed

    Yes, possibly showing the whole of the seedpod may have produced a better composition. Even if it did mean losing the lower leaf.

  4. #4

    Re: Milkweed

    Oooooo! I love the colors and textures and the light! You know that I love close up but, in this case, I'm having the same reaction as Donald - the lines are leading me out of the frame and I wish that I could step back just a titch. Do we lose the color and detail if we do???? How do we have both? You already know that I'm no expert; so, I'm going to wait and see what others say and LEARN! btw, though, this is really gorgeous!

  5. #5
    Moderator Dave Humphries's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    Windsor, Berks, UK
    Posts
    16,737
    Real Name
    Dave Humphries :)

    Re: Milkweed

    Hi Wendy,

    I can see what you're trying to do with the crop points on the right (I'd have done the same), but my first impression was also wanting to see 'a bit further up' the seed pod.

  6. #6
    Moderator Donald's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Glenfarg, Scotland
    Posts
    21,402
    Real Name
    Just add 'MacKenzie'

    Re: Milkweed

    Right - got it ..... maybe.

    Just been looking again at post #31 in the October Comp thread. And .... this one is too busy. There's too much in it. In the competition image there's a clear point of interest and the rest of the image is uncluttered.

  7. #7
    purplehaze's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    Canada
    Posts
    1,990
    Real Name
    Janis

    Re: Milkweed

    Hi Wendy,

    I am wondering if the thing I love about this composition is the very thing I might be tempted to criticize. Like Dave, I am wanting to see further up the seed pod, but the fact I can't creates a kind of tension that for me that totally suits the subject matter--a seed pod cracked open to reveal the inner beauty that will soon be dispersed to the winds. Of course we voyeurs want to see more, but sometimes less is more, especially when it reminds us of the discreteness (?) and evanescence of nature's beauty. Other that that, I want to say I absolutely adore the texture in this photo, and the contrast of smooth and prickly. Love your work.

    Janis

  8. #8

    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Canada
    Posts
    3,113
    Real Name
    Wendy

    Re: Milkweed

    Thanks to everyone for the feedback. Too busy seems to be the general consensus and I will agree. Stepping back got way busier though as the background started to come into focus and the background was a mess of weeds and grass.
    I'm happy with the DOF in this one and that's what I'm working on right now. In the future I may have to spend some time with the trimming shears in order to get better composition.

    Janis you are a poet, thanks for you different take on this. It kind of reminds me of the McCains Sweet Potato commercial where the commentator is waxing poetic about the qualities of the potato and the down to earth farmer stops him and says "It's a potato"
    Please don't take that the wrong way, I appreciate your comments, but some people would look at this and say "It's a milkweed pod" Like some were saying in another thread, I'm glad we have different ideas and so many ways of seeing things.

    Thanks again everyone
    Wendy

  9. #9
    mythlady's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    Capitola, CA
    Posts
    744
    Real Name
    Elise

    Re: Milkweed

    Well, I'm going to swim against the tide and say that I like it a lot -- when I clicked the thread open, my first reaction was, "Wow." Maybe a little bit more of the seed pod, sure, but the textures are so wonderful and I really do like the lines of it. The dof is great as well. And the colors. Did I say I liked the image?

  10. #10
    Moderator Dave Humphries's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    Windsor, Berks, UK
    Posts
    16,737
    Real Name
    Dave Humphries :)

    Re: Milkweed

    Quote Originally Posted by mythlady View Post
    Well, I'm going to swim against the tide and say that I like it a lot -- when I clicked the thread open, my first reaction was, "Wow." Maybe a little bit more of the seed pod, sure, but the textures are so wonderful and I really do like the lines of it. The dof is great as well. And the colors. Did I say I liked the image?
    Actually I'm with you Elise, so that's two votes from the "it's not too busy" camp.

  11. #11

    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Canada
    Posts
    3,113
    Real Name
    Wendy

    Re: Milkweed

    Thanks Dave and Elise: I have been going through my other shots. (who takes so many milkweed shots? ) and all the ones with the top of the seed pod have too much DOF and the ones with the required shallow DOF have the top of the seed pod cut off. LOL, I'm good at that sort of thing.

    Thanks again for the feedback
    Wendy

  12. #12
    purplehaze's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    Canada
    Posts
    1,990
    Real Name
    Janis

    Re: Milkweed

    Quote Originally Posted by ScoutR View Post
    It kind of reminds me of the McCains Sweet Potato commercial where the commentator is waxing poetic about the qualities of the potato and the down to earth farmer stops him and says "It's a potato".
    LOL. I was going to qualify my original post by saying that I am a prairie girl; although I don't think I would live anywhere else, I have been conditioned to take my thrills from little things like seedpods, if not potatoes.

    Best,
    Janis

  13. #13

    Re: Milkweed

    have too much DOF
    Focus blur tool is your friend Especially with relatively simple outlines like this. I was waiting on this thread so that when everyone was on a downer over the cropped seed pod I could sweep in all avant-garde and contradictory...but it seems Elise and Dave beat me to it

    Its a tight crop but it is also very well composed with three corners of the frame 'holding' the image. And to borrow a quote from Katy "I love the colors and textures and the light!" (I wont do the "Ooooo" because my throat is sore from hot air burn) This image just felt right straight away. Well now you are suitably confused and torn betwixt the sensible and the downright ornery I would go with the gut feeling that made you post in the first place.

  14. #14
    Clactonian's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    The Essex Sunshine Coast
    Posts
    1,186
    Real Name
    Mike Bareham

    Re: Milkweed

    I find that my attention is divided by the open pod top left and the closed pod bottom right, with the casing disappearing top right, taking my eyes with it. Yet I still like it as a photograph and understand the arguments about questions, and tension. The colours are beautiful and the detail crisp. I have a foot in two camps with this one.

  15. #15
    wilgk's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Victoria Australia
    Posts
    2,634
    Real Name
    Kay

    Re: Milkweed

    It is the capture of the 'texture' that makes it terrific

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •