This is a Brag Shot:

[AB26]

Must say I am rather happy with the outcome of this one. Have I eventually had success in capturing this rose?
You may wet my battery if you do not agree with me.

[Otavio]

Have I eventually had success in capturing this rose?

Yes, Andre, you did, IMHO. Although the light is not pointed to its center, I like the "lights and shadows" on the rose's petals. I also like the exposure and saturation. Well done!

[Brownbear]

Nice shot... I think you captured the shadows, light and the detail of the flower beautifully...

One thing I recently noticed about photographing flowers, and from viewing others photos of flowers is that it helps to pick a perfect flower with no flaws, harder to find in nature then one would think.

[Downrigger]

Dead on. I think I can smell rose when I look at it.

[Pentaxopithecus]

Must say I am rather happy with the outcome of this one. Have I eventually had success in capturing this rose?
You may wet my battery if you do not agree with me.

I hate to introduce water to your battery dude, but I'm seeing a pink Rose...full stop. The background somewhat competes for our attention despite being out of focus, and we're looking at a largely 'generic' view of a Rose bereft of any visual photographic emphasis or impact.
You're selling the flower for a garden centre well enough with this image, but you're not selling it to us once it's bloomed in our own private corners of Eden to be honest.

Forgive me for being so critical Andre,

Bob.

[jeeperman]

I would have to agree with Bob, although I could not have put it so eloquently.

[geoz]

I like the detail and light on the petals except for the highlight near the center. I think this is the first picture of a rose that I've seen that looks like a classic five pointed "Tudor Rose" emblem.

[AB26]

Thank you all.

Otavio, Christina, Mark and George: maybe you are just being nice or maybe you see on your screen what I see on mine.

Thanks for the kind words.

Bob and Paul:

My tender ego is deeply hurt and my self confidence shattered. Maybe I should sell my camera and take up Bowls.

Bob if you had to see anything but a Pink Rose I would have been very concerned – it is a Pink Rose.
Any suggestions as to how I can turn it into a yellow Daisy? Perhaps I should have used a square crop?

Thanks you two.

Is this any better ?

[rtbaum]

Were I to approach this shot, I would target a rose in a lesser state of development and frame it against a homogenous background

[Letrow]

I like your second shot of the two roses better Andre, the lighting works better on that one I feel. Nice detail to be seen and even clear light. The first had a lot of shadows, due to its position to the sun and that distracted a bit from the rose for me.

[Brownbear]

Hi Andre,

I do think it is a nice shot, as you captured the shadows, light and the detail of the flower beautifully... And also the rich colour.

I should've been clearer on what I meant about finding perfect flower to photograph and that is that this particular flower is a little wilted/droopy in the middle so it detracts from your photo... The lower rose in your second photo would have been a better subject in that it is in perfect shape.

I do agree with Bob that the background distracts from the beauty of the flower. Kinda like the branches in the background of a Robin photo I took... I managed to photograph the bird fairly well but even though I blurred the background by shooting wide open, the branches detracted from the photo.

Even though the branches in my photo are far, far more distracting then your blurred background I'm posting it because I think it provides a good example of a distracting background.



So yes, I think your photo is a nice photo but a softer more blurred background and choosing more perfect rose for the subject would take it to another level.

For flower shots that I think are perfection personified see Mike's photos...

Buds & blossoms of the Sonoran desert

[AB26]

Thanks Randy and Peter: I can only learn from your comments.

[AB26]

the branches detracted from the photo.

Very good shot Christina, the only branch that is distracting is the one cutting the birds beak.

The roses in the second shot: the top one depicts my wife the bottom one my daughter - which one is ugly?

[Brownbear]

Thank you Andre. For me all the upper branches are distracting.

I understand your point of view. I don't often photograph flowers so for me, it is just personal preference that flower shots, the kind you see on magazine covers are typically of perfect flowers... There is beauty in imperfection so thank you for giving me something for me to think about.

Very good shot Christina, the only branch that is distracting is the one cutting the birds beak.

The roses in the second shot: the top one depicts my wife the bottom one my daughter - which one is ugly?

[FootLoose]

Hi Andre,
I think the first one was taken at the wrong time of day - there are too many shadows imho. If I were attempting that shot, I would watch the light throughout the day to see when the light was mostly on the centre of the bloom and with as few shadows as possible. Then come back the next day, perhaps, at the right time. (This is what I do when I have flowers in my garden.)

I think you need to get in a lot closer, and open up the aperture. The exif says you used a 18-135mm f3.5-f5.6 lens but you shot at 62mm and f7.1. You don't need to get the whole flower in frame to show it off, and if you get right in there, you lose the distracting background. Why don't you try taking a few shots at the minimum focussing distance to see the kind of results that are possible with your lens.

With the second one: nice idea but I think it would be better if the two blooms weren't vertically aligned, although I realise that may not be possible. Either one of those flowers would make a good photo on their own if you moved up closer, too.

[jeeperman]

Andre, I do think the second image is better. Quite a bit I think. Flower images can be difficult, at least for me. I take very few and when I do I tend to try and isolate the flower from it's surroundings. I can never seem to make one work to my liking while including more that the flower itself. The few that I have been happy with are in the botanical gallery in my link below.

[AB26]

Thanks Greg and Paul.

Greg I will try what you suggested, getting in very close. Maybe I should do it with the 300mm lens.
Paul, some great flower shots you got there. Thanks.

[jeeperman]

Thanks, Andre. Yes do give the 300mm a go. Nearly all of my few have been with 400mm.