Two Pictures: Wild Raspberries and Crab Apple

[Karm Redland]

Comments welcomed.

[chauncey]

They are well exposed and have spot-on focus, but (there's always a but )...
I would have taken the shot and looked at the results on the LCD screen.
Then I would have taken it anew after doing some pruning of the background by getting rid
of all the partially in-focus items in the background, branches, twigs and whatnot.
Anything that tends to pull the eye from the subject.

[Karm Redland]

Hi Chauncey. This is probably a matter of taste but I like the context background material provides. Without the out-of-focus material pictures look too clinical to me. I want the viewer to see the setting for the part of the image I have in focus.

karm

[Mike Buckley]

Very nice color and light!

I like the context background material provides.

I do too, at least in these two photos where the background material provides helpful rather than distracting information.

However, in the first one, the foreground material on the right side is distracting for me and doesn't provide helpful information. If it were mine (recognizing of course that it's not) I would crop where the main stem that bears the fruit joins the bottom side of the frame. For me, doing that draws the eye to the subject and nicely frames the subject with that glorious, large leaf in the background.

[shreds]

I too like the backgrounds, but can see the point of some cropping.

At the risk of playing devils advocate, can I mention that the highlights and vibrancy of the raspberries seems a bit at odds with the somewhat flat lighting on the leaves. It might have actually been like that, but it sort of creates an unusual look to the fruit?

The mildew on the crabapple is so typical!

[Karm Redland]

Here's a cropped version of the Wild Raspberries. I agree, it's a much better image cropped.

In terms of lighting, I went back to the original (Wild Raspberries) to make sure I didn't do anything too weird to alter the image. The only difference I could see between the original and the image I posted was overall exposure. The original was a bit lighter which I changed in this new posted image. If I remember correctly these raspberries were a bit in a no-man zone between daylight and shade. Shreds, maybe that's why the lighting looks a bit different?

I also appreciate the comment on the apples coloration. It took me awhile to get it right,




Karm

[Ken Curtis]

Hi Karm.

Are you sure those are raspberries?

I think both of your images would benefit by cropping some off the right side and by sharpening. Since you have not minded in the past, I uploaded two of your images that I cropped and sharpened. You may prefer to process the images somewhat differently, or maybe not at all. I am just giving you something for consideration.

#1 I also revised the exposure a bit on this one. The sharpening brought out detail in the prickly hairs along the stems and in the leaves, or are they pods? The cropping eliminated the distracting stem on the right side that did not contribute to the composition.


#2 The sharpening brought out a bit of texture on the apple's skin. The cropping eliminated the distracting twig on the right side.

[Karm Redland]

Hi Ken. No, I don't mind you taking a swing at these images. Here's my take on your images: you are correct that the additional sharpening on the raspberries better brings out the hairs on the stems. I actually tried this level of sharpening and rejected it because of its effects on the leaves and berries. Your image looks over sharpened. This could me a matter of taste.

With your apple image I don't mind how your additional sharpening effected the apple. However, I think it hurts the background. Again, this is probably a matter of taste.

In both my images I was trying to avoid being too focused on my subject. I like context. Whether I accomplished what i was going for is up to the viewer. That's why I like feedback.

P.S. I have always call them raspberries. Not really sure what they are.

karm

[Mike Buckley]

The red fruit isn't remotely like raspberries that I buy in the store for my wife's cereal. However, fruits that have the same name often look very different when grown in various parts of the world, so these indeed may be raspberries.

Karm: You made a couple comments in your recent post that suggest to me that sharpening can only be applied globally. If you're not using a software app that allows you to apply it selectively, your images are so good and imaginative that I strongly urge you to find one that does.

Ken: Though I realize that you were working only with a small file, the sharpening that you applied created unattractive halos around the red fruit.

As for the crop of the apple image, I would prefer a little more space added to the left of the original rather than cropping to eliminate the background on the right side. As I mentioned before, I like the background information in that area. (Sorry to be repetitive.)

I prefer the less sharpened image that Karm made of the apple, as I don't appreciate being able to see the texture on the skin. That may have to do with my ignorance of how apples look.

[Karm Redland]

No Mike, I have tools that allow me to do selective sharpening. In the raspberry picture I used the various sharpening tools available in Nik. I just found Ken's treatment overdone.

I think you're correct on the apple picture.

karm