Yellow Clivia in shade:

[AB26]

Any C&C most welcome.

Please tear it apart!!!!

[ucci]

Why? It is a perfectly good capture. Of course with the broad spectrum of what appeals to folk the possibility of less than friendly fire is always on the cards. As a suggestion have you thought about taking a smidgin off the bottom to bring the eye in a tad closer to the central theme? But it is a very nice sharp capture with an excellent D of F. I for one like it.

[pnodrog]

I am basically with Ken on this one but would also suggest a little bit of burning in the highlights on the upper right-hand side.

[AB26]

Why? It is a perfectly good capture. As a suggestion have you thought about taking a smidgin off the bottom to bring the eye in a tad closer to the central theme? But it is a very nice sharp capture with an excellent D of F. I for one like it.

Thanks Ken.
Before posting I was playing around with that smidgen crop. Then again, when do you crop and when should you not crop? When do you want the image to be more in the face of the viewer and when do you want it to be part of a bigger picture?

Have you ever come across any guideline to crop or not to crop? Is there any rule of thumb to follow?

Much appreciated.

[AB26]

I am basically with Ken on this one but would also suggest a little bit of burning in the highlights on the upper right-hand side.

Thanks L.Paul.
Now that burning and dodging thing, my software cannot do. Guess I should be more careful of how the subject is lit.

[ajsmith]

I like to find flowers tucked away in shady areas and this one is beautiful with just a bit of the light reaching it. Very pretty photo.

I think I like it the way it is without cropping. The lighter leaves in the bottom right sort of balance the photo. (just my opinion)

[chauncey]

that burning and dodging thing, my software cannot do

Andre, I'm aghast that you don't use LR or PS...

I should be more careful of how the subject is lit

In that case, I might apply a square or 8x10 crop, deleting the grass strands at the lower right and as much of the top as possible, or...reshoot the flower heeding the background lighting as you inferred.

PS, don't give up on it as it is a pretty arrangement.

[Wavelength]

Top 3/4th is awesome, bottom 1/4th is not adding...rather subtracting
Regards

[pnodrog]

Thanks L.Paul.
Now that burning and dodging thing, my software cannot do. Guess I should be more careful of how the subject is lit.

Andre what software are you using? Most software I know of has the facility to do burning and dodging some better than others but usually available.

[pnodrog]

Andre I suspect you like the idea of SOOC and it is not a bad thing to aspire to but you still need PP editing software even if it is only used for adding text and presentation. I hope you do not mind but I have done a little bit of editing with photoshop CS6 to illustrate. Even reasonably basic software would have managed this edit.

[FootLoose]

Andre, I agree with Ken about the crop. I think the dark lower area balances the lighter background above the plant. The luminous affect of the dappled light striking the plant in the shade is dependent on that darker lower area. Otherwise, you finish up with a specimen shot, and I don't think that is what you had in mind.

PS the cream clivias are my favourites.