Rosa di Bologna

[Kaye Leggett]

I have been practising my macro photography again as I have a mind to enter some photos to a garden photography competition maybe not this year, but sometime.

This is a favourite rose which I photographed this week - it doesn't repeat bloom so I have to catch it whilst I can. What would you improve ? I have opportunity to re-visit !

1 On it's own



2 With the promise of more to come



Thoughts from the macro specialists out there welcome + those of you who don't normally 'do' flowers, what makes you 'do' flowers when you don't normally ?

[Shadowman]

When I do flowers it's usually to capture color and texture, it's more of an exercise than art. Nice captures.

[IzzieK]

Capturing flowers for me is an urge...on I want to do it, but I have already done it, i'll do later...and the flower had gone. I am sure this is a beautiful rose. I just do not know why it doesn't translate that good to me...it looks busy. #1 is cramped, maybe it is the crop; #2 is much better with a bit of room around...if that is any consolation...or perhaps I like my roses simple ones, not the double variety. I have a lot of roses here in my garden as I have already said but I have no urge to photograph them anymore, as I used to do when I was collecting the many varieties out there...I like your landscape better or some other chosen flower shots...this colour is a bit hard to do...

[deetheturk]

What a beautiful flower Kaye, I do not usually shoot flowers but the only thing I can suggest is try a smaller aperture, I noticed you used F5.6 here, try somewhere between F11 and F16, then show us your results!

[Geoff F]

Always a difficult subject, Kaye.

Usually I find it is best to either zoom in really tight or show the whole scene; anything in between risks looking a bit accidentally cramped, as Izzie mentioned.

And showing more focus depth for the surrounding buds, or leaves for that matter, without getting background problems often means a merge of two or more focus points; although with the right lens you can often get away with a narrow aperture. The first image does have a few soft spots.

It is so difficult to get everything in focus and even when doing a three shot merge I frequently find something which is just beyond the reach of my focus.

[Kaye Leggett]

Thanks all for your comments. All V helpful as I try again this week.

[Stagecoach]

What would you improve ? I have opportunity to re-visit !

Hi Kaye,

Good effort, perhaps not the easiest subject to shoot but here's a couple of ideas.

No 1, they say never shoot down on flowers and never put your subject central I'm not one for sticking to rules but believe these two are good in 95% of cases.

No 2, with the three buds as they are positioned it looks way to busy. You are going to scream but I would suggest you move/prune two of the buds and arrange your shooting angle to go in from the side with the face of the main rose and the bud parallel with the sensor plane so both in focus. I would also take shots at various apertures and select the DoF you like best.

[Kaye Leggett]

Thanks for the tips Graeme. Hoping to revisit this weekend.......................