Posted: 5/14/2010 7:28:29 AM EDT
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This is a Lilly I shot last night using the 50mm f1.4 on a Pentax K20d using the on camera built in flash (I have a couple flash units an old Vivitar and a new Pentax 360, but didn't use them). I used the Flash to avoid the yellow tint I get when shooting in the house in the evening (due to white balance settings) . Set the f-stop at f16, and shot is handheld.
Lilly 
Thanks, Dave |
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If you want to avoid the white balance problems go to a pro photo shop and get a set of QP Cards. Use one in every shot, shoot it in camera raw and you will never have a issue when white balancing in camera raw off the card. http://www.qpcard.se/BizPart.aspx?tabId=84&tci=137
I would shoot this on a black or a white background using either a hotlight or a strobe with white cards to reflect the light where I want it if needed. I have shot these flowers before and there is little detail captured due to the lighting. I would also shoot it at f/8-11 as f/16 is overkill. Only time I got to f/16 or beyond is on a large format lens where you have to stop the lens down to get total sharpness. |
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The composition is really nice. That's half the battle. The bad news is that it's very underexposed and lacks contrast and as a result, there isn't much color information. You might be able to clean a lot of it up with some careful photoshopping. Keep at it, you have a good eye! |
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I like it but then I like a darker subject. I don't like piercing whites and super bright pinks.
The only thing I see is you might consider moving the focal point foreward to include the stigma and anthers. Folks like to see those little flecks of polen pop. Flower pettles can even be a little soft if need be. The great thing about flowers is you have all day. |
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* This is the biggest thing: Use natural light. Unless you're using a desktop type setup with diffusers or trying to backlight the flower so we can see the translucence, etc., I'd avoid using strobes for illumination.
* Use more selective focus. Let that distracting stuff in the background just blur out. * Retouch out little things, like the spot on the bottom petal. It's a distraction that takes away from the otherwise perfect flower. * On a light colored flower like that, I urge using as much saturation as you can get away with, without the shot looking like an obvious Photoshop. * Find some forums where people take lots of flower photos and see what they're doing to get their results. I usually go to www.dpreview.com and see what they've got cooking when I need a camera, accessory or technique. Keep shooting and showing your work. Critiques are how we get better. 
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