Last minute #16--any c&c welcome

slpollett

I hadn't planned to enter the challenge this week, but I still have one lonely Cosmos plant that hasn't died off after all the hard freezes we've had in the last month or so. That poor plant is still blooming and it was calling my name! The blooms are smaller than normal (about the size of a quarter) but they haven't let the cold days stop them. I'm having a little trouble with my 50mm macro lens and I wanted to work with it some today anyway so I decided to recognize the efforts of one hardy little plant.

I also posted the whole story of my lens issue and some of these pictures in the Macro forum, btw. ( http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=117076)

I'm not sure what to name to give any of these. "Cosmos in Winter" just sounds so lame, but that's the best I've come up with.

Any suggestions or c&c welcome.

1.


2.


3.


4.


5.


Thanks,
Sherry

Llywellyn

#1 and #5 grab me the most, though it looks like #1 could use a bit of sharpening.

Macro fascinates and frustrates me, so I commend your efforts. I find I always forget to breathe again after I finally click the shutter while shooting macro. :giggle

coscorrosa

I like #1 out of this series, it has the best composition and most pleasant background, although #2 is sharper, I don't like the comp as much, and the background (the lower left corner specifically) is a little distracting.

I personally find it difficult to come up with compositions on a prime macro lens, so my strategy is to fill up the memory card and choose the good ones at home

Most of the flowers around here have succumbed to winter, I can't wait for spring.

slpollett

Thanks Ron & Kerry. I also liked #1 's comp the best, but liked the sharpness in #2. I agree that #2 has a couple of distractions--the dark corner you mentioned but I also didn't like the lighter stems that make an 'x' just to the left of the bloom. I'm not adept enough at ps to get rid of it without it looking like I got rid of it--poorly, so I left it alone. If I had time, I would keep trying to 'fix' it. Actually if I had time I'd just re-shoot, lol.

I played with #1 a little more. Is this one better?



Thanks,
Sherry

Llywellyn

Definitely an improvement.

slpollett

Thanks!

Sherry

JAG

Well Sherry you are one lucky girl to see a fresh flower in the dead of winter! I won't see any color until late May early June!

Of these I actually like #5. I like that the background is more subdued in that one and the center of the flower become the focus. I am curious what that shot would look like cropped really tight with the top part of the flower taken out but leaving the center of the flower off center upper right some.