Flashlight and a Wildflower

leilanimr · August 30, 2011

This was a bit of a challenge for me because this Oriental False Hawksbeard (Youngia japonica) was always found in the shade. Without off-camera flash units I used a small flashlight. This is how it came out. *Canon T1i *Canon EF f/2.8 USM Macro 100mm lens

papadaka · August 30, 2011

Where was the flashlight
Leilani was the flashlight straight on or did you attempt to mimic the rays of the sun with the flashlight ? I love the image. Thanks for sharing.

basflt · August 30, 2011

better raise ISO

also
in a good image-editor you can gain back some background

also
try to move the flower a bit off center

quality is good IMO

Lord Vetinari · August 31, 2011

Good one !
Brian v.

leilanimr · September 1, 2011

papadaka wrote: »

Leilani was the flashlight straight on or did you attempt to mimic the rays of the sun with the flashlight ? I love the image. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks! I tried different angles, this one is straight on.

leilanimr · September 1, 2011

Lord Vetinari wrote: »

Good one !
Brian v.

Thanks! Can't learn if you don't try different techniques.

leilanimr · September 1, 2011

basflt wrote: »

better raise ISO

also
in a good image-editor you can gain back some background

also
try to move the flower a bit off center

quality is good IMO

Thanks for the feedback. Going from ACDSee to Lightroom 3 was a big leap. As you can see I have much more to learn about the capabilities of Lr.

basflt · September 1, 2011

leilanimr wrote: »

I have much more to learn about the capabilities of Lr

you will learn soon enough , believe me

just experiment with it , so you get familiar with it
LR is lossless , with means your RAW's remain un-changed , what ever you do

PS
you got many great pics
you aint a newbee , IMO

leilanimr · September 1, 2011

Thanks! Though I am afraid to admit it, I'm still shooting in JPEG format. My knowledge of RAW is quite limited at this moment.

basflt · September 1, 2011

leilanimr wrote: »

Thanks! Though I am afraid to admit it, I'm still shooting in JPEG format. My knowledge of RAW is quite limited at this moment.

oops
start shooting RAW , then start using LR !!!!!!
no knowledge required

paddler4 · September 1, 2011

Though I am afraid to admit it, I'm still shooting in JPEG format.

Do yourself a favor, and shoot RAW. Really. Today, if possible. As long as you are using LR already, there is virtually no additional work, as you are already using a first-class raw converter, and the benefits can be enormous. When I switched a long time ago, I shot RAW+JPEG for awhile because I had somehow convinced myself that RAW would be hard. Then I found that I NEVER used the jpegs, so that was the end of that.

When you open a RAW image in LR, it interprets it by applying some baseline adjustments, similar to imposing one of your camera's picture styles. However, unlike what your camera does when you shoot jpeg, it is not actually changing the file, just imposing a recipe that you can alter at will. It's just a nondestructive starting point. You can download Adobe's imitations of the Canon picture styles, which I did a long time ago, but I found that I prefer the Adobe standard style as a starting point. Then just modify from there to taste. An easy way to learn is to follow the develop (right side) panel downward, in order. There are also presets on the left--e.g., you can apply one of their sharpening presets, then go back to the right hand panel and modify it.

leilanimr · September 3, 2011

paddler4 wrote: »

Do yourself a favor, and shoot RAW. Really. Today, if possible. As long as you are using LR already, there is virtually no additional work, as you are already using a first-class raw converter, and the benefits can be enormous. When I switched a long time ago, I shot RAW+JPEG for awhile because I had somehow convinced myself that RAW would be hard. Then I found that I NEVER used the jpegs, so that was the end of that.

When you open a RAW image in LR, it interprets it by applying some baseline adjustments, similar to imposing one of your camera's picture styles. However, unlike what your camera does when you shoot jpeg, it is not actually changing the file, just imposing a recipe that you can alter at will. It's just a nondestructive starting point. You can download Adobe's imitations of the Canon picture styles, which I did a long time ago, but I found that I prefer the Adobe standard style as a starting point. Then just modify from there to taste. An easy way to learn is to follow the develop (right side) panel downward, in order. There are also presets on the left--e.g., you can apply one of their sharpening presets, then go back to the right hand panel and modify it.

Thank you for helping me understand this format more clearly. I guess its time to throw caution to the wind and try it out.

Flashlight and a Wildflower

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