Calla Lillies
Mar 30, 2014 16:20:59 #
I think photos of Calla Lillies are beautiful with a black background and always admire the photos when I see them. My wife and I have some of these flowers in our yard so I take a lot of photos of them with very few coming out as I would like. Any suggestions on how I can make them better would be appreciated. Feel free to play with them if you would like.
Dennis
Dennis
Mar 30, 2014 17:07:48 #
The last one is stunning. Is that one more like what you were aiming for? It's beautiful.
Mar 30, 2014 17:09:43 #
Mar 30, 2014 17:22:03 #
I agree #3 is definitely worthy of a frame. All three are very good. #1 would be better with a plain background.
Mar 31, 2014 07:38:39 #
All three are great. #3 is my pick of the litter. What is it you would change on any of them?
Mar 31, 2014 09:05:00 #
Mar 31, 2014 09:29:37 #
Heirloom Tomato wrote:
The last one is stunning. Is that one more like what you were aiming for? It's beautiful.
Thank you for the nice compliment. I like that one but don't like the pot in the background though I do like the effect of the two flowers in the background for balance. I would say it is a step in the right direction.
Dennis
Mar 31, 2014 09:35:55 #
dennis2146 wrote:
Thank you for the nice compliment. I like that one but don't like the pot in the background though I do like the effect of the two flowers in the background for balance. I would say it is a step in the right direction.
Dennis
Dennis
Heirloom Tomato,
My apologies. It is early in the morning and while I was looking at one photograph to answer your question it was not the same photograph you were asking about. I am starting to not like this getting old stuff.
Let me try again. I like the last photo with the two flowers stacked one on the other and the smaller flower at the top but don't like the way the small flower has a grey area. I would like all three flowers to be bright but don't think it is possible (without studio lights in my yard) to illuminate the three flowers while still having the back wall be dark. Our flowers are all against a wall so if I can't get the camera on the side of the flowers with other flowers in the background then I get a grey stucco wall for a background.
Dennis
Mar 31, 2014 09:38:07 #
TraceyG wrote:
#3 is framable.....just lovely!
Thanks so much, TraceyG, for the nice comment. I am glad you like it. Thanks for taking the time to look.
Dennis
Mar 31, 2014 09:38:58 #
bigwolf40 wrote:
Very nice. My favorite is the last one with the double flower....Rich
Thank you for looking at my photos and for taking the time to comment. I appreciate it.
Dennis
Mar 31, 2014 10:13:45 #
dennis2146 wrote:
Heirloom Tomato, br br My apologies. It is early... (show quote)
What did you do differently to get the third photo, as you succeeded in getting the black background on this one. The small gray area on top of the third flower can be fixed in a few seconds by using a post processing program that has a dodge/burn tool. Just gently "dodge" it with a soft correctly-sized brush a couple of times and that shadow will go away. If you want someone (such as myself or other members) to do it for you and post it here to show you how that looks, just say the word.
Mar 31, 2014 10:23:47 #
They are all great shots Dennis, but I agree with the majority here that #3 is the best. Very nice!
Mar 31, 2014 11:06:32 #
Heirloom Tomato wrote:
What did you do differently to get the third photo... (show quote)
Thanks. I don't think I did anything differently. I usually just increase the shadows to make the unwanted portion of the picture darker. It isn't so much making the grey of the wall darker but making the top flower whiter. Both darker/whiter would be great. Please feel free to play with it as you want.
Dennis
Mar 31, 2014 11:07:11 #
HowardPepper wrote:
They are all great shots Dennis, but I agree with the majority here that #3 is the best. Very nice!
Thank you so much. I appreciate you looking and the compliment.
Dennis
Mar 31, 2014 11:20:17 #
dennis2146 wrote:
I think photos of Calla Lillies are beautiful with a black background and always admire the photos when I see them. My wife and I have some of these flowers in our yard so I take a lot of photos of them with very few coming out as I would like. Any suggestions on how I can make them better would be appreciated. Feel free to play with them if you would like.
Dennis
Dennis
These are nice captures. Calla Lillies have always been one of my favorites to photograph and to paint. One method that I have used for years to control the background is to use various pieces of fabric stretched and glued upon a thick piece of fomcor. Control your depth of field, and the color of the fabric becomes a wonderful background. I have at least ten such set-ups and they work well. . .really well if I have an assistant with me.
The most famous black & white photo of a calla lilly was the one by Robert Mapplethorpe many years ago. These flowers are so simplistic that they seem to do better in various types of b&w renderings.
Here are three of my renderings in fine art black & white pencil technique, with a touch of spot color. I am not too sure that I like the spot color on these, let's see what you and others think.
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