Cwilson341 Loc: Central Florida

#1 in this set makes me think of a satellite image, perhaps of a river delta with farmland and highways thrown in. Imagination is a wonderful thing!

fergmark Loc: norwalk connecticut

My inclination is to want to crop from left and bottom some. My reasoning is that the green leaf kind of draws my eye away from your lily as it disappears. Might strengthen the position of the glacier lily at the same time. I adjusted the levels down a little which , at least to my eyes, reduced the sort of chunky bokeh, and the competing green. I know it does away with the warm tones as well. I don't think I would reduce the out of focus reflections. They assist the overall composition. This is all just an opinion. Its a beauty which ever way you do it.

fergmark Loc: norwalk connecticut

Funny you should say that. You know when I fly, it simply kills me that it is near impossible to take pictures through the scratchy plexiglass . The land forms from up there are nothing short of spectacular. I have tried though.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

I like your cropping idea a lot, and also appreciate the other suggestions. I tried a bit on my befunky online app, while using the touchpad of my Chromebook, but I need a little more control, lol. "Chunky bokeh" made me smile!

artBob Loc: Near Chicago

If it isn't ALL light, it's pretty close! Even beyond composition adjustments, light and dark determine the composition. Turn the photo upside down and squint, and you see a circular pattern, a rhythmical pattern, or a symmetrical or asymmetrical balance. Chosing the composition, or several compositions, can make the statement of the photo even stronger.

Attached are two photos using the same basic compositions, although flipped. One, realistic, has a composition that aids the photo, inviting the eye to travel in and around the space of the sunset; the other makes the composition dominant, nothing central to focus on, but rather the eye travels around to enjoy (I hope) the various textures and to perhaps contemplate on whether this is a metaphor for life. In both cases, it is the contrast between light and dark that generates the composition.

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robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

In use of light as part of the composition I most often use it to isolate the subject.

1. It is all there but between the bokah and the light the seed heads float in the foreground.
2. The beam of light really leaves you nothing to look at but the Humming Bird.
3. The rest of the plant-leaves-more flowers are there but the sun beam through the tree overhead isolates the flowers and just enough of the leaves to establish a setting.

Between the light and focus the seed heads float above the background.

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The "beam" isolates the subject.

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The background is there, but the beam of sunlight makes the flowers stand out.

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Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

#1 - I go right to the brightest area of sky, then the water, then I start again in the lower part of the frame and follow the lines, both of darker toned rocks and the light/dark contrast of the shoreline, all the way to the distant horizon. I like the feeling of having the vast expanse all to myself. Yeah, I did see the dog when enlarging, but dogs are allowed in my "quiet time."

#2 - I confess to not understanding your metaphor, Bob Many thanks for posting!

fergmark Loc: norwalk connecticut

Im not sure about the second photo. I must be missing something. I opened your sunset photo and went about doing what I do with one of mine. First I straightened the horizon. Then I did some dodging in the foreground. Big brush low percent. What happened I liked a lot. That great color from horizon cloud brought out more detail in the near foreground, which is what I was after, but I believe your eye travels from near to far much more freely. Then for good measure I removed the dog and something more distant to let the sand sweep the length of beach more cleanly. The light sky seemed to overpower all that sand. I really like the transitions from cool to warm within the narrow range of color in all the elements. Earth water and sky.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

#1 - The bright white fluff and your depth of field enhance the 3D look. Pretty neat.

#2 - Rim light on the bird's sides, a flashy pop of red, and the directed beam - how can we say anything other than "Awesome!"

#3 - Definitely a bonus to have the slightly lit leaves. I very much like the composition with the ample dark area that gives more mystery overall (what is in the shadows??) and adds to the sense of your subject being small and delicate.

Many thanks for participating, Robert!

whwiden

Here are a couple of flower shots taken in mid day sun in Florida--allegedly a bad time of day for photographs. To make matters worse, they are out of camera black and white jpegs taken, with no adjustments--using a cheap Nikon B700 superzoom with a small sensor. But they were taken in manual. And, the sun was on the flower--and not in the background--thus creating separation based on light intensity. Moreover, they were taken at a bit of a distance so the background would soften. Frankly, for black and white--this result makes me almost want to can my massive amount of high end equipment.


Increasingly, I am working on OOC jpegs, and budget equipment--at least for travel and more stationary subjects.


I should add that I stuck a UV filter on the camera which sorta fits. Wish there was a better filter thread on this camera--which I think is rather good.


I think this shows that if you pay attention to the light in the background of the shot, as well as the light on the subject itself, you can enhance your results--even using natural light. It also shows that, with some luck, you can shoot in mid day in harsh light and still get some decent results. Enjoy.

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Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

I'm drawn more to #1 for the brighter whites of the flowers, which still seem very creamy and soft in texture. Another appealing aspect of #1 over #2 is we're seeing the "fronts" of the flowers.

For those who suggest that flowers should never be photographed in b&w, I suggest they look more closely While I'd probably tone down a couple of the brighter leaves at the edges, you've expressed your goals and interests in that area. Many thanks for posting!

Cwilson341 Loc: Central Florida

I am drawn to "pretty". I particularly like the beautiful effect light has on colorful flowers. Light frequently gives a translucent quality and also spotlights the beauty of flowers if the rest of the background is darker. The picture Linda added for Kathy, Linda's Glacier lily and Jerry's "beam of sunlight" flower shot all draw my attention and make me feel good!

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

I feel the same way, Carol. Celebrate the beauty of nature!

Besides the documentary aspects, flowers and birds can be as artistically interpreted as any subject, just check out MinnieV's and Dixiegirl's work, to mention two. Not coincidentally, their use of light is masterful. And how about Ms. Wilson's own high key egret in our second chapter on light

http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-531762-2.html#9018528

Stunning!

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

I had this almost finished and suddenly the connection got dropped with message it could not connect to the server?????
So I will do it over again.
Thank you for your comments.

The mystery of the shadows below the flower: There is a "stone cold killer" down there.

I was on a foot bridge that crosses a man made stream flowing from one man made pond to another in "Riverwalk Parkway" Riverside, CA. It is a man made "river" with ponds etc along the course just under a mile long. They built it in a flood control channel alongside a major street.

The flowers are almost level with the rail and the scrub is on a very steep bank leading down to the stream. In the shallows 10' to 12' below is a Green Heron on the hunt. In this case "negative light" (the heron's shadow) becomes a major part of the composition as it reinforces the direction of his attention as a minnow darts under the rock and leaves in front of him and then before he can strike darts out and down stream so that the heron twists, turns and rapidly stalks after the minnow. The second image catches him in mid turn to follow the minnow.

There is my food!

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It went that way!

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Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

What fun these are! I'm thinking that if sun was bright and direct, you'd have unwanted reflections on that area of the water. The depth and clarity of the water combined with the perfect amount of light to make that wonderful shadow.