Flowers & Ring

[photoqueen]

Here is a practice shot I took with a ring and a bouquet I caught at a friend's wedding many years ago. Sorry, they are artificial flowers, but I don't have any live flowers to use.

Any suggestions to make it better, especially the ring's sparkle?

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/photo-queen/2304980819/" title="DSCF0625 by photo-queen, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2248/2304980819_6924d61951.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSCF0625" /></a>

This is now a new photo, I had put the wrong one on flickr.

Camera: Fujifilm FinePix S5700 S700
Exposure: 0.038 sec (1/26)
Aperture: f/3.5
Focal Length: 6.3 mm
ISO Speed: 800
Exposure Bias: 0/100 EV
Flash: Flash did not fire

Orientation: Horizontal (normal)
X-Resolution: 72 dpi
Y-Resolution: 72 dpi
Software: Digital Camera FinePix S5700 S700 Ver1.02
Date and Time: 2008:02:27 17:41:34
YCbCr Positioning: Co-Sited
Exposure Program: Normal
Date and Time (Original): 2008:02:27 17:41:34
Date and Time (Digitized): 2008:02:27 17:41:34
Compressed Bits per Pixel: 2 bits
Shutter Speed: 470/100
Brightness: 30/100
Maximum Lens Aperture: 360/100
Metering Mode: Pattern
Color Space: sRGB
Focal Plane X-Resolution: 5376 dpc
Focal Plane Y-Resolution: 5376 dpc
Sensing Method: One-chip colour area sensor
Compression: JPEG
Tag::Fujifilm::0x0010: 4C313230202007091599057U507071
Quality: NORMAL
Sharpness: 3
Flash Mode: 2
Flash Strength: 0/100
Macro: 1
Tag::Fujifilm::0x1022: 1
Tag::Fujifilm::0x1023: 1536, 1152
Tag::Fujifilm::0x1032: 1
Blur Warning: 1
Image Width: 3072 pixels
Image Height: 2304 pixels

[netbymatt]

Is there a specific question that you have for this photo? If you could let us know what you were trying to capture, or what you'd like us to critique we can provide much better feedback.

What you're going for is an interesting shot, but the flash seems to have blown it out quite a bit, especially with all of that white in the photo.

[photoqueen]

I may have posted the wrong pic, let me see if I can one that's isn't so blown out. I will delete the previous one and repost.

**Now reposted the correct picture**

[Sandie]

Just playing around I came up with this.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandiemg/2309467282/" title="wedding ring by sandiemg, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2269/2309467282_d1073b0e0a_o.jpg" width="300" height="248" alt="wedding ring" /></a>
I cropped it, made two extra layers, in one I blurred everything but the ring, then the other one I used the channel mixer until I got a pretty blue, I layered the three -adjusting the opaques until the ring sparkled a bit more and the flowers were soft and romantic.

[windrider86]

In my humble opinion I think the rose should also be in focus and the white flowers be left as softer. To me, this isnt working.

[Sandie]

I can see that, I was just playing around. I can even change the blurred layer to see what happens.

[SitPretty]

In my humble opinion I think the rose should also be in focus and the white flowers be left as softer. To me, this isnt working.

I agree. the ring looks really out of place. having the rose in focus will make it belong better.

I'd probably test shoot with lower ISO and a 4 or 6 point filter as well.

[Sandie]

Here it is with the whole rose in focus...
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandiemg/2309550142/" title="wedding ring 2 by sandiemg, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2306/2309550142_9d11b12842.jpg" width="309" height="279" alt="wedding ring 2" /></a>

[RexK_Cozumel]

To add some sparkle to the ring try snooting down a light and have it hit just the ring from a side angle it should add some sparkle to the diamonds.

[FocalFrenzy]

Another lighting option would be to use a diffuser on your onboard flash (preventing the white flowers bing blown out), while lighting the ring with one of those "High intensity" white LED flashlights. Some of these have a spotlight setting, which is great for highlighting a specific area within the frame (ring). They are also handy for outlining an object in a darkened room (long exposure shots). I hope these suggestions are helpful. These are some of the "Easier" tips I've learned here on DPS. I pay-it-forward whenever possible.

[jiminyClickit]

photoqueen,

Upper left is not a strong location (lower left is weaker). Depending on what part of the bouquet you favor saving, a tighter crop can still show the 'flowers' and get a closer view of the ring. As practice, this is good both for camera work and post processing.

Here, I use a warm dark color from the original post to add an influential vignette, focussing attention onto ring. Flipping left for right puts attention-getting white flower in a better position. The sparkle is a simple star mask blurred. There are a hundred ways to go with this; hope your practice continues, and goes well.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/47146451@N00/2325697727/" title="RingX by jiminyClickit, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3094/2325697727_066fd2a952.jpg" width="500" height="365" alt="RingX" /></a>

[crunch]

Much nicer! I felt that the original was too cluttered. The subject doesn't stand out at all.