Wallula Flowers

[EOBeav]

I'd like your thoughts about composition, exposure, and whatever else comes to your mind about this photo. Thanks in advance for your comments. I had made this trip hoping for some good light that evening, but unfortunately this was the best I got the whole time I was there.



EXIF:
Camera Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi
Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4 L
Exposure 0.8
Aperture f/16.0
Focal Length 17 mm
ISO Speed 100

[karma]

Wow, I really like this! Composition is really great in my view...as well as the lighting. Foreground is lit well and still the sky looks great too! I would have been thrilled to capture this.

[Krusty79]

Nice composition and I like the foreground interest. Some colorful sunset clouds would have topped the whole thing off beautifully - I know that's what you were hoping for. It would be nice if I could see more detail in that spire on the left side, but a cool shot nonetheless.

[SwissJon]

Hello Rick

Gotta be blunt here, it's not the best photo I've seen of yours, but I think you were mostly hampered by the weather. Ok, my first thought about this is that the sky is a bit boring, but you knew that, looks a little over exposed in places too.. Some heavy clouds would have really been a godsend.

Not sure what to make of the background, it's a bit bland I'm afraid, lacks colour and the rock that should have been the saving grace, on the left, is severely under exposed.. A difficult task to get those two right, the dynamic range is huge.. You needed heavier clouds or a blue sky.. You just got the wrong day for that particular angle.

So then there's the subject.. Youve got a stick laid accross the flowers.. Shoulda picked that off it. And there's a flower in the forground that's not a part of the main group, and half a leaf.. I think you coulda moved them out of the way to make the main composition better.

What I think you coulda done here is, once you'd tidied up the subject, opened the lens wide to f/4, and put the point of focus on the flowers.. With the background out of focus, the bokeh would have been enhanced by the dynamic range giving you a nice blur round the rock.. Can't say I'd have done it any different to you on site, but with this picture before me, thinking of it with the luxury of time, that's what I think you should do if the opportunity presents itself again..

[EOBeav]

The funny thing about this business is that either you've got the light or you don't, and there's really no in between. Here's another edit I did that brings out some more detail in that rock formation. There will be a next time, as I only live about 20 miles from here. Sometimes it pays to live out here in the sticks. :-)

Edit: And if you're keeping score at home, this is looking north. You're probably right about time of day, Jon. I'd like to return him at daybreak some time soon to see what I get. Those flowers should be blooming for the next few weeks.

[SwissJon]

It's certainly better. Have you got a soft 0.3 ND grad filter? It would help to bring the dynamic range down a bit when you go back, and a 0.3 would be gentle enough to make it imperceptible.

If this is looking North, then at dawn the sun will be rising camera right, in other words, up hill.. That means this will all be in shade when the sun has all those lovely colours, and it will not be lit until after the colours have gone.. I'd suggest this particular composition would be better lit at sunset, when the sun is on camera left and lights the scene with the last rays.. That would also throw light on the tall rock and the rock face of the cliffs on the right hand side of the photo.. Definitely worth returning, But I think you can have a lay in

[EOBeav]

Good point. And since this is a West-facing slope, it wouldn't get the benefit of some quality evening sunlight. Darn those clouds anyway. They're around when you want them, but nowhere to be found when you do.

Hadn't thought about a soft .3 grad filter, but that's really a pretty good idea. I can see how it would help reduce the brightest spots in the sky without unnecessarily darkening the rock.

It's supposed to rain here the rest of the week, then I'm going to be gone this weekend, so I won't be able to return until at least next week. I'm keeping a close eye on the forecast, though.

[SwissJon]

Rain? Now there's a photographic opportunity in itself.. He he, sorry Rick, wet weather's not an excuse to stay indoors.. Or maybe it is.. Raindrops on glass in focus with little upside down worlds in each drop, a wide open aperture to throw the real world out of focus.. if you're clever you can maybe get some shapes from the drops.

Sorry, just in one of those moods today.. See my post in general chat!