Kyoto Cherry Blossom

[richb14]

Hi all

This is my first post. I took this photo last year in Kyoto, trying to compose a nice shot with some background context to provide a feel for location or give it a little emotion, rather than just a photo of some nice flowers. The shot was take in the morning with the sun behind me.



I'd value any thoughts on:

1. Whether the photo seems clutterred or too busy.
2. Composition, does it follow enough of the rules.
3. Any suggestions on maybe how I could have framed better given the subjects.

Warm regards, Richb

Photo details:
Camera: Canon EOS 350D
Exposure: 1/1000
Aperture: f/4.5
ISO 100
Focal length: 49mm (Lens: 28-300mm macro zoom)

[Matthew James Norman]

Hi richb14,

I love cherry blossom so this shot is quite exciting for me, so thanks for posting. The only comments I have are these:-
1. The black roof to the left is far too dominating - Maybe if you'd rotated yourself a bit you could have caught the blossom without the roof.
2. The sharpness of the central twig gets lost in the blurred ones behind it - Perhaps a change of the depth of field could have resulted in a different effect.
3. The colour's vibrant and stands out.

The image is much better full size than rather the smaller verion here. Thanks again.

[oriolhdz]

Hi richb14:
After I read your questions and folowed to the comments made by Today 02:48 AM
Matthew James Norman, I must agree the rooftop is to distracting. You can take an adventure in Photoshop and try to remove it or just shot it again and traing to get the flower against the great blue sky you got.
Also using an aperture like f/16 maybe let you have the flowers in focus and if you decide you need some blur, you can adjust it later in photoshop. But as some photographers say: "Avoid, I will fix it later in photoshop" , so if you can play with many apertures to see what you get, that would be perfect.
Hope there was trees like those here where I live because I found them amazing subjects.
Thanks for sharing!

[JFSanders]

Originally Posted by richb14

Hi all

This is my first post. I took this photo last year in Kyoto, trying to compose a nice shot with some background context to provide a feel for location or give it a little emotion, rather than just a photo of some nice flowers. The shot was take in the morning with the sun behind me.



I'd value any thoughts on:

1. Whether the photo seems clutterred or too busy.
2. Composition, does it follow enough of the rules.
3. Any suggestions on maybe how I could have framed better given the subjects.

Warm regards, Richb

Photo details:
Camera: Canon EOS 350D
Exposure: 1/1000
Aperture: f/4.5
ISO 100
Focal length: 49mm (Lens: 28-300mm macro zoom)

Rich, First let me say that the picture idea is a great one.

Yes the photo is too busy/cluttered. If possible, a rotation of camera position or maybe a different limb.

I like the angle of the limb through the frame if you crop the image like this.



As was stated before the limb behind the subject is a killer because it causes the subject to fall back into the background. Nice eye.

[peeperita]

you did a good job of presenting this image for critique.....and i sincerely hope that you get enough traffic for that in this section.....if you'll look on the main directory for this forum, you'll see a whole section dedicated soley to critique......here is more for discussion of technique.....if you would like one of us to move it for you, just say the word.....

you had beautiful skies when this image was taken, and i am sure the whole scene was breathtaking......i envy you and your shoes for the opportunity.....

it is a little cluttered.....the building in the background is too large and lopped off to add context and is a hindrance.....there's too many branches competing for attention.....a lower perspective and careful examination of what's in the frame could find you with only one branch full of these lovely blossoms against that glorious blue sky....

compositionally, the foreground branch is pretty much where i would put it.....

thanks for sharing

peeper

[richb14]

Hi all

Thanks for the great feedback, I really appreciate it. I must have taken 500 shots in this particular garden, this one seemed the most interesting, but all your comments have given me extra perspective. I had intended to place the photo in the critique area, I just got lost on my first run, however the critique already kindly provided has been great. I may add different photo into the critique area.

Thanks again, this is a great forum all round.

Warm regards,

Rich

[Jboy]

Am I the only one who loves the roof? True, it does dominate the pic from its angle, but it gives such a strong context to the shot! I think if you had positioned yourself so that the roof were a bit higher up in the frame (and not directly behind the blossoms), it would be a great framing element.

I do agree that the second branch that's out of focus makes the subject look less sharp, though. I think that it's a great shot, and I love all of the elements of it, I just think that the composition is a little off.

I'm jealous of both your going to Kyoto and your shots :P