Red background for flower - does it work?

[AshNZ]

Got a little bored/lonely today so picked up my camera and wandered around my house. In general I am a minimalist photographer and I like to keep my pictures clean with just one subject and bit of empty space.


Flowers of tomorrow.. seeds of today by Arsh NZ, on Flickr

Red isn't a usual background when taking picture of flowers.. but what do you think about this picture? Do you think the red color works or is it too distracting?

Any other critique welcome too. Taken with my 50mm prime.

amera Sony DSLR-A300
Exposure 0.067 sec (1/15)
Aperture f/2.0
Focal Length 50 mm
ISO Speed 400

[AshNZ]

***bump***

[RichardTaylor]

It works very well for me.

[AshNZ]

Thanks mate, after initial wierdness towards it, I am really starting to like this picture.

[windrider86]

Moved this out of the animal section for you. Not really an animal/wildlife ;-)

For me, the crop doesnt work at all. Notice how the flower is pointing off into the direction where this is less room? Makes it feel awkward. I'd also love to see the flower without the strange color casts on it and maybe a bit more on the sharper/crisp side.

The red is a nice contrast color tho. Was the flower right up against it?

[AshNZ]

Sorry, I was unsure of where to post this ... wildlife.. plants.. flowers - that's why I posted here haha

Thanks for the critique - I'll try this shot again sometime with the flower in the different direction and perhaps with more natural lightening (this one was taken in my living room under fluorescent light.

The red is actually the color of my living room wall and it makes for a good backdrop but the flower was not right up against it - it was about half a meter away.

[mikoyan]

When I first saw it, I almost had to say ouch but as I look at it more, I do like the contrast. But I would have to agree, you might want to crop out the right side of the picture.

[AshNZ]

Originally Posted by mikoyan

When I first saw it, I almost had to say ouch but as I look at it more, I do like the contrast. But I would have to agree, you might want to crop out the right side of the picture.

Thanks. I am glad I was finally able to get an "ouch" reaction from someone haha, I must be on the right track.. would you prefer it more if the flower was located on the right side of the picture?

[sk66]

Works for me, but IMO the whites were overexposed loosing all detail. I think a "softer" exposure would have been better.

[RobSPhotoNut]

Ironic that I have been thinking of different colour backdrops as you have done. I have been considering white, blue, red and maybe a green. Unsure of exact shades of the colours. Did you use velvet? I have heard, read, whatever that velvet is a must. It absorbs the light and does not reflect. It can be the "real" or the synthetic velvet. I keep a piece of black velvet in my camera bag for those just in case times. It squishes down pretty small and doesn't really weigh anything. Why the vignetting in the corners? Also, seems too much space on the left of the flower. For me, nice to see something I have been considering to see how it would look. Have fun! Kinda like it-------!
Meant to add that to me the focus looks a little soft and whites are a little blown out. Personally, I would try a lower ASA, a little smaller f-stop to increase dof. But, I still like it-------