One flower, three stems, DOF?

[ClemsonME2010]

Being pretty new to photography I'm working on the basics. My recent focus has been on aperture and DOF, so I've been working with my camera on aperture priority mode.

For this image, the flower was the focus (obviously). Would it have been better to get an angle on this flower that would make the left and right stems more out of focus? Or should they be in focus as well? I would think that them being in focus distracts from the flower. Also, does the cart path (this was taken at a golf course) in the background distract at all?


Shot with Nikon D90 and Nikkor 70-300mm VR
ISO: 200
Exposure: 0.3
Aperture f/4.5
Focal Length: 102mm
Flash: No, but the sun was starting to go down, so I used a tripod.
No post-processing done



Thanks in advance for any help!

[Dayna]

I'd say out of focus. Maybe drop your AV to 2.8ish

[wal]

"been better to get an angle on this flower that would make the left and right stems more out of focus?" .. Yes, blurr the whole background, and the path won't be bothering anymore.

But why there is so much space surrounding the flower, shouldn't it been better if it filled the whole frame since the focus of the pic was the flower.?

[sjlarue]

IMHRamblingO:

The Technical:
Single flowers seem to always look better as a portrait unless doing it as a landscape leads your eye somewhere. Sort of like this landscape of a Mock Orange bloom:
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s...flowercopy.jpg
The stem leads across the picture and up to the bloom then out to the sun which is "off frame", shining down on the flower.

Plus the "Rule of Thirds"(ROT) would apply here as well. (I only roll my eyes because it is the most used and sometimes overused phrase in modern photography...but...) Because of the stem on the right, my eye is veering over to the right, drawing me away from the hibiscus flower.

Some more examples:
Blooms pictures by sjlarue - Photobucket
Those are some I took in the Spring at a local nature preserve...some with a little PP trickery.
Look at the one called 3 Jacks, That one breaks the rule of thirds...everything important is in the center of the picture. Even the flowers point to the center. But it works because there is more than one; the three are clumped together, the stems draw you up to the flower and there is nothing else to lead your eye away from that grouping.

The last one in that page is another that somewhat breaks the ROT. Because Trilliums are rare for Ohio, I couldn't destroy one to get the picture of the other...not that I want to, they are beautiful flowers. So I shot them at an angle so that the smaller pointed to the larger. And then the tree log stops you from going off into never never land...

My suggestion is go back, either earlier or later in the day (when the sun hitting the flower is warmer) and flip your camera sideways and shoot it as a portrait. Move the flower near the top right...ish. Try going for a profile as well. And gently move the other stems out of the way so they don't distract from the subject.

The Philosophical:
Without sounding too...strange...treat single subjects (flowers, birds, etc.) in general like it has human tendencies, what is it wanting to do? Is it wanting to reach or sing straight up to the sky? Then take it that way. Is it wanting to "look" off to the right or left or down or wanting to to trail off to the left or right? Then take it that way. Even the forest floor wants to do what it wants to do. (You will find that you will start putting yourself...your soul if you will, into the pictures, instead of just taking pictures.)

[sjlarue]

Forgot...

The stems are not going to be helped by a lower f stop...they are on the same focus plane. The cart path...eh I didn't notice it because of the stems. But if you take it a portrait, that will take care of the cart path problem as well. Work on your white balance (I actually like to say warmth.) as well...it's a bit cool.

[ClemsonME2010]

Originally Posted by sjlarue

Forgot...

The stems are not going to be helped by a lower f stop...they are on the same focus plane.

Yeah that's why I wondered if I should have taken another angle on it--to remove the other stems from the focus plane.

Thanks so much for the detailed explanation and the help!!