still life, plant in window

[JessicaO]

Camera: Canon EOS 20D
Exposure: 0.02 sec (1/50)
Aperture: f/4.0
Focal Length: 18 mm
ISO Speed: 200
Lens: 18-55mm

Hey all, I'm new to the DPS and am thoroughly enjoying the forums. I thought that rather than posting a photo that totally love, I'd post one that I feel a bit iffy about. I like photos of potted plants and other objects on windowsills using a wide angle view. This one I passed by the first time around, but happened to see it a while back and am giving it a second consideration. While I like having parts of the plant out of focus, I'm not sure about it b/c I don't know what part of the plant/photo is really the focus point here.

Any thoughts/critiques are welcome. Thanks!

[KansaiGreenie]

Hi Jessica,

This is not a bad photo, but I feel 'iffy' about it too. For me, the S-curved stem on the front of the plant is the most interesting thing in the image, and therefore, I would like it to be completely in focus, but it doesn't have to be.

It is what is outside the window, behind the plant, that is distracting me the most. If I had taken this shot, I would have set the exposure for the plant inside and let the window 'blow-out' so that it was just an overexposed blur. That way I'm looking at the plant and not looking outside the window. My eye keeps going to the building in the background.

Does that make sense?

There is a book called Home Photography by Andrew Sanderson that is full of these types of images--flowers on the window sill and bowls of fruit, etc. I think you might really like it.

[JessicaO]

Hi Kansai Greenie,

Thanks for your reply! I really like the photographer you mentioned, thanks. I am going to check out that book of his. I do agree I should have made the S-curve in focus. And I am undecided about the background/foreground issue-- the background was actually originally more blown out, but I adjusted the image in photoshop to make everything visible. But I do hear what you say, I think perhaps it would have looked better this time w/ keeping focus on just the plant.