learning lessons about February flower photography.

[ronidog]

After all the grey gloom we have had in the last few months I managed to get out into the sun yesterday at Goldsborough Hall, Knaresborough. North Yorkshire. They have an amazing collection of snowdrops and snowdrop varieties.and cultivars.

I never realised before how diffcult the are to photograph. This is the best of the bunch, the background is way to busy. It was the ony isolated group I could find.




The definition on the petals below is more striking in real life



This hellebore was striking but should have been a close up of the flower head


So, what have I learned
1. My dog is patient but not always!
2. A macro lens would have been useful
3. A background card may have removed distractions
4. carpets of snowdrops are not as interesting through the lens of the camera as they are to the eye
4. Time spent Post processing would probably help improve images.
5. ITS GREAT TO GET OUTSIDE AND FOCUS ON THE ENVIRONMENT IF FRONT OF YOU.

To me the photography is a means of slowing down, enjoying and interacting with what is around you. My photos are for me. I occasinally share here or with firends and family. I dont need to worry if If I need the OM1 mark 2 or the 150 - 600

Dave

[huwnothugh]

I like the back lighting in the first and third shots. It gives the petals a diaphanous look.

[ronidog]

I love that light as well

[LadyG]

Lovely images - but you missed one thing from that list:

6. As you get older, when you crouch down to take a shot it takes a lot longer to get back up again!

[BDennis]

I like your shots, especially the first one.

I have trouble with snowdrops myself and agree they look better to the eye than what I can capture in a photograph. I've tried for low shots but the backgrounds are often messy.

Also when I crouch down taking photos I get a rush of blood from the head standing up and nearly keel over again!

Bill

[ronidog]

Thanks LadyG and BDennis

regarding crouching - I think thats why OM have flipsecreens on the camera, You dont have to lay on the ground

[BDennis]

Yes I do use the flip screen - it's great! I just rest the camera on the ground and I don't have to worry what I might be laying in

[wanderer]

Carpets of Snowdrops. You have to get over them rather than down with them. You view them normally at eye height. There is the temptation to get down low but the perspective is like viewing a lake at water's edge rather than looking down on the lake from a nearby hill.
Shooting from about 3ft above looking almost straight down using a wide lens gives that lovely sweep. Another possibility is to use telephoto, stand back and isolate. That should get rid of unwanted background.

[BDennis]

Good points, I was thinking the same about wide shots from above after trying with the 40-150 f2.8 recently.

As you say - I look at them standing and think how great they look then I crouch down to dachshund level and wonder why my shots don't look as good as it was!

[wanderer]

Often the trick is to stand back and telephoto at F4. I think you know what lens I'm using.

[ronidog]

Sorry please tell me as I don’t know

[wanderer]

Either the 12-100 F4 or the 40-150 F2.8. I think the latter is best for shallow depth of focus and nice bokeh. The other ones I've used with some success are the superwide 8mm F1.8 or the 7-12F2.8.
Its also just occured to me that using spot metering makes them glow against the background. I.e. the blooms are perfectly exposed and everything else is darkened.

[ronidog]

Thanks that is helpful . Just got to wait for the rain to stop again. I could be waiting months on present form!

[MJ224]

The Christmas Rose is out and smiling, and we have sunshine today too....

[davcoll]

I have nether seen one like that Mark, very nice.

Dave

[MJ224]

Hellebore is the other name...

[Mark2112]

I think you did well in all, Dave, and I especially like the backlighting in #1, #3. Sadly, we are not lucky to have Snowdrops in Oz.
As it happens, my nect door neighbour is a fanatical gardener and she has asked me to do a shoot of her magnificent garden.
Presently the summer sunlight and the heat is utterly searing, so I must wait for softer light early tomorrow morning.

[ronidog]

Mark2112 you could always do it in infrared, that would be interesting.

Did you manage to get any soft light shots?

[Mark2112]

Didn't happen, Dave. Yesterday morning was overcast, no harsh sunlight, perfect for flower photography in her sort of garden. so I decided to use the XZ-2 rather than the more cumbersome E-M1 Mkii. Vicki was so intrigued when she saw how the monitor framed the subject, so I set the cam on Auto and invited her to take a few shots herself, but she said she didn't want to use up too much of my film! LOL When I explained that it was digital, just like her phone, she relaxed and I suggested I loan her my precious XZ-2 for a day, and she could do the shoot herself - that way I knew she could not be disappointed if I didn't get what she expected! I have yet to get my cam back to see how she did, and transfer them to a CD.

[Mark2112]

This hellebore was striking but should have been a close up of the flower head

Dave, just remembered that I shot this Hellibore (uncropped) with the E-M1 mkii, three years ago. As you know, this plant flowers close to the ground - I got a wet belly. 150mm, f/2.8, 1/100, ISO 200, EV -0.7 (perhaps f/7.1 and a tad more dof would have been nice)
.I don't know if this is also a Hellibore, it was alongside the other.

[MJ224]

Nice ones Mark...

[ronidog]

Vary nice Mark. The middle one is hellebore

[Mark2112]

Thanks Ron. the dupe was a glitch, but if I try editing it out, any damn thing could happen!
Anyways, there's no such thing as too much of a good thing, eh ...