Malabar Scrub Floral Display...

Got a thin skin? Then look elsewhere. Post a link to an image that you've made, and invite others to offer their critiques. Honesty is encouraged, but please be positive in your constructive criticism. Flaming and just plain nastiness will not be tolerated. Please note that this is not an area for you to showcase your images, nor is this a place for you to show-off where you have been. This is an area for you to post images so that you may share with us a technique that you have mastered, or are trying to master. Typically, no more than about four images should be posted in any one post or thread, and the maximum size of any side of any image should not exceed 950 px.

Moderators: Greg B, Nnnnsic, Geoff, Glen, gstark, Moderators

Forum rules
Please note that image critiquing is a matter of give and take: if you post images for critique, and you then expect to receive criticism, then it is also reasonable, fair and appropriate that, in return, you post your critique of the images of other members here as a matter of courtesy. So please do offer your critique of the images of others; your opinion is important, and will help everyone here enjoy their visit to far greater extent.

Also please note that, unless you state something to the contrary, other members might attempt to repost your image with their own post processing applied. We see this as an acceptable form of critique, but should you prefer that others not modify your work, this is perfectly ok, and you should state this, either within your post, or within your signature.

Images posted here should conform with the general forum guidelines. Image sizes should not exceed 950 pixels along the largest side (height or width) and typically no more than four images per post or thread.

Please also ensure that you have a meaningful location included in your profile. Please refer to the FAQ for details of what "meaningful" is.

Malabar Scrub Floral Display...

Postby Remorhaz on Tue Aug 28, 2012 8:12 pm

After our sunrise session atop the cliffs of Malabar (where mad fishermen were once again in action on the wave swept rocks below) we headed back along the coastline towards where we had parked near South Maroubra Surf Lifesaving Club.

On the way Gerry and I checked out another inland graffiti laden bunker as well as trying some quick run and gun macro and floral landscape work (now that we could actually see what was there during the daytime - when we came in it was pitch dark :)) - there was a huge abundance of native flowers out all along the coastal scrub.

The inside of this two room concrete bunker had been nicely painted in "floral" designs in preparation for our visit...

Artists Palace
Image

I would have liked to have focus stacked the buds portion of this composition but alas didn't have time

Buds and Bloom
Image

The flowers were out in show everywhere so we had switched to macro lenses for some close up work - however when I came across this scene I actually wanted to do a compressed landscape where only my foreground subject matter was in focus and my entire landscape background would be a soft but recognisable blur - I stuck with the Tamron 90mm macro for the shot anyway - I hope it's worked as I'd envisaged...

... For this one I'd be keen to hear what others think - does this have merit or am I just dreaming?

Floral Scape
Image

I didn't quite get this how I'd wanted (I was swaying around way too much - tired probably :)) and couldn't get the plane of focus how I wanted it whilst also having the background I wanted, plus I wanted more depth of field - however I still liked the result...

... Ditto with this one - is it going somewhere or nowhere?

Lemon and Lime
Image
D600, D7000, Nikon/Sigma/Tamron Lenses, Nikon Flashes, Sirui/Manfrotto/Benro Sticks
Rodney - My Photo Blog
Want: Fast Wide (14|20|24)
User avatar
Remorhaz
Senior Member
 
Posts: 2547
Joined: Thu Apr 29, 2010 8:14 pm
Location: Sydney - Lower North Shore - D600

Re: Malabar Scrub Floral Display...

Postby biggerry on Wed Aug 29, 2012 3:08 pm

The first is certainly electric and makes the joint look at lot cleaner than it really was! I don't mind it but the window is a bit of downer. I think this would have been a great candidate for your 8 mm.

Remorhaz wrote:... For this one I'd be keen to hear what others think - does this have merit or am I just dreaming?
Floral Scape


I think your on the right track here, however I find the main focus to be too far out of the centre of teh frame. My first thought was, maybe focus on the next bush down teh track. I do like the diagonal composition though.

2 other observations with this shot, 1) it would not work getting cropped from the right and 2) the path is actually pretty crucial, not necessarily from leading line but from a light and colour balance POV, it also (with that bit of grass) reduces the clutter of the vegetation BG.

Remorhaz wrote:... Ditto with this one - is it going somewhere or nowhere?

Lemon and Lime


personally, i would delete it.
gerry's photography journey
No amount of processing will fix bad composition - trust me i have tried.
User avatar
biggerry
Senior Member
 
Posts: 5930
Joined: Tue May 13, 2008 12:40 am
Location: Under the flight path, Newtown, Sydney

Re: Malabar Scrub Floral Display...

Postby Remorhaz on Wed Aug 29, 2012 7:29 pm

biggerry wrote:The first is certainly electric and makes the joint look at lot cleaner than it really was! I don't mind it but the window is a bit of downer. I think this would have been a great candidate for your 8 mm.


Possibly - althout that would have easily got both windows in (and maybe more) - this was actually with the 17-50. I'll take the 8mm on Sat and maybe try before sunset.

I think your on the right track here, however I find the main focus to be too far out of the centre of teh frame. My first thought was, maybe focus on the next bush down teh track. I do like the diagonal composition though. 2 other observations with this shot, 1) it would not work getting cropped from the right and 2) the path is actually pretty crucial, not necessarily from leading line but from a light and colour balance POV, it also (with that bit of grass) reduces the clutter of the vegetation BG.


Thanks for your thoughts on this Gerry and interesting observations

personally, i would delete it.


Harsh but possibly fair (my wife thinks the same BTW). Still theres something about this I like for some reason :oops:
D600, D7000, Nikon/Sigma/Tamron Lenses, Nikon Flashes, Sirui/Manfrotto/Benro Sticks
Rodney - My Photo Blog
Want: Fast Wide (14|20|24)
User avatar
Remorhaz
Senior Member
 
Posts: 2547
Joined: Thu Apr 29, 2010 8:14 pm
Location: Sydney - Lower North Shore - D600

Re: Malabar Scrub Floral Display...

Postby biggerry on Wed Aug 29, 2012 11:04 pm

Remorhaz wrote:Possibly - althout that would have easily got both windows in (and maybe more) - this was actually with the 17-50. I'll take the 8mm on Sat and maybe try before sunset.


i guess i am referring more to the festy colour/blown highlight, how about just letting that window blow out to white? it could then actually draw the eye quite a bit and in doing so lead thru the image.
gerry's photography journey
No amount of processing will fix bad composition - trust me i have tried.
User avatar
biggerry
Senior Member
 
Posts: 5930
Joined: Tue May 13, 2008 12:40 am
Location: Under the flight path, Newtown, Sydney

Re: Malabar Scrub Floral Display...

Postby Remorhaz on Thu Aug 30, 2012 8:29 am

biggerry wrote:i guess i am referring more to the festy colour/blown highlight, how about just letting that window blow out to white? it could then actually draw the eye quite a bit and in doing so lead thru the image.


Thanks Gerry - plus a little dodge and burn...

Image
D600, D7000, Nikon/Sigma/Tamron Lenses, Nikon Flashes, Sirui/Manfrotto/Benro Sticks
Rodney - My Photo Blog
Want: Fast Wide (14|20|24)
User avatar
Remorhaz
Senior Member
 
Posts: 2547
Joined: Thu Apr 29, 2010 8:14 pm
Location: Sydney - Lower North Shore - D600

Re: Malabar Scrub Floral Display...

Postby biggerry on Thu Aug 30, 2012 8:52 am

yeah i am coming to like that more now, the window draws your eye straight to that 'eye' - coolness :)
gerry's photography journey
No amount of processing will fix bad composition - trust me i have tried.
User avatar
biggerry
Senior Member
 
Posts: 5930
Joined: Tue May 13, 2008 12:40 am
Location: Under the flight path, Newtown, Sydney

Re: Malabar Scrub Floral Display...

Postby CraigVTR on Thu Aug 30, 2012 10:14 am

Strange thing happening with this thread. It is the second time I have looked at the thread but, as with the first view, I can only see the last "Lemon & Lime" picture. Also on this view of the thread I can only see the top third of the picture in Rodney's post with the rest of the image just a grey box. Very strange. Any thoughts as I have not seen this happen on other threads.
Craig
Lifes journey is not to arrive at our grave in a well preserved body but, rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting, "Wow what a ride."
D70s, D300, 70-300ED, 18-70 Kit Lens, Nikkor 105 Micro. Manfrotto 190Prob Ball head. SB800 x 2.
User avatar
CraigVTR
Senior Member
 
Posts: 1243
Joined: Fri Feb 03, 2006 6:09 pm
Location: Montville, Sunshine Coast, Queensland

Re: Malabar Scrub Floral Display...

Postby biggerry on Thu Aug 30, 2012 10:47 am

CraigVTR wrote:Strange thing happening with this thread. It is the second time I have looked at the thread but, as with the first view, I can only see the last "Lemon & Lime" picture. Also on this view of the thread I can only see the top third of the picture in Rodney's post with the rest of the image just a grey box. Very strange. Any thoughts as I have not seen this happen on other threads.


no issues from my end - try refreshing, in particular use SHIFT 'refresh' to reload the cache
gerry's photography journey
No amount of processing will fix bad composition - trust me i have tried.
User avatar
biggerry
Senior Member
 
Posts: 5930
Joined: Tue May 13, 2008 12:40 am
Location: Under the flight path, Newtown, Sydney

Re: Malabar Scrub Floral Display...

Postby CraigVTR on Thu Aug 30, 2012 11:35 am

Thanks Gerry
Tried the shift refresh with no luck but I have noticed this is now happening on other sites as well both in FF and IE. I am also having photos assemble on screen in a jigsaw like pattern with parts of the photo moved around. May be a specific issue on my machine which I will investigate later.
Craig
Lifes journey is not to arrive at our grave in a well preserved body but, rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting, "Wow what a ride."
D70s, D300, 70-300ED, 18-70 Kit Lens, Nikkor 105 Micro. Manfrotto 190Prob Ball head. SB800 x 2.
User avatar
CraigVTR
Senior Member
 
Posts: 1243
Joined: Fri Feb 03, 2006 6:09 pm
Location: Montville, Sunshine Coast, Queensland

Re: Malabar Scrub Floral Display...

Postby CraigVTR on Fri Aug 31, 2012 9:11 am

I can see them now, seems it was a flash player problem.

I can see what you were getting at with the floral scape shot but to my eye it does not work because the subject matter is at the left of frame and then my eye wanders aimlessly around the rest of the image trying to find another point of focus.
Craig
Lifes journey is not to arrive at our grave in a well preserved body but, rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting, "Wow what a ride."
D70s, D300, 70-300ED, 18-70 Kit Lens, Nikkor 105 Micro. Manfrotto 190Prob Ball head. SB800 x 2.
User avatar
CraigVTR
Senior Member
 
Posts: 1243
Joined: Fri Feb 03, 2006 6:09 pm
Location: Montville, Sunshine Coast, Queensland

Re: Malabar Scrub Floral Display...

Postby Remorhaz on Sat Sep 01, 2012 12:11 am

Found another example of floral life - a specimen of the rare Gerrionimo :)

Image
D600, D7000, Nikon/Sigma/Tamron Lenses, Nikon Flashes, Sirui/Manfrotto/Benro Sticks
Rodney - My Photo Blog
Want: Fast Wide (14|20|24)
User avatar
Remorhaz
Senior Member
 
Posts: 2547
Joined: Thu Apr 29, 2010 8:14 pm
Location: Sydney - Lower North Shore - D600

Re: Malabar Scrub Floral Display...

Postby Mj on Sat Sep 01, 2012 12:37 am

Ok... big week so a late catch up...

The last shot... interesting but pity some local stepped into the shot and mucked it up (ok late night weak humour).
The Floralscape needed more dof to work but the intent would have given a classic shot.
Buds and bloom... sorry.
Lemon and Lime... sorry.
Artists Palace... second PP is certainly getting there as it provides for a better depth to the composition.

It's late so that's about all I've got right now :surrender:
Photography is not a crime, but perhaps my abuse of artistic license is?
User avatar
Mj
Senior Member
 
Posts: 1048
Joined: Fri Aug 20, 2004 3:37 pm
Location: Breakfast Point, Sydney {Australia}

Re: Malabar Scrub Floral Display...

Postby biggerry on Tue Sep 04, 2012 12:44 pm

Remorhaz wrote:Found another example of floral life - a specimen of the rare Gerrionimo :)



hey look, how good are those matching colours, blue jacket, blue sky :rotfl2: :rotfl2:
gerry's photography journey
No amount of processing will fix bad composition - trust me i have tried.
User avatar
biggerry
Senior Member
 
Posts: 5930
Joined: Tue May 13, 2008 12:40 am
Location: Under the flight path, Newtown, Sydney

Re: Malabar Scrub Floral Display...

Postby Remorhaz on Tue Sep 04, 2012 1:27 pm

biggerry wrote:hey look, how good are those matching colours, blue jacket, blue sky


You know I planned it that way :wink:
D600, D7000, Nikon/Sigma/Tamron Lenses, Nikon Flashes, Sirui/Manfrotto/Benro Sticks
Rodney - My Photo Blog
Want: Fast Wide (14|20|24)
User avatar
Remorhaz
Senior Member
 
Posts: 2547
Joined: Thu Apr 29, 2010 8:14 pm
Location: Sydney - Lower North Shore - D600

Re: Malabar Scrub Floral Display...

Postby surenj on Wed Sep 05, 2012 2:08 pm

Nice colors on the buds and blooma although the background seems to intrude a little on the main subject.

With regard to the last image, we know that the background model IS intruding on the main subject. Probably going to strangle it with the tripod to make way.....
User avatar
surenj
Senior Member
 
Posts: 7197
Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2006 8:21 pm
Location: Artarmon NSW

Re: Malabar Scrub Floral Display...

Postby Remorhaz on Wed Sep 05, 2012 3:32 pm

surenj wrote:Nice colors on the buds and blooma although the background seems to intrude a little on the main subject.


Yeah - I was trying to show the unopened buds up close with the opened flowers as the background but...
D600, D7000, Nikon/Sigma/Tamron Lenses, Nikon Flashes, Sirui/Manfrotto/Benro Sticks
Rodney - My Photo Blog
Want: Fast Wide (14|20|24)
User avatar
Remorhaz
Senior Member
 
Posts: 2547
Joined: Thu Apr 29, 2010 8:14 pm
Location: Sydney - Lower North Shore - D600


Return to Image Reviews and Critiques