Random

When I'm not using the compact digital for checking exposure settings for my vintage medium format cameras, I sometimes walk around photographing anything and everything with the digital, keeping it ticking over. Occasionally a random shot from those walk arounds isn't immediately noticeable for it's better qualities than the others I took. Here's one that I don't mind. Please comment if you feel it needs improving. It's straight out of the camera except for slight sharpening.

Pink Flower

Nice burst of color in an otherwise unremarkable shot. It might bench to be able to see some green in there, around the lovely flower? The bee adds a wee bit of interest, IMO, but isn't really well seen as photographed. There's a nice mix of moods between the bright color and the areas around it though. Still, I'd like it more if I could see more detail in the surroundings.

Cheers.

Tom

I'd crop it square, but that's just me. It has nice DOF and seemingly accurate color and exposure; otherwise, it's nothing special to me.

So, when you were serious, with your medium format camera, did you approach it differently? Do you merely document with your MF, or are you more "artistic"? Can we see the MF interpretation? Just curious to see you mind being purposeful vs. being "random."

So, when you were serious, with your medium format camera, did you approach it differently? Do you merely document with your MF, or are you more "artistic"? Can we see the MF interpretation? Just curious to see you mind being purposeful vs. being "random."

No no, the flower was taken with my compact digital. Most of the time I use that camera as a light meter for my meterless film cameras, I should have explained it better.

Occasionally though, I go out and snap things at random with the digital camera for the fun of it. The flower is one of those shots, it's just better than the other flower shots from my last "random" type shoot. I'll accept any critique, a key description I'll take on board is Ricochetrider's "unremarkable". That's what I should be thinking about now regarding the pic, and how to make future shots less unremarkable - thanks. Wisely, I've noted all the other suggestions as well.

how to make future shots less unremarkable

The flower photo that will usually appeal to me is the one not remarkable in the typical flower photo fashion. The typically remarkable flower photo, admittedly, takes skill but doesn’t usually offer me much else. I’ve responded to flowers in terms of my own shooting and the photos of others that offer something unique rather than what traditionally scores. So, going in the direction of unremarkability with flowers might be just the ticket to something more interesting, at least to me. Remarkable, when it comes to flower photos, often translates to pretty or beautiful in the only-skin-deep sense. Something plain, like a face with character and expression but no makeup, can quite nicely rise above itself.

Interestingly, I think of your initial instincts on how you processed and presented your recent black and white landscape shot, which originally had a plainness but also a kind of soulfulness to it.

You've got me looking through the other flower photos now Sam, I may have jumped the gun when I said "The flower is one of those shots, it's just better than the other flower shots". I found two that might conform to "unremarkable" but with some "interest", pretty plain subjects still though.

More emphasis on the bee -------- Tiny wild flower, bright orange against green foliage

I've post processed the OP flower. It will do to file away until I get a portfolio of flowers together for a photo book. Thanks to all who commented, it's great