Colors of Nature-2

I am a beginner in photography. So I would appreciate your comments so

that I can improve. This was taken handheld in my garden. Please

comment on focus, composition, depth of field etc. and how to improve

them in my photographs.

Not bad for handheld, but if you really want to

improve your closeup work, get a good tripod and

use it! The dark background works well here, but

you need some more depth of field. It looks like

your focus is on the back petals. While having

front petals out of focus can work, you probably

do want the stamen sharp. If you have a DOF preview on your camera, learn to use it. Finally, while the horozontal composition is ok here, think about verticals as well.

To add to Larry's comments, the background is great. You definitely want the stamen in focus as he says, even if it means sacrificing a little sharpness on the petals. As sharp as the back petals are, my opinion is that taking this particular shot hand-held was not a problem.

You need to stop the lens down more.

Nice shot.

 

I like it. I agree with the previous comments. Don't be discouraged by all the comments; they are meant to help.

 

Take your light reading off the green stem. That is the middle tone of the photo. By taking the reading off the flower, the brightest thing in the photo, you render it medium and you end up with an underexposed shot.

 

Keep shooting!

 

Pretty nice for a beginner. I think your other shot of this flower is actually better balanced and better exposure, and the stamen is more distinctive because of its position.

Thank you all for your valuable comments. I hope this will help me take better pictures.

A nice shot that would be much stronger with two simple changes. Your point of focus, use the stamen as the focal point and if you want more depth of field stop down. Then, move the flower a bit to the right leaving an open space to the left. Using the rule of thirds rather than the middle of the frame will almost always make for more dynamic composition. The use of a tripod is always a preferred method in this type of work, but, handheld you've done a marvelous job.

Ziggy