flora - monochromatic Untitled

...returning to flowers as subject. This blossom was just beginning to

wither. My idea was to capture this moment of bittersweet beauty by a

pleasant composition and emphasizing delicate details.

Enjoy.

The B/W conversion is spot on! You have managed to capture the delicate details that would go amiss in colour. Composition is commendable and so is the lighting. Perfect in my view.

perfect work great BW best regards gerolamo

Terrific!

Great texture Wolfgang! I'm curious how did it look in color!

Warm regards!

PDE

big thanks for your encouraging comments.

@Pierre: here's also the colour version (same file, just B/W-conversion and toning removed) - I preferred to post the B/W version as I wanted to emphasize textures and shapes and decaying parts attract less attention in B/W (and I have other photos of tulips where colour plays a more dominant role).

cheers, Wolfgang

texture, tones, composition - great image! Congrats.

Thank you Wolfgang!

I supposed it was red and wondered how come so many details on a difficult red color subject! The red shows least details and sharpness, especially if taken with digital camera! I saw your other tulips and a poppy, they also have details, but this one, as I can see on the relatively small sample you uploaded shows most. Maybe because there are other colors, it is not so purely red as tulips and especially poppies can be...yet, on the pure red parts it shows great deal of details! Must be the camera, sensor...

PDE

exquisite.. amazing tones, detail and texture... congrats..

tarek

Larger view is a surprise with so many details well seen,excellent grey tones,compliments.

RC

Beautiful work, Wolfgang!

The black and white version is lovely, letting the viewer come to terms with the tones without being bowled over by the color.  It has a pleading, imploring quality to it, as if begging to be looked at.

Looks like it would make a wonderful print. Seen large, the details sort of transcend being details and actually become the subject as much as "flower." I get involved in the swirls almost like waves on a beach. The design and flow capture my imagination.

(I don't think black and white is inherently any "better" for this subject. The problem would be if one expected the same thing from a color version as from a black and white version. I could see a color version worked up where the boldness and depth and nuances of the color became the significant aspect of the photo and could work extremely well, though differently from what you've got here. Or, the color might even be muted, perhaps even beyond pastel, to echo the demise of the flower we're witnessing. I'm certainly not suggesting these would be better than your version or that you should even have considered working this in color . . . just saying there are many possibilities with color and that color and black and white are not usually trying to accomplish the same things.)

your comments are highly appreciated - big thanks!

@Fred: special thanks for your thoughts about options in colour - you made me starting to seriously think about it :-)

cheers, Wolfgang

Like it in BW. BR JV

An amazing composition. It seems we often automatically believe that it is the color of flowers that is reason to photograph them. You have clearly shown that color may detract us from seeing the incredible lines and details of nature's miracles. Beautiful work. ~~~~~~~L

Beautiful

many thanks for your comments!

@Linda: I couldn't have put my own thoughts about this photo into better words :-)

cheers, Wolfgang

Gorgeous capture , Wolfgang -- I'm sorry for only finding this photo now... No fruit or vegetables, but detecting shades of E. Weston here.... I just love the fine textures & sensuous curves of the tulip, which are further enhanced by the delicate lighting against the black BG. Perfectly placed in the frame as well. Yes, this would make a lovely big print...!   best, Marjolein

Elegant is the word that comes to mind.  Your entire Flora series is handled subtly, the duotoning bringing out the fine nuances in texture and lines.  There is nothing wrong with color, but I think it would lack the elegance of the duotone and not bring as much attention to the structure of the flower itself.  Odd...almost as if the b&w/dutone brings out more of the real flower than when its seen in its natural color.

big thanks for your comment - to me it proves that my idea to convey some of my astonishment about the details and quality of the tulip's texture worked out successfully.