Meadow Orphan Colour ( View Large )

I went our in search of a suitable subject for a competition, the

category was "The Beauty of Plants" ....as I'm usually fully occupied

with landscapes I wasn't holding out much hope of coming up with

anything. I found this flower growing in a wetland area close to

where I live, and used a very shallow dof. I didn't enter the

competition with this version though. But the B & W yielded some

results. I'd be interested in any thoughts or comments relating to a

comparison, or just general feedback. Thank You

The flower ad the background make a perfectly beautiful, simple composition Alf! Bravo my friend!

Best regards

PDE

I prefer this one. It holds my (short) attention longer. Well done.

Hi Alf, love the way you've composed the image and of course this goes for the b/w version, too.  The b/w is interesting and unusual but the natural colour is just beautiful, so this one gets my vote!  Kind regards, Margo  

I like the heart-like blurs whizzing in the background like forest fairies.  Also nice in B&W, but the color version seems livelier.

Hi Alf. Lovely capture. My preference would be towards the colour version as it conveys more a natural sense of place in a meadow, amongst what looks like buttercups? Wonderful detail and DOF when viewed large. Not sure what the criteria was for the floral competition, perhaps they were looking for more artistic interpretations in which case the B/W version would fit the bill! Best wishes. Sarah.

Jeffs 'saw' the heart like shapes as well! This colour version is very beautiful in it's own right. I am trying to 'remember' what plant it reminds me of. Well done Alf.

In spite of my relatively new found appreciation for b/w, this is my favorite.  The flower itself is exquisite, but the background yellow blooms are very complimentary... Mike

Hi Alf, Love the detail you captured in these tiny flowers, the tiny lines show up so well. Beautiful background blurr and good composition.  Best regards,  Sherry

Beautiful selective focused image Alf.  I do like the background Bokeh.   This color image I like best of the two.  I am not to certain of the subjects position in the frame, it "feels" to be set a bit high, only my opinion though.  Best regards...

-Dave

Beautiful composition and colors. I too think that you might yank the stem down a tad.

Good detail and sharpness!  Cheers Alf!

Fragrant Meadow Orchid , elongated spike of pinkish / purple flowers grows in chalk and limestone , grassland and scrub , usually sweet scented . ( Collin's guide to Wild Flowers ) . Alf . I'm trying to imagine you taking this , probably laying full length with a Benbo Tripod and maybe a right angle finder ! Whatever , your technique was perfect and you've captured a great image . I prefer the coloured version , although they both have their merits . Bill

Hi Alf,

  Beautiful image with wonderful colors, composition & blurred background.  Take care, Patsy

I prefer this color version as well.  The greens, yellow, and pink are so like spring, which is like renewal and everything fresh and soft.  As mentioned, the heart-shaped yellows are sweet

Lovely photo. 

Sometimes I get a comment on my own images with the word "simple" in it and I ponder if it was meant to be complimentary but in the context with the other words associated with the comment, I have concluded that it was a positive comment.  So now i start off my comment by saying  that there is purity and beauty in simplicity and this is a positive statement. It is because the flower is very well rendered against a simple background that allows me to focus on the main subject. If I have to ponder about anything in the background, it is the fairly bright yellow flowers. Now that I have pondered long enough, I think they are just fine.

In conclusion I prefer the color version but I do have a bias for that mode.

All the very best and thanks for your recent critiques.

Hey Alf, Tony said it all, this is very nice and while I enjoy both of these images I lean towards this one. The contrast of the colors and the blur are highlights for me. Great work.

BR,

Holger

PIERRE 

Many Thanks for thoughts and comments, much appreciated! Yeah, simple, I can do simple : - ) I'm very pleased you liked it Pierre.

Best Regards

Alf 

DROR 

Short attention span huh..............must be all that industrious energy expended on your latest venture : - ) I hope all is going according to plan. 

Arsenal.........they get everywhere! 

Best Regards 

Alf 

MARGO

Sincere thanks for your thoughtful comments, much appreciated!  I think the colour version has the majority of the vote, but I still have a tendency to like the tinted version, and for the very reason you mention, because its "unusual" Though I have to admit I'm just starting to wonder how the colour version would have performed in the competition. 

Best Regards 

Alf 

JEFF S 

I like the idea of the fairies, seems like your imagination is as lively as the flower : - ) And I mean that as a compliment! 

Sincere Thanks & Best Regards 

Alf 

SARAH 

You have identified those little yellow splashes correctly, they are indeed buttercups! The criteria for the competition was simply any plants, but I do think that the judges pay a lot of attention to images that are different.  Have a look at Amateur Photographer magazine or type APOY into your browser and follow the links to the competition. Many Thanks for your thoughtful comments Sarah, very much appreciated! 

Best Regards 

Alf 

GAIL

I think William Staniforh has identified the plant as "Meadow Orchid".........I have to say I'm astonished that I nearly got its name right with my purely fanciful title of "Meadow Orphan" as I didn't have a clue what it was,  how weird is that eh?  Many Thanks for your thoughts and kind words Gail, much appreciated! 

Best Regards 

Alf 

MIKE 

I find myself leaning more and more towards B & W also, so much so I'm thinking of investing in that Silver Efex software.  But on this occasion it would seem that colour is the most popular.........wonder that the judges would have thought  hmmmmmm impossible to answer.  Sincere thanks for your thoughts and comments Mike.

Best Regards 

Alf 

SHERRY 

Many Thanks for your interest and positive feedback, much appreciated!  I think the F 1.8  50 mm prime lens has to be Nikons best value for money lens ever. It is incredibly sharp and allows that background blur.  

Best Regards 

Alf 

DAVE 

You are with the majority in your preference, but I still think I did the right thing in submitting the B & W  to the competition, purely because its a bit different. I can appreciate your view too about it being too "high". It's a hard one to call, making a balance between the proportions of the stem and the flower, maybe a touch more off the bottom would balance it better.

Sincere Thanks & Best Regards 

Alf 

STEVE 

On reflection, I think you could be right, a crop from the bottom would balance it a bit better.  Many Thanks for your thoughts and comments.

Best Regards 

Alf 

PANAYOTIS 

Many Thanks for your interest and kind words. The Nikon prime lens yields some good results. 

Best Regards 

Alf 

JAMIE 

Ohh I just mentioned the Nikon Prime lens above, I think the F1.8 has to be Nikons best current bargain (if buying a new lens) I'm very honoured that you consider this a favourite! 

Sincere Thanks

Alf 

BILL

My title of "Meadow Orphan" was a purely fanciful one based on the fact that this one flower stem was set apart slightly from the group, I was most astonished to learn from your comments that I couldn't have guessed closer to the actual name!  You are right about me laying full length though, in fact the only thing you didn't guess right was the make of the tripod which was Manfrotto : - ) The "Virtual Horizon" feature on the Nikon D700 can be a real help when in these situations, but I'm not that sure it would have mattered here.  Sincere thanks for your informative and most helpful comments, very much appreciated.

Best Regards 

Alf 

PATSY 

Many Thanks for your interest and positive feedback, very much appreciated! 

Best Regards 

Alf 

DONNA S 

These flowers appear in the same patch of meadow every year, and only seem to last for a few short weeks. I always mean to set some time aside to photograph them and inevitably leave it too late. The entry into competition this year at least motivated me to capture a few shots before they faded away once again.   Many Thanks for thoughts and posiitve feedback Donna, much appreciated! 

Best Regards 

Alf 

TONY 

"Simple" should never be confused with "easy" as most often it isn't and yes I would conclude that the majority of sentences in the context of photograph appraisal would indeed be complimentary to your images. It can be quite a complicated process to achieve simplicity and so your astute observations are most welcome.  Just finding a wild flower or plant that is isolated can present a real challenge as they invariably grow and compete for space amongst the surrounding vegetation. I got lucky with this one and only had to bend a couple of grass stems to one side in order to maintain the element of separation.  Sincere Thanks for your thoughts and positive feedback Tony, much appreciated.

Best Regards 

Alf 

HOLGER  

Many Thanks for your thoughtful comments, much appreciated!  It would seem that the colour version is clearly more popular, its most interesting to get this feedback. 

Best Regards 

Alf 

humble aspirations lead to unusual grace.  best, j

Simple but beautiful.  Best Regards,

That sounds like a wise quotation or aphorism.

Cheers!

Alf

WANGHAN

"Simple" uncomplicated, seperate, free from distraction........I think its always a good bet.  Many Thanks

Best Regards

Alf

Alf

I definitely prefer the Toned B&W better. My reasons are that the shape and form of the flower are enhanced, the tonal values are also more harmonious.

I'm in agreement with you, but then perhaps I'm a bit biased because I made the changes. All being said though I like to see things in a different way.

Many thanks for your encouraging words Richard

Best Regards

Alf

I prefer this one. Dof and composition are nice.

Well Done,

Ben