Reflections

I like the form of this one, but am finding the reflection in the bowl distracting because I'm looking there more than at the flowers. However, this may have been your intention.

Fantastic & tasteful flower shot, Emmanuel, love it!!! Best regards

A unique self-portrait! Wonderfully done. The contrast is expertly handled and the reflection is a really fine touch. Very nice work. Regards.

Very good composition and exposure. I think that the reflection ads to the composition, relating true life and your capture. Bravo.

Very good composition, nice sharpness and color too

I vote against the reflection. Otherwise, I believe it could be a really good image.(I'm always trying to get you to take things out.Ha!)

Yeah, the reflection was unintentional again. I really wish it wasn't there. Maybe, I'll reshoot it, but I don't like to photoshop an already finished image too much. Thanks for all the attention. I really appreciate it.

Fantastic, super colors ab design, Emmanuel.

 

Alberto

I agree with Michael. I like the reflection. It just makes it more true to life--less "perfect," which I think makes it better. It seems to agree with the fact that the flowers don't really fit into the vase. I like it.

Why shouldn't the playwright write himself into the play? The reflection gives the context. Don't get me wrong, without the reflection it would still be a great shot, but with the reflection, there is another storyline--similar to removing the car from a scene. This is a melding of disparate flavors. Don't settle for "McDonald" photography. (I know you wouldn't--I'm just enjoying the drama!)

Since this image has attracted a bit of controversy, perhaps I

should put down a few words on its making. As usual, I bought the

flowers in San Francisco, at a stand on the corner of Sutter Street

and Montgomery, where the owner sells his flowers a dollar a stem on

Fridays. The base I have had for years, having bought it in

Chinatown in 2005 for about 25 dollars. It has served me well.

The setup of the shot was simple. A piece of black velvet I bought

at Joanne's Fabrics in Emeryville, California was spread on a wooden

fence, and the flowers were arranged in the vase and placed on a

chair on which I had spread another black velvet cloth. The shot was

made with a Canon EOS Digital Rebel 6.3 mp, and the lens was a

Quantaray 28-70 mm zoom lens that I bought with the camera. the

lighting was straight sunlight in an open shade. The exposure was

bracketed, and I chose the one that was 3 stops underexposed, as it

gives me the deepest colors. As you can tell from the reflection in

the vase, this image, like all my flowers, was shot in my backyard,

on a sunny day, in the shadows of the house. You can even tell where

the shadows end. On a technical side, I have been told that to

remove the reflection, I could dress in all black, and stand in

front of an all-black background so the vase is completely opaque,

but, like they say, there are not enough hours in the day.

7/7! Wonderful!

I like the vase with tulips. You name it "reflections". So I am searching for reflections and bang I find them on the surface of the vase. With that said You can understand, that I am torn in half - is the flower or the reflection the main motif? I hope not both... cheers Jana

Great photo, Emmanuel, and I especially enjoyed your (usual) eloquent explanation of the making of this picture. Your use of language is precise but never clinical. I know you are originally from Africa; I'm curious whether English was your first language. Few use words as well as you although I have to say Jeff Long comes close. (Yes, you, Jeff.)

The colors as usual are vivid and nicely contrasted with the background. I don't have a problem with the reflection and find it interesting. The only thing that bothers me and makes it less than exceptional for aesthetics is the blown highlights on the roses. The round container and arcing the flowers balancing on the ends of the arcing stems makes for a really good composition.

 

Nice shot,

Kirk

wonderful work, great colours and DOF,lovely seen Emmanuel,best regards

Very nice composition. I like the soft curving shapes and the reflection adds interest as others have said.

Beautiful work,Emmanuel!Congratulations

Very dynamic and divide image. Regards.

Excellent aesthetics! , beautiful and dreamy lighting. I would have preferred more space on the top, just my opinion :).

 

Regards

Wonderful composition...I would have loved the flowers bit sharper...

Great flower photography with nice dark bg,reflections,colors and dark bg.

Thank you for explaining how you do these! Please, keep them exactly like they are, no more black clothes or such! I love this idea and photo. I had to look twice and then felt the joy of understanding how you shoot this. Really lovely!

 

With warm greetings,

Alpo

Emmanuel thanks for your detailed explanation...it allows to fully comprehend the picture...well I understand that purists might see the reflection as disturbing if you look at it the classic way...I think the juxtaposition of flower arrangement and reflection is original...on the other hand I guess to fully exploit the idea, the reflection image might be a bit stronger for it to take part of the story...it is difficult to really see what's being reflected...I like the colors and light on the flower...

i love Jeff's Why shouldn't the playwright write himself into the play... ;-)

... also, thank you for the generous intro.