Homage to Spring

Taken during sunset at the Veldheer Tulip Gardens in Holland

Michigan. RB67 with 180mm at F8. Hand processed Fuji Provia with

slightly extended color developer time to provide added warmth.

It's a nice picture and I like it in some way, but I will try to give you some thoughts that came to my mind.

 

1/ The title indicated that you wanted to convey a feeling of spring, but to accomplish this the pic is too contrasty for my liking. This is probably due to the light coming from a rather low angle and the use of Provia (I feel awkward about suggesting a film to YOU, but as you pointed out in one of your other pics, Astia might have been the better choice.)

 

2/ I'm a bit restless when looking at the pic, not quite knowing what to focus on. This is not necessarily bad, but here I kept on looking at the rather dark area in the middle of the lower third. I'm pretty sure that's not what you wanted the viewer to focus on.

 

3/ The flowers a rather wide open, the petals seem to be about to fall off on some flowers, which again contradicts the feeling of spring from my point of view.

 

I'm writing this critique, because I'm profiting immensely from your contributions to the forum, and you once said you are interested in disucussions about pictures. It's a way of trying to say 'Thank You'. If this is just bothering you, let me know and I'll stop.

 

Bernhard

I agree, the DOF falloff is not to my liking. Also, the colors of the flowers seem rather dead, which also does not remind me of spring. I think a softer lighting, such as morning or late afternoon would help as well in bringing out the colors and making it more soothing and "springy."

This was my first critique of the year, but already I'm annoyed as hell, so I won't be submitting any more.

 

The reason I liked this image was the lighting provided a scene that resulted in a chrome that looks more like a painting than a photograph. I've got enough bland flower photos taken on overcast days to fill several portfolios. Such scenes and lighting are quite rare, and this will make a pretty nice 20x24 LightJet print.

 

Again, my goal was to create something that looked more like a painting than your vanilla landscape/flower shot of which there are a dime a dozen.

 

The depth of field complaint is a valid one. It's kind of aethestic, but I had another shot in which I shot wide open, and the limited depth of field just didn't work. These are an odd variety of tulip with dropping leaves, and this is what they look like. Too much focus on the central flower didn't quite look right, but that trick does work if you are dealing with more symetrical objects. These flowers are just too irregular for that trick to work, but the suggestion is a good one.

 

In terms of color saturation and contrast, get your stupid monitor calibrated. Already I'm pushing the color of this variety of tulip beyond what it looks in reality, and the existing colors look pretty vivid to me. If you want f^^cked up Velvia greens, plastic colors and washed out highlights, go to some other guys site because I don't shoot for dime store calendars. One guy wants more color saturation and the other guy wants less contrast. Being those are mutually exclusive terms I'll just cancel each critique out. Sorry to be a bit sensitive, which I'm usually not, but rather than jude this image on it's own merits I'm being critiqued against mass market images of the same old thing. Thanks anyways.

well, I don't know about you, but my monitor is calibrated. quite frequently

Scott, I'd be annoyed also, but that is what happens when we show our stuff, so please don't stop here. Someone might disagree with what we present, it's a human trait-no reflection on your aesthetic. I think many people nowadays are spoiled for saturated film, and if it does not "pop' with color, they don't "get it."

I glanced at your "Portraits of the Garden" folder page, and thought immediately, 'he knows what he's doing'...very nice, and great composition. I want to study it further as a lesson in focusing for any of my future macro shots-and I've been shooting for about 27 years.

I feel I can appreciate any shot for what it is-saturated, crazy with color or subtle, muted natural color. I guess that makes me not a good critic, but I know what I like. I agree about the over the top greens from Velvia-they aren't necessary in every photo, yet some people will not shoot anything but :?(

This shot speaks for itself. I like the lighting and shadows, the color is fine-not overdone-it's not necessary. These flowers look like they are either pretty content to rest their heads on each other's shoulders or looking up at the sky-am I crazy? Too bad-that's what it reminds me of. The best color I've seen was back in high school, circa 1975, in an Agfachrome slide film ad in Popular Photography on a back cover. Real, very natural, beautiful earthy tones, like something from an old master's painting.

Scott, it's a good thing you're not overly sensitive, because I'm gonna say I think some of your photos look like they were framed by a robot with a ruler and protractor. However, this one captures the feeling of spring to an amazing degree! It evokes emotion; isn't that what photography's for? I really like it. Delicate, wild, beautiful. I have no clue at all where the detractors are coming from. How on earth can someone look at these colours and call them "dead"?!! I cannot think of a less dead looking picture.

I am going to comment on this one because I get tired of seeing 'camera club' critiques. That is, comments from people who only know depth of field, sharpness, 'does it look like the real thing', etc. True critique will look at what a person is trying to say, and will look at how well a person has used tools to express himself.

When I look at this print, I see a delicate pattern, not overdone and not cliche. The tones are muted. The photographer has sensitivity, and is expressing it just fine. It's not so close that it's a portrait of a flower, it's not so far that it is a scenic. It is just a simple message about spring, just like the title says. Like poetry, good photography conserves - says much in little - and I see something of that here, much more than in other prints of flowers that I see. Kind of makes me want to try flower prints again, eh?

When you visit The Netherlands you find postcards like this on every street corner