Flowers As Bright As the Sun
by Brandy Kimble
(Mount Juliet, Tennessee, USA)
This flower photo was taken in my neighbors garden.
I was hoping to get the right light so that I can have shadows on my flowers.
But I shot it on a very sunny day and couldn't really get the dim look that I was hoping for.
(for convenience links below open in new windows)Flower photography is one of the most enduring photographic themes, so I completely understand Brandy's desire to get a good shot.
And you know what, I think this is a terrific flower photo.
I realise that it's not exactly what she was aiming for, but the end result I think is excellent.
There are a couple of ways to approach photography when you have planned something.
You can do everything possible to achieve the shot you want. And if that fails, look to see how you can get the best result possible with what you have.
I think Brandy was aiming for a
photographic vignette - this is where something gets in the way of the lens, but for artistic purposes, not just a poorly placed finger!
If you shade the edge of a scene you end up with something akin to looking through a keyhole. It works as a technique as it draws the viewer into the scene.
I think a vignette could add the "dim" look that Brandy was looking for.
There is a
tutorial on how to create a photographic vignette here. It uses a wedding as an example, but it could equally be used in flower photography.
But vignettes aside, I rather like this photo. It's bright and cheery and would look great on the wall.
Thanks for the submission Brandy,
Darrell.
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