[Bundybear]

Lillies prior to a friends wedding, thoughts comments...

[Rob Barron]

Pretty enough picture but it doesn't really have a lot of impact if I am honest. it just feels like a snapshot of the flowers without really giving much else. The amount at top and bottom of picture seems to be wasted space though you could make a case for the muted reflection in the polished surface under the flowers. There is nothing contextual that says 'wedding' and indeed had I seen this without any comment I would not have been able to say whether it was a wedding or a funeral. I don't mean that in any way morbidly, just there is nothing to link it one way or the other.

if you want to show a portrait of these beautiful flowers I think you need to make the arrangement the entire picture, get in close, let us see some of the beautiful detail in these flowers and be absorbed by their intricacy. The BG is important for this kind of shot too so choose a simple BG of a single colour that will rpovide a complementary contrast to the colours in the bouquet. Here the darker BG is virtually absorbing the darker bulking material (not sure of the name but looks like grass type or whatever). It stands out fine againstthe light brown areas to right and left.

Flowers are naturally pretty by design but they do not automatically make an easy subject to photograph well but don't give up, think about the colours, the composition and so forth and you'll end up with some real crackers. Well done for using a wide aperture in order to through the BG out of focus, this helps to make the flowers stand out, it is only the colours of the BG that is a problem there.

Hope that doesn't discourage you, I am sure you'll give this kind of a shot more goes and I look forward to seeing the future attempts.

cheers,
Rob

[Dabhand16]

For me, the background is too busy and the flowers are not prominent enough in the frame.

The dark part of the background has swallowed the greenery in the arrangement, and on the RHS it is going out of shot too. There is too much forground and I think a horizontal format would have been better than the portrait. There is a lot of this shot top and bottom where there is nothing that adds to the subject. The detail is not good in the LH top bloom. Maybe the lighting and/or exposure could have been better.

It looks like the flowers were just put on a table and then photographed with little thought as to the result. That's fine for a record shot or family memory, but this is the critique forum, so I have to be honest.

[skipper954]

Hi Bear

I agree with Rob and Graham.

But remember, this is a critique section, and nothing said here should be taken as a personal indictment, not that you are. But you are new here and I just want to make sure that you don't get discouraged by people trashing your photos

And remember, this is a learning experience for everyone. I would bet that after awhile your photos will improve tremendously.

skip

[JMitchell]

A good idea, and I can see where it was coming from, but like said, not enough impacy. Maybe mono would help? And contrast. But one other thing: it isn't straight....
Keep shotting!

[erick]

maybe something like that

[mouldy101]

Nice pimp Erick