Azaleas

[Akira]

AF-S 20/1.8G on D750.

[beryllium10]

Akira, very nice use of the perspective view of this lens. I like the way the convergent lines lead to the flower subject, and that the background is intelligible but left out-of-focus.

Cheers,  John

[elsa hoffmann]

the Azaleas are beautiful, the comp is good. Pity about it being so overcast, not anything you have any control over - but a little light on the flower would have been nice. Perhaps you can order good light on another day

[armando_m]

Interesting composition

It is a fun lens doesn't it ?

[Akira]

Akira, very nice use of the perspective view of this lens. I like the way the convergent lines lead to the flower subject, and that the background is intelligible but left out-of-focus.

Thanks, John.  It was dark, and I was not able to stop down too much.  But thanks to the character of a superwide, the background was not totally blurred.

the Azaleas are beautiful, the comp is good. Pity about it being so overcast, not anything you have any control over - but a little light on the flower would have been nice. Perhaps you can order good light on another day

Thanks, Elsa, for the advice.  I would think that the gray sky rather enhances the beautiful color of the flower?  I agree with the idea of the ever-so-slight additional light on the flowers, though.

Interesting composition

It is a fun lens doesn't it ?

Thanks, Armando.  Most definitely! 

[golunvolo]

First I saw a big color blob and a intense vanishing point with a contrasty rich yellow indicator, them I saw all the elements. Clever composition.
   Man-made and natural; colors and grey; movement and static; straigh lines and curves; flat and very deep perspective...all at once. It strikes a dinamic balance.
    A slice of city, even without humans.

  Thanks for sharing!

[Akira]

Paco, thanks for kind words and the analysis.  You sensed my intention precisely.

[David Paterson]

I like the image and sense your intentions but I agree partially with Elsa - I think the azaleas could be given a slight lift in tone and contrast. They would compete better with the bright lights and introduce an element of hope in the grey city morning. 

[Akira]

Dave, I'm glad you like the image.

Now that I had received the same advices from two different photographers, I tried a second edit.  I brushed the azaleas and raised the exposure by 0.20 stop in ACR.  I tried to raise the contrast in the same manner, but that partially darkened the flowers and I cancelled that.

Here's the result, and the second edit seems to have given a little more pop to the flowers...

[Fons Baerken]

Urban landscaping i must have thought in Japan they clip all their flowering shrubs, 

[Akira]

Urban landscaping i must have thought in Japan they clip all their flowering shrubs, 

Fons, you are right.  Here in Japan, the azalea shrubs are in general trimmed, but mostly those planted along the pavements.  The depicted shrub belongs to the owner of the house who seem to let it grow naturally.

[David Paterson]

Dave, I'm glad you like the image.

Now that I had received the same advices from two different photographers, I tried a second edit.  I brushed the azaleas and raised the exposure by 0.20 stop in ACR.  I tried to raise the contrast in the same manner, but that partially darkened the flowers and I cancelled that.

Here's the result, and the second edit seems to have given a little more pop to the flowers...

I think it's better?

[elsa hoffmann]

Akira - even though one can lift it a bit in PS (if you use PS) the fact is - it was VERY cloudy. While cloud cover is really nice for diffused light - it can also effect any image negatively. In my mind - there was just too much cloud cover. That in - between cover is what really works nicely.

I have added some contrast - if really lifted it only slightly more than your second edit. But it did add some contrast to the rest of the image as well - which I think does help. But this is my opinion only - and I dont expect everyone to agree - it is a subjective opinion after all

[Akira]

I think it's better?

Yes, I think so.  Thank you for the input!  By the way, it was taken in the late evening, around 6:30 pm. 

Akira - even though one can lift it a bit in PS (if you use PS) the fact is - it was VERY cloudy. While cloud cover is really nice for diffused light - it can also effect any image negatively. In my mind - there was just too much cloud cover. That in - between cover is what really works nicely.

I have added some contrast - if really lifted it only slightly more than your second edit. But it did add some contrast to the rest of the image as well - which I think does help. But this is my opinion only - and I dont expect everyone to agree - it is a subjective opinion after all

Elsa, yes, I use the brush tool in ACR.  Your edit seems to make the flower a bit more pop and brighten the clouds slightly.  Did you simply raise the overall contrast?  Looks nice.  Thank you for taking your time!

[elsa hoffmann]

I simply added a curve - by picking a lighter point and a darker point in the azaleas - and the used those points to make a curve  - something like this

I use this method a LOT to add contrast - as you can bruch it away on the mask where you dont want it