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Glorious Color
2nd PlaceGlorious Color
MaryO


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Purple III (Basic Editing)
Collection: Flowers and Bugs
Camera: Nikon D200
Lens: Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.4D
Location: Springfield, VA
Date: Aug 15, 2008
Aperture: f/16
ISO: 100
Shutter: 1/80
Galleries: Macro, Floral
Date Uploaded: Aug 14, 2008

One of my very favorite flowers, the Morning Glory. I have a lot of purple flowers in my yard since it happens to be my favorite color, but the richness of the Morning Glories is always a delight this time of year. That's what I tried to capture.

However, I shot a Morning Glory in the last Purple challenge and it scored a 4.x, so I am asking for a low score by shooting the same subject!

Note: had the 12mm extension tube on, and spritzed the flower before shooting it to add some ever-popular water droplets.

PP - converted from RAW, rotated slightly, cropped, curves, increased contrast, added border, resized, sharpened.

___________________

Post-challenge: WOO-HOO!!! A personal best and my first red ribbon. Thanks, DPC voters :-)

And to those who commented on too much noise/sharpness - you're probably quite right. I panicked and re-sharpened just before submission. And now I'll never know if most voters would have liked it with the original sharpening ;-)

Statistics
Place: 2 out of 227
Avg (all users): 6.9621
Avg (commenters): 8.2400
Avg (participants): 6.4935
Avg (non-participants): 7.2313
Views since voting: 29568
Views during voting: 400
Votes: 211
Comments: 86
Favorites: 40 (view)


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AuthorThread
03/09/2010 06:45:51 PM
Beautiful!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/19/2009 01:02:15 PM
Wow, looks like outer space. Nice abstraction.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/28/2008 09:36:49 AM
i thought it looked like stars at first but after looking closer... its a FLOWER! love it love itlove it :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
09/02/2008 11:51:04 PM
I'm sad that this picture will be leaving the front page in a few short moments. The leading lines, rich color, pretty droplets, simple composition, soft texture...it's absolutely beautiful. Amazing job!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
09/02/2008 08:15:06 AM
This is absolutely astounding !
  Photographer found comment helpful.
09/01/2008 03:04:18 PM
This certainly is an explosion of purple. Well deserved ribbon. So happy for u Mary. Well done!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
09/01/2008 12:22:32 AM
this is GREAT! from thumbnail, it looked like stars and galaxies, but when i opened it up, it's a flower! what an amazing abstract!

crayon
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/31/2008 05:29:58 PM
I hate flower shots........BUT THIS IS AWESOME...........I thought it was a solar system shot as first
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/31/2008 10:10:13 AM
just stunningly gorgeous, that's all!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/30/2008 05:01:55 PM
Beautiful shot, congrats!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/30/2008 02:27:22 PM
I love your florals, they're borderline abstract and very lovely. I'm going to have to try capturing some florals like this and see how they turn out.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/28/2008 07:59:10 PM
Congratulations on the red ribbon. This was my favorite image of all the challenge entries.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/27/2008 07:31:14 PM
WOW!! Congratulations on the ribbon! Well deserved! Brilliant shot!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/27/2008 05:53:55 PM
Agree with citymars and others about the sharpening taking us into the night sky, and oh is that not cool with a Morning Glory? I love them; this one blows me away.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/27/2008 04:20:53 PM
Very lovely, so glad this did well. As for the sharpening issue, I think in this case it adds to that "space" feel others have mentioned. For a moment I thought it was a photo of the night sky combined with a flower photo.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/27/2008 04:15:56 PM
Congratulations, MaryO, on your very pretty new red ribbon.
Oh, yes, and on your very pretty bright purple morning glory too!
:-))
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/27/2008 04:08:20 PM
IMO this should've been #1. It's an amazing shot. It looked like the universe, then you realize it's a flower. Love the lighting.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/27/2008 02:34:14 PM
I'm glad to see this did so well. I absolutely love it!!! I didn't vote since I never vote in challenges I'm in but I really wanted this in the top three.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/27/2008 02:20:05 PM
Big congrats on your RED!!!

Raj
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/27/2008 02:17:51 PM
stunning.congratulations
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/27/2008 01:08:10 PM
WOOOHOOOO Mary ! Congrats on this stunning Morning Glory- you deserve it :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/27/2008 12:49:24 PM
Well done! Such a simple subject, done to perfection. Congratulations!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/27/2008 12:40:08 PM
This is perfectly done,
You got it right from the first time so no need for lots of editing, congratulation on a very well deserved ribbon,
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/27/2008 12:31:29 PM
Congratulation Mary on your red ribbon win, very pretty love the lighting and of course the color. :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/27/2008 12:09:24 PM
This is like a heavenly burst of light to me. Like the light that people describe as something they experienced in a short encounter with death/heaven. I love the effect you have achieved. Congratulations on your ribbon.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/27/2008 11:54:11 AM
Wonderful shot. I can't figure out how it is lit. Congratulations!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/27/2008 11:33:05 AM
You should post the one without extra sharpening, just for comparison. I'll admit that I was one of those who preferred not to see the additional noise. But great job on catching the vibrant colors in the flower!

Congrats on the ribbon and on your new PB!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/27/2008 10:48:46 AM
none more deserving - congratulations.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/27/2008 10:13:04 AM
Congrats, MaryO, on a nice finish. Glory, glory glory!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/27/2008 09:48:25 AM
Awesome shot! In an abstract way I imagine it to look like a black hole in space.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/27/2008 09:12:59 AM
Wow...when I first saw the thumnail I thought it was a picture of a Nebula or some other sort of telescope pic. It is even better as a flower pretending to be a Nebula !
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/27/2008 08:38:39 AM
Hello!!!

This is reaaly nice..

BeN
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/27/2008 08:25:54 AM
Good Job Mary. I'm not much of a "flower" guy, but I knew this one would score high. Great work.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/27/2008 06:40:31 AM
Way to go girl, and a big congrats from me.....
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/27/2008 06:16:46 AM
Simply beautiful shot Mary. Congrats on a well deserved ribbon.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/27/2008 05:48:27 AM
Beautiful. I think the sharpening makes it look even more like a nebula.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/27/2008 04:59:03 AM
Beautiful image, congrats on the second place!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/27/2008 01:16:25 AM
Woo hoo! Way to go, Mary! Beautiful!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/27/2008 01:10:16 AM
Congratulations Mary! this looks fabulous with a red ribbon attached. A personal best is always gratifying. Beautiful! "D
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/27/2008 01:05:13 AM
Wrong color ribbon, great shot..
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/27/2008 01:01:55 AM
What a shot !!! Fantastic & congrats on the red!!!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/27/2008 01:01:42 AM
This is such a powerful image...great depth and light Mary...well deserved Ribbon
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/27/2008 12:57:20 AM
Mary, this is stunning, also very dynamic looking. Love the crop (also the water drops ;-) Big congrats on the ribbon.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/27/2008 12:55:42 AM
Wow. Congrats on this! I'm so glad to see it on the front page. WELL DESERVED!!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/27/2008 12:51:52 AM
Congrats on this gorgeous image. I love the luminescence coming from within the flower. Excellent job.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/27/2008 12:50:09 AM
Book me passage on the Good Ship Stamen captain, It's a trip I wouldn't miss.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/27/2008 12:45:52 AM
congratulations on an amazingly dramatic and beautiful image, a pb and another ribbon .. now all you need is a blue to make the set .. :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/27/2008 12:41:21 AM
Congrats. In the thumbnail it looks like a deep sky photo of a nebula. When I open it, it still has that explosive like intensity but of beauty than of stellar gas.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/27/2008 12:25:52 AM
Mary...I'm so thrilled for you!!! Many congrats on a well-deserved ribbon and stunning entry!

Message edited by author 2008-08-27 00:26:11.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/27/2008 12:20:21 AM
This is absolutely beautiful!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/27/2008 12:16:47 AM
Woohoo! Congrats, Mary! You certainly did capture the rich color of this flower.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/27/2008 12:16:22 AM
YOU BEAT IRENE!!!! Congrats.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/27/2008 12:12:54 AM
Congrats Mary, a fine image and a ribbon to match it. Fabulous!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/27/2008 12:07:24 AM
Grats!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/27/2008 12:05:07 AM
Yep morning glorious all right! Congrats on the ribbon, love this shot, it does remind me of space and the extra crispy on the sharpening adds to that.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/27/2008 12:04:43 AM
Congratulations on the ribbon, my only 10 for this challenge
I read through your comments, what a coincidence everyone thought this was some sort of galaxy (myself included) absolutely beautiful!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
08/26/2008 10:42:52 PM
As you say, glorious.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/26/2008 10:25:14 PM
At first glance, I thought this was a shot of a galaxy exploding or some other cosmic event. A bit of noise grain (intentional grain perhaps?) in the highlight areas, but it does not hurt the image too much. I'm not a huge fan of floral shots. One has to be outstanding to get my attention, and I'm faving this one.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/26/2008 09:05:26 PM
This is one of the coolest flower photos I've ever seen. The light is coming OUT of the center - and instead of looking like a flower, it looks like I should be able to walk right into the center - the light is calling me in. I love it. Beautiful.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/26/2008 03:49:31 PM
Wow, what a cool effect. The colors, composition and water drops almost cause this flower to look like a picture of a nebula from an astronomy class.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/26/2008 01:19:43 PM
This might be too tight of a crop. There is much noise in the center.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/25/2008 07:55:06 PM
Glorious picture.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/24/2008 09:40:46 AM
I don't usually say "wow" for a flower but that's what I said out loud when I saw this image. At first glance, I thought it was a picture of outer space. I love it.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/24/2008 08:20:45 AM
Lovely colours and the stamen pops nicely. Putting the stamen on more of a diagonal I think would make the image more dynamic.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/24/2008 03:34:44 AM
God, this looks like the birth of a universe. Like it could have been taken with a macro lens or the Hubble itself. Absolutely beautiful. Great capture.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/24/2008 01:49:36 AM
Absolutly breath taking... 10
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/23/2008 11:46:28 PM
Very cool shot. Almost looks like astrophotography. Seems a little oversharpened.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/23/2008 03:32:04 PM
At first glance, it is a flower. Then, suddenly, it's a worm-hole in the vastness of deep space, the Good Ship Stamen bursting from within, the Cruiser Pollen I in escort.

Crop the top 1/5th, give it a widescreen aspect (with black bar border), and it's a print worthy photo I'd want on my wall.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/23/2008 10:59:24 AM
Wow... This is SO resembling a Hubble Deep Space image. First rate work.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/23/2008 10:52:30 AM
Almost looks like space : ) beautiful colours, nicely fills the frame. 8
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/23/2008 01:38:14 AM
This is soooo beautiful! Brilliant color, gorgeous mix of purples and the composition sings.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/22/2008 11:11:58 PM
wow
at first I thought this was a picture of some kind of cosmic explosion somewhere in outter space or some sort of black hole (cream in this case) was sucking in the universe stars and all

This is absolutely beautiful, take your breath away. Well I like it and it is very different than the rest of the flower entries :)
10
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/22/2008 03:31:30 PM
Wow! Nice take on a flower photo! I love it.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/22/2008 02:27:07 PM
absolutely stunning...
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/20/2008 09:37:22 PM
sharp, clean, clear outstanding!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/20/2008 09:25:20 PM
Nice!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/20/2008 10:44:37 AM
well composed and lightened, but way oversharpened
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/20/2008 09:52:58 AM
gorgeous
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/20/2008 09:36:13 AM
Like it.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/20/2008 07:59:13 AM
Wow, looks like some light matter in the milky way. Amazing sharpness and overall a beautiful shot 10
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/20/2008 01:54:48 AM
Beautiful!! maybe the blue. 10
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/20/2008 01:35:50 AM
stunning detail...at first I thought it was a galaxy far away in one of those universe/space hubble telescopy images :) Great work 8
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/20/2008 01:30:51 AM
Makes me think of the night sky. Color is indeed glorious!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/20/2008 01:00:09 AM
Excellent macro. Amazing lighting. A bit noisy and oversharpening to my taste. But the effect you have got is so cool, that i dont see anything else.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/20/2008 12:36:47 AM
oooo
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/20/2008 12:36:11 AM
wow, this is just stunning beautful, excellent job...my vote for a ribbion
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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