Greetings from the Critique Club!
This is an attractive photo, but lacks impact. The main problem is that the focus isn't perfect. A tripod would probably help, but may be difficult to take into a botanical garden. Focus is critical for close-ups and slight movement of the camera toward or away from the flower after focus lock and before the shutter release will throw off the focus. Trying to correct for the poor focus by sharpening has resulted in distracting halos around the stamen and edges of the flower.
The other problem with this photo is lack of tonal range and contrast. This is best fixed with Curves; I'm not an expert at that tool myself, but I personally like the effect of a curve with four points: (0,0), (60,45), (170,190), and (202,255).
On the positive side, the lighting works well here. Although on the verge of being too harsh, it's not, and the shadow of the stamen is interesting and attractive. The not-quite-head-on point of view is also effective, fully revealing one of the spots at the center and parts of others, while maintaining the overall shape and symmetry of the flower. And I certainly think you achieved your goal of focusing on the beauty of a single flower while showing its context. |
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