Bloomy over Gloomy-Isolation Days' Flowers

[aster]

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Very, very nice, JT.

The lens could be the magnificent 135mm but I like the mystery approach and no, nobody has to disclose the camera and lens combo. I guess that would be of interest to those looking for new gear items going for such beautiful output.

These are really good shots and the last one has the 'sway' of an underwater scene with the creamy bokeh. No points lost … In fact I'm envious of its overall effect with so few yet repetitive elements that work well together.

Thanks for sharing.

……………….

Sury, love the rose and its closeup and succulents look very happy with this season's sun and soil apparently. What a lush and starburst of a green glory!
Your wife is indeed good with floral life and we get to enjoy the results happily.

Thanks for sharing,
Yildiz

[sury]

Thank you Yildiz. My wife is indeed very passionate. She claims she is doing it for me, so that I can take pictures.





From a different angle...

[jbtaylor]

Damn. I need to come to your house for at least a week to take photos.
You live in a museum.
I am envious.
JT

P.S. It's the 135mm.

[sury]

You are most welcome, JT. I think I will "dust off" the 135 in the coming days. I have been switching between Tamron 60 and Sigma 17-35 of late.

Sury

The Front Yard

[aster]

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Photos shot by JT in such an outdoor flower museum would have been a spectacle to view for weeks at end! With his skill, good lenses, multiple different angles, different light conditions, in different wind/breeze conditions, etc., JT would have delivered hundreds of beautiful frames that would make a very long thread… a very long thread… And we may even have seen the end of the lock downs by the last photo he uploads, who knows? A really good thing to happen in every way if you two are within allowed travelling distance…

Sury, I like a dry lawn with stone bed and dessert loving flowering plants. Smart and lovely planning there considering you are in California and your front lawn looks very interesting as well as colorful. Love the flowers in the previous shot, foxgloves being a favourite.

Thanks for sharing,
Yildiz

[sury]

Thank you Yildiz. We replaced the front yard lawn with stones and more drought resistant plants a few years ago as a response
to the severe drought California experienced as our contribution to solve the problem.

A piece of trivia about the license plate on our SUV. My wife lived in only two cities in her entire life (so far). Those 2 are the airport codes for Hyderabad, India (where we came from) and San Jose, California, where we live.



Now to the backyard.
The swimming pool is filled in and reclaimed for gardening. After our children moved out, our pool was hardly being used but still consumed a lot of effort in maintaining it. With the drought couple of years ago, we felt it is socially irresponsible to maintain the
pool that is hardly being used, and hence the filling of the pool.

[aster]

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Hi, Sury;

I like the thought behind the license plate. Very sweet. Hyderabad >to> San Jose, California. Hard to guess anything like that if you hadn't told us.
Good and considerate thought about not using the pool anymore because of drought but also sad to see it go. Now the garden area is an open canvas for planting possibilities too. I see a couple of lilies where the water was. Gardening is hard but rewarding… Also sets you photo goals and keeps you active. Good of your wife! And we get joy from the nice photos at your expense.

The HYD2SJC looks as though it needs some love and driving activity too.

Thanks for sharing,
Yildiz

[sury]

Yildiz,
Thank you. Children have grown up and out of the home. We don't need that behemoth as much as we used to, in the past.

I have tried to take a close up with a WA lens. Kind of sounds oxymoronic but I do like the effect. It is in the morning, but I wanted
a dark black ground. So I thought I will take advantage of the inverse square law. An UWA for close up and a flash during daylight.





Back to Tamron 60mm Macro

[jbtaylor]

Sury,
Damn you and thank you. Little did I know that I would have to learn about the inverse square law today. You made it happen.
https://www.picturecorrect.com/tips/how ... otography/

I see nothing oxymoronic about WA and close up. It all depends on vision and composition. So please walk me through the difference in light fall off between image 1 and the last two.
JT

[sury]

JT,

The 2nd and 3rd are taken in ambient light outside. Here is one example where flash on and off make a difference to background.

This one is without the flash. Tamron 60mm f5.6, 1/30 s exposure.


This one is with the flash. Tamron 60mm f5.6, 1/30 s exposure. Almost from the same angle.


With 70400G

[jbtaylor]

Which do you prefer?
I tend to go for the 1st image even though the background is distracting. Harsh light in the 2nd image.
Thanks for the demonstration.
JT

[sury]

I do tend to like contrast a bit more. Though it is more of a feeling at the moment type thing for me.
I could not detect harsh light on my monitor but mine is not calibrated. I will try with a diffuser next
time.

Sury

[aster]

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Hi, Sury;

You've been busy...
I like the first one as well even if the background is colorfully busy but within the context for being framed photos. There's also a nice halo / highlight lining that contours the orchid and makes the blossoms and stem more pronounced against the background. It resembles a professional interior design magazine shot.

The light fall off study is interesting. I should try some too..

Thanks for sharing,
Yildiz

[sury]

Yildiz,
Thank you. I am flattered.

Sury

I took a pano of the backyard to provide a glimpse of my source(s).


With Tamron and flash on. Shutter 1/500s


With Tamron and flash off. My shutter was limited 1/250 since I was using HVL50.

[aster]

.

Hi, Sury,

There are many opportunities in that garden… Many, many pots of colorful and interesting plants would be good subjects as well as good 'fall off' backgrounds. The bokehs would be good.

Of the two shots you shared, I like them both: The first contains some harsh shadowy petals but I love how the central petals are clear and with with vibrant details. I think the flash works well here; doesn't take away from the flower but enhances the beauty of the blossom.
In the second one, although there's less vibrant details, there's also less harsh shadows that would distract. In fact the ambient daylight created a silky transition from the blossom to the background.

Thanks for sharing,
Yildiz