Flower in my back yard

[cchazer]

Please critique my composition and lighting, this was taken just before sunset on the West side of my house in full sun.

http://www.hayspix.com/img/v4/p45466177-4.jpg

Canon EOS 50D
Canon 24-70mm IS USM f/2.8 lens
Flash Not fired
Focal Length 24mm
Exposure 1/60 at f/6.3
ISO 400

[lindsaytblum]

The first thing I notice is the colors. I love the green and pinks!

As far as composition, I may have tried eliminating the negative space to the right, so that the large flower would be even less centered.

Your DOF is excellent. Overall, I really like this photo. Great lighting, and nice subject!

[joedlh]

I'm not generally a fan of adding a vignette. However, the flowers in the background are brighter than the subject, which appears to be shadowing itself. They therefore draw the eye away from it. The subject could do with an increase in exposure in order to bring out the colors even more. That, of course, would bring the background flowers very close to being blown out. Hence my recommendation of a vignette. Lastly, flowers have faces, they do. This one is "looking" out the edge of the image instead of into the center, which is a compositional no-no.

The focus appears to be crispest on the right petal and the center. Maybe others will disagree, but I put the stamen and pistils in the same category of eyes in subjects with eyes. That is, they have the greatest need to be in focus. You might have to take your camera off auto-focus for this one. My camera does not always share my aesthetic preferences.