Flower under two umbrella flashes

[tonyniev]

used two small umbrellas one with 430EX and another an old SB24 with photocell peanut
lowered brightness and boosted contrast a bit:
Both using nifty fifty
Amaryllis
http://tonyniev.smugmug.com/Photography/Test-shoots/IMG2261a/786444168_ENfmz-L.jpg

set up:
http://tonyniev.smugmug.com/Photography/Test-shoots/IMG2264/786444433_iBy3W-M.jpg

[juanpafer]

Light: even though is is "wrap around" and pleasing light in the flower it is overexposed with the stem of the flower being white instead of green.
Composition: it has a busy background. I would try a wider aperture to get a shallower DOF.

[tonyniev]

good points, thanks

[Flo]

I find it strange that you went through all that trouble to shoot that flower.and didn't think about the background?

[tonyniev]

I find it strange that you went through all that trouble to shoot that flower.and didn't think about the background?

I actually set up the background that way and some folks find it distracting...it was not when it was still a bud, available light:
http://tonyniev.smugmug.com/Photography/Test-shoots/amarylis1hdr/783040062_ZmYv4-M-1.jpg

http://tonyniev.smugmug.com/Photography/Test-shoots/IMG224012tonemapped/786263958_DVxdf-M.jpg

[FlyingPhotog]

I think you could have ended up with better separation had you feathered the lights away from the background more and let it fall off a little darker.

[tonyniev]

Based on background comments I re shot and also reduced the flash power, no pp:
http://tonyniev.smugmug.com/Photography/Test-shoots/IMG2270/786703200_g3ZTn-L.jpg

[Flo]

For me, the flower should be the star.the composition just feels off for me here..how about a close up of the base of the stem right under the flowers up? I like the uncluttered BG, black is just fabulous for this bloom.

[tonyniev]

yes, Gail, this amaryllis is really nice to shoot; an earlier shot another set of flowers from the same bulb: Nifty Fifty lens
http://tonyniev.smugmug.com/Photography/Test-shoots/IMG1457lr/765990893_WY6yw-L-1.jpg