May flowers from California Desert

These were taken today - trying to learn how to posts pictures so please let me know if they are visible

Sunflower


Mexican Bird of Paradise


Chinese Oleander Flower


Palo Verde Flower


What do you think?

A photo trip into the desert is a good time to carry a white cloth/sheet for fill light. I really like the back-lit flowers, but it'd even be better if a white cloth stretched over a frame were used to reflect some filler light.

I think a couple of these are good enough for 'stock' quality - on a botanical site or a site dedicated to showing the specific flowers in any particular desert park. I personally like the photo of the MBoP and oleander. The shallow depth of field (wide aperture) works very well.

digital camera and the only thing I know about photography is what the manual explained to me. Fill light and back-lit - would this be to reflect sunlight to the back of the flowers with a white cloth?

When the shaded areas are too dark and the bright are too bright, the full range is not recorded and can't be reproduced on paper or on a non-lethal monitor in any case.

Fill light, like from a reflecting surface or a flash, brightens up the shadow areas. This reduces the range of light intensities to something the media can handle, modifies the contrast or shadings, or otherwise improves the image.

Back-light, side-light and such refer to the direction the light comes from.

It's pretty much all about light, both the technical and the aesthetic aspects.

I'm a hopeless amateur. While I've gotten a lot of mileage out of my Minolta SLR (an SRT-102), which is about 25-30 years old now, I'm just not in the market for some $1K digital SLR. So, I use my itty-bitty Kodak CS7330 (3.1MP) and have fun. While I miss making the manual adjustments (aperture, exposure, etc.), it's still fun -- and pretty idiot-proof. (As I prove.)

I always carried at least a white handkerchief with me. (Even the white terry cloths I used to keep my gear clean were useful. I've even used my t-shirt.) I found it was great for reflecting just enough light into the shadows to pick up the color and detail. I could always rig something to angle them, if only my small tripod.) (It's nice for seeing people's faces, too.)

For a short time, I tried one of the "pro-am" pop-open silvered reflectors, but I'm not much into carrying stuff and fidgeting with gadgets. I like photography as a compliment to what I'm doing, not some exclusive activity. (Even so, I got a bit heavy into Hi-8 underwater video about 10 years ago ... and learned TONS about fish, diving, editing, dubbing, etc.)

Any advice is welcome and appreciated.:toast: :beer:



(edited to add smilies)

You did a great job and thanks for the advice and patients with a newbie to posting photos :toast: :thumbsup: :yourock: :beer:

I like the way you can see the fuzzies on the sunflower greenery.

:smoke:

Gee, I guess you'll have to sit out next months contest.
:sarcasm:

Glad to see ya' figured out the whole posting thing. Very nice.
:hi:

In looking at your photos and Corn' and Rad's flowers I realize how 'flower challenged' I am. Everyone but me knows the damn names of these things. I'll be going for something different. Figure out an interesting way to shoot a weed. Weed I know.
:smoke:

not only that but we have super boring flowers around here. I've been out twice this past week looking for some good shots, and got a few, but the flowers are just so ho hum compared to some of the stuff that's been posted.

A little later in the summer Alaska is bursting with flowers, but it's a little early yet except for the domestic varieties in people's yards, and I'm a little nervous about just walking into people's gardens and taking pictures of their flowers. If we have a little while until the contest, I may be able to catch some water lilies in a place I know out of town. That's what I'm waiting for --and some good weather.

around here that has the best flowers. would that be cheating?

I'm looking at some mighty fine African violets about now. :)

With ConsAreLiars and your help a simpleton like me was able to posts photos. Thanks much:yourock: :beer:

edited for spelling