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Backlit Beauty


Backlit Beauty
Photo Information
Copyright: Scott Evers (scottevers7) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 2634 W: 3 N: 3943] (12259)
Genre: Plants
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2006-07-08
Categories: Flowers
Camera: Canon 20D, Canon EF 180mm f/3.5L USM Macro
Exposure: f/22, 1/250 seconds
Details: Tripod: Yes
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2006-07-13 17:42
Viewed: 783
Points: 60
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
This is a photo of a prairie wildflower I took at our local nature center. This was from my first outing with my new macro lens. I really liked this shot for the backlighting that was not to strong to overpower the scene. I then chose this composition for hopefully a more artistic looking shot. To me, great light and great composition, applied properly, really make any subject look good.

I should have taken an overall shot of these giant plants for a workshop photo, but maybe that will be a future post. They are very interesting and beautiful.

Compass Plant
Silphium laciniatum
Aster family (Asteraceae)

Description: A mature specimen of this native perennial plant ranges from 6-12' tall. The central stem is thick, light to medium green, and has conspicuous white hairs. There is some branching into flowering stems in the upper part of the plant. The basal leaves are 12-24" long and about half as wide. They are covered in fine white hairs, broadly lanceolate in overall shape, but deeply lobed or pinnatifid. The leaves become much smaller as they ascend up the stem. The inflorescence is very tall and elongated, with yellow composite flowers about 3-4" across. They resemble wild sunflowers in overall size, shape, and structure. However, like other Silphium spp., the small tubular disk florets are sterile, while the ray florets are fertile. There is little floral scent. A mature Compass Plant has 6-24 of these composite flowers, which bloom during mid-summer for about 1½ months. The seeds are large-sized, but flat and light, and can be carried several feet by the wind. A large central taproot can extend 15 ft. into the ground. A resinous substance is produced by the upper stem when the plant is blooming. This plant can live up to 100 years.

Range & Habitat: This is a typical plant of black soil prairies in the tallgrass region. It often co-occurs with Andropogon gerardii (Big Bluestem). Other habitats include sand prairies, savannas, glades, and areas along railroads. Compass Plant is fairly common throughout most of Illinois, except in the SE and scattered western counties, where it is uncommon or absent (see Distribution Map). This plant recovers from occasional fires readily.

Comments: The common name derives from the belief by pioneers that the leaves of Compass Plant pointed in a north-south direction. While this is probably true more often than not, it is not always reliable. The resin was used by Indian children as a chewing gum. With its imposing heighth, interesting leaves, and abundant yellow flowers, Compass Plant is an extraordinary plant. No tallgrass prairie is complete without a sizeable population of them.
jchemas, Silke, liquidsunshine, Janice, aido, dew77, Dando, SkyF, ScottHale, pablominto, jmp, loot, ellis49, CTP, coasties, marhowie, lovenature, ramthakur, firelord, SunToucher has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To loot: Fillflashscottevers7 1 07-15 08:08
To Dando: Compositionscottevers7 1 07-14 07:22
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Critiques [Translate]

Hi Scott.
The picture came out very good and the lens seems to be working fine.
Great colors and details, with good POV and BG.
Regards and congratulations on your new lens.
JC

  • Great 
  • Silke Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 753 W: 108 N: 1729] (5398)
  • [2006-07-13 18:51]

This is a wonderful backlit shot with great clarity, perfect DOF and good OOF BG. It's a superb frame-filling composition: very attractive and still very "real."
Best regards and TFS
Silke

Hello Scott!
I takes not only a new macro lens but also some skills to create this beautiful image of a simple flower. You were able to see special light conditions, perfectly meter the flower to get out the detail and place it nicely in the frame. Very well done!
Mark

  • Great 
  • Janice Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3453 W: 144 N: 5902] (17490)
  • [2006-07-14 4:38]

Nice one Scott! The sun shining on the petals is lovely. Wonderfully shown, thank you,
Janice

  • Great 
  • Graal Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Silver Note Writer [C: 788 W: 31 N: 20] (5002)
  • [2006-07-14 5:50]

Hi Scott,
good composition, nice colours and DOF. I like it. Well done photo and interesting note.
Rgs, Aleksander

  • Great 
  • aido Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1097 W: 168 N: 1218] (4046)
  • [2006-07-14 5:55]

Hi Scott,
I agree with your note about light and composition and you've given a fantastic 'for instance' here. It looks beautiful, especially with the backlight. Love the composition too and the mostly black BG helps too. Great work.
Cheers,
Adrian

  • Great 
  • dew77 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5171 W: 297 N: 4050] (13069)
  • [2006-07-14 6:11]

Hello Scott,
Wonderful close up.Use of backlight is amazing.I liked POV,details,framing and composition also a lot.
TFS...:-)

  • Great 
  • Dando Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 643 W: 32 N: 790] (3052)
  • [2006-07-14 6:14]
  • [+]

Hi Scott, nice macro. The back lighting on this one really makes the yellow stand out. I would have perhaps shown more of the bottom of the flower aswell or maybe if you wanted to keep the tight crop, moved the centre of the flower more over to the right bottom corner so that only a quarter of the flower was showing. Just looks a bit unbalanced at the foot but that's just my opinion, hope it makes sense. Anyway cracking details and colours well done and TFS.
Dean.

Hello Scot, excllent colors, Bg, POV DOF perfect details, everything is really sharp, great work, TFS Kyle

  • Great 
  • SkyF Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2390 W: 194 N: 1991] (8113)
  • [2006-07-14 7:39]

Hello Scott,
very nice macro. You captured the fine details of this flower so well. POV, colors, sharpness and lighting are wonderful.
TFS..Sky

Scott,
Wonderful use of backlighting. I think this trned out well. You are very creative. This new macro lens is sure to spark some new creativity in you. The isolation here ie perfect and the clarity of the petals is superb. I would have never know this was called a Compass plant, looks like sunflower. If I ever need some gum, I know now it's closer that the Wrigley factory in Chicago! I cannot believe it can live for 100 years! Absolutley incredible! Nice work my friend,
Scott

Hi Scott,
I like the framing here, as it adds dynamics to the composition!
Bright shining colours are very eye catching, and the shine-through effect of the petals is pleasant...
Well composed and macro work well done!
Greetings,
Pablo -

  • Great 
  • jmp Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1836 W: 94 N: 2338] (8400)
  • [2006-07-14 11:05]

Hi Scott,
A very good backligh shot. The yellow is vivid and the center of the flower not too dark. Very good dark background and composition. Well seen and captured!
TFS, José M.

Nicely captured Scott,
The details are nice, clear and sharp.
Good colours, lighting and exposure. DOF is spot on and the POV is good.
Well composed and nicely framed.
Thanks for posting, have a great weekend.

  • Great 
  • Aramok Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 922 W: 99 N: 1396] (4799)
  • [2006-07-14 16:17]

Scott

you have caught the detail really well. I love the clear yellow colour - it is so vivid and you can clearly see the petal structure.

great shot.

TFS
Emma

Bonjour Scott
Cette photo est superbe ,belle composition , les couleurs sont splendides et les détails sont vraiment de toutes beautés. tres joli ce Back ground .
Encore bravo et merci et bon week end...JP

  • Great 
  • loot Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5726 W: 605 N: 3416] (9137)
  • [2006-07-15 3:29]
  • [2] [+]

Hi Scott
Full marks for your creative effort at displaying this artistic view of the lovely sunflower. This marriage between you and that Canon lens seems like destiny and I just know we are still going to see amazing shots forthcoming from this combination.
The composition is great, the colours are rich, the details are ever so sharp, the dark BG is perfect for this shot and it compliments the flower very well, the exposure is great with the backlight giving excellent highlights on the flower and plant edges - I just wonder how much difference a soft fill-in flash could have brought about.
Anyway, it is a lovely piece of work and TFS.
Regards
Loot

  • Great 
  • ddg Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 881 W: 23 N: 927] (4997)
  • [2006-07-15 9:59]

Bonjour Scott, superbe contre jour et magnifique lumiére sur les petales de cette fleur. Very well done and best regards, Didier.

Hi Scott,
a beautiful backlight shot, the exposur are spot on.
The contrast is very nice and the flower standout nicely from the BG. Good details and well composed.
Great work, my friend.

More from this lens:-)

  • Great 
  • CTP Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 774 W: 6 N: 1107] (3183)
  • [2006-07-15 14:46]

Hi Scott,
Great Wild flower with backlighting.
I like your pov,dof,colors,lighting,focus,sharpness and note.TFS
Chris

Hi Scott

I am currently away on holiday and working from my laptop, so my critiques wil be 'short and sweet' for the next few weeks.

As usuual, you share with us a high quality shot. Thank you! :-)

Hi Scott, lovely shot..
I especially like the backlit effect here.
Very nice color, DOF, detail, and sharpness.
Artistically composed & well seen from the BG as well..Excellent notes here :)
Very well done.

Hi Scott,
I love the lighting here on your Compass plant. Nice detail and vivid colours. The dark background really shows off the petals. Well done....with your new lens. Janice

  • Great 
  • osse Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1029 W: 0 N: 90] (7745)
  • [2006-07-17 7:06]

Hi Scott
Nice shot again. Good colours and light.
Well done Scott

osse

Beautiful capture of this backlit wild flower, Scott. The dark BG makes the details and colors stand out magnificently.
Thanks for sharing it and take care.

Helo Scott,
For me the petals are sharp and lovely with backlight. Composition and pov are great. Well done and TFS.
JC

Hello Scott,
You've captured it really nicely. Backlit gave a lovely effect. I like the POV and framing too.
WELL DONE!

  • Great 
  • valy67 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1318 W: 52 N: 1782] (5276)
  • [2006-07-17 17:25]

Hi Scott !
This is a great shot, with a wonderful backlight, makes the petals looks translucent. Excellent composition and POV. The subject is nicely isolated against the dark and blurry BG. Very well done !
valérie.

Hi Scott,
What an excellent photo and what great use of the light. It gives the flower a kind of silky look. I like the way you've composed the flower. The colors and sharpness are perfect.
TFS,
Niek

Beautiful backlit flower the yellows really came out nice and a fantastic perspective that was well chosen. Sometimes a flashfill works great but you would of lost the backlit effect. :)

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