Rue Anemone at Sunrise, Ponca Wilderness

Rue Anemone at Sunrise, Ponca Wilderness

In my mind, nothing matters as much as selective lighting and dynamic range in composition. This Rue Anemone is cross lit and top lit. The selective lighting of the flower is in contrast to the other parts of the setting pops it out of the background.

I like this 3D effect, and I seek it in my wildflower work. This is my preferred "voice". If I live long enough I hope to paint now and then. This would be pretty close to what I would go for.

I took at least 20 pictures of this same flower. My friend Paul Caldwell calls this "working a subject". Try different angles, different points of view. Up light and down light. NEVER stop at the first photo -- study, move, look at the background and bokeh.  Give yourself choices for your post processing.

As is often the case, the tie breaker was the curvilinear branch at the background, the foreground detritus, and the glow of the flowers in mixed light. I think these compositions are more interesting than normally lit photos, and way more interesting than flash. I might hang this one because there are so many aspects that I like. Something more straight ahead would bore me.