Lessons Learned: Look different

Typically, when acquiring a new skill, we first learn the rules, then learn how to break them effectively. A classic three-quarter view with three-quarter lighting would have made a very good picture of this exotic orchid. Take a look at purple orchid in this gallery for an example of that (and of selective focus, too).

But with this picture, I was looking for something else. I'm no flower expert, but I'd observed the similarities among various orchids, and I wanted a flat, almost graphic, close-up "facial" that captured the orchid look.

I zoomed the lens out to a fairly long focal length to frame the blossom closely, to flatten the image and to shorten the depth of field to focus only on the flower. Notice that even the yellowish stem immediately behind the orchid is way out of focus. I moved in close to crop out all but the actual blossom itself. The light was shaded and flat already, which only adds to the not-quite-realistic-but-totally-orchid effect I wanted.

Interpreting subjects is part of photography's fun, and while there are as many ways to look at an orchid as there are viewers, I like the minimalism and bold brightness of this pink orchid image.