My First Flower Photo

[Deborah]

Here is my first attempt doing flowers.

I couldn't pass these flowers up. They were almost in full bloom when a silly rabbit chewed them off.
I have never photographed flowers before, everyone here has such a beautiful eye for flowers, that I want to try. I would like your suggestions.
Remember this is my first attempt....(nervously waiting)..

[karen donnybrook]

Deborah, that is absolutely stunning. The flower colour is so vibrant - well done.

[Wendy]

Deborah ...

Its just lovely ... great flower photo and a beautiful effect !! :)

Wendy

[kayser]

Deborah,

Definitely couldn't tell this was your first try. It's beautiful!

[ktnoon60]

Deb its gorgeous, I like how you wrote spring down the petal, very subtle.

Terry

[Norm F]

Nice job Deborah. A great shot beautifully presented.

[teresePSE]

Deborah, your flower is fabulous! Is there a tutorial for something like this? Especially the "negative"-like black strip. I am very new to elements and am so grateful for people who take time to post and help beginners!
Thank you!!:)

[Deborah]

Oh My Stars....
Thank you Karen, Kay, Terry, Wendy, Norm, & Teresa, and everyone on this forum.

For some reason I never feel that my pictures ever have that crisp quality like all of yours are.
I know that I'm very new still and love all the help and honesty you provide.

I feel like we have a huge family quality in this forum.

Millions of Thanks for all your ideas and uplifting comments and encouragements

Deborah

[Wendy]

Hi terese ..

... and welcome to the forum :)

If you do need any help then just ask and one of us will talk you through things :)

Wendy

[teresePSE]

Thank you Wendy! OK...I'm taking you up on your offer!:o

Deborah gave me the hint to go to the tut area in the suscriber section to add the "film strip to my program". Hmmmmm, not finding it. Help!

[kayser]

Hi and welcome! The filmstrip tutorial is a three parter, starting on 1 July 2005. Go to the subscriber area and then click on videos, and then scroll down the list to that date.

Good luck!

[teresePSE]

Thank you soooooooooo much! I can't wait for the day that I can maneuver without someone holding my hand!:o

[Wendy]

teresa ...

We all needed our hands holding when we first started using Elements ... its gets easier with a little time :)

Wendy

[teresePSE]

I found it! thanks for all your help!
T. :)

[NRiceDesigns]

VERY nice Deborah flower! Certainly wouldn't have guessed it was your first!

[NRiceDesigns]

Welcome Terese! This is a wonderful group & you'll learn a lot!

[teresePSE]

Deborah, look what you inspired! [this is my photo but all creativity belongs to Deborah!]

I know it's elementary but I couldn't be prouder! haha :D

thanks for all your help!

[Wendy]

Hi terese ...

Thats a bit too small for us to really see the detail ...

Why not save a larger version and repost it :)

Wendy
(Edit: sorry I said Deborah in the original when I meant Terese)

[huntress]

Very pretty. You've done a nice job with the other photos in your gallery as well.

[Robyn]

Deborah,
First flower?.......well I can't tell......... very nicely presented.:)

Terese,
Welcome to the forum.....you've come to the best one on the web. Stick around and you will be addicted like the rest of us.:D

[mel]

Deborah the flower is beautiful. Great job on the way you presented it!! :)

Terese, welcome to the forum.......you've certainly picked the right place to learn and have fun :)

[road runner]

Deb - nice work, well presented and wuite colorful!

Don't worry about sharpness - it comes with practice. I hope I'm not presumptious, but here is a tip for doing close up shots. Though I do not do enough of this work myself, I know what will help you out.

I recommend that you use either a tripod or at least a mono-pod to steady the camera. For great macro work there are two way to go. The least costly way is to invest in close-up lenses. The close up lenses help get better clarity if you are shooting at 12" or less. Also consider using the highest f-stop for the best depth of field. Some photographers use 1 stop lower than the highest setting (i.e. f 11 vs. f 16). Also watch out for those breezes that cause the flowers to move. ;) Any movement cuts down on clarity/sharpness. The more costly way is to look into a nice macro lens - if you have a camera that enables you to change lenses.

Keep on shooting Deb!

roadrunnere

[mom to 4]

Oh, Debra, I just saw your flower............It is simply gorgeous! Hope I spelled that right!

[Deborah]

Road Runner
Thank you very much for the tips on the camera.
I have a simple digital Canon 4.0 With a Foliage lens built in. I have just briefly played with it. In fact the flower was taken with that camera. My other camera is rather old 35mm Canon. It has a macro lens. What I should do is pull the old one, grab some film, and try something different. It's easy to pull the digital one to shoot quick pictures then download and play in PSE.
To get better results your saying use the 35mm camera?
Hummmmm, things that make ya think. Now until I get a tri-pod I should hold my breathe.?????....J/k
I'm up for a brand new challenge.
thanks for the encouragement also
Thank you again

[Deborah]

Mom to 4

Thank you for your lovely compliment
And the spelling is just fine.

Thank you

Deborah

[tnwaltz]

teresa, I am desperately trying to learn Elements 4 and am amazed at everything people like you are capable of doing. I haven't tried to do anything yet but can't wait to get started. Your "My First Flower Photo" is amazing. Congratulations!

[karen donnybrook]

tnwaltz, welcome to the forum. We are a very friendly lot here and will help all we can. Have you become a subscriber? There are over 100 videos and about 50 tutorials in the subscriber area and you also get a Newsletter that is full of hints and tips. Also there are on-line courses available which give you an insight into the how and why of PSE.

[tnwaltz]

Karen, I have just subscribed to this section but do not know how to access newsletters, videos, etc. Any help will be appreciated. This group seems to be like 'family' to each other. I am anxious to begin learning.

[Deborah]

Welcome Enwaltz to the forum.
Thank you for your compliment on my flower.

Karen is right, everyone here are so wonderful. I'm still a newbie my self.
Learning all the time. Just dont have enough hours in the day to do all the things I would like.

If you need help with anything just bring it to the forum. It's amazing!!!!!

Deborah

[Wendy]

Hi ...

... and welcome to the forum :)

When you subscribe to the newsletter you should receive an email with the code to get into the subscriber area.

You just need to click on subscriber area then Login and you will be able to access the Video tutorials, Written tutorials, Downloads etc ...

The newsletter come out by mail ... but the first issue takes around 8 weeks to arrive :)

You will find that on the forum we all try to help each other ... so any help you need then just ask and do join in the fun :)

Wendy