Looking for advice on a competition submission

Fenster

I'm entering a macro photo competition and I'm wondering which of the following photos I should submit. They were all taken back during the summer when I had perfect sunlight, with a little bit of cleanup work done to each.









Cheers

abelard

What's your own instinct on the matter? Anyway my favourite of the 4 was the third one.

Fenster

My own gut feelings are toward #2 and #4. #2 has an excellent symmetry in several areas and #4 has an angle and a look I like. I'd pick #2 if I had to choose one as in #4 there's no stem visible, which for me gives the photo a disconncerting feel.

Fajitas!

I'd say the first or third.

First needs a bit of a crop on the bottom (think square crop ), and both need a slight unsharp mask to get the look of perfection all over them!

Best of luck

Dundhoone

fourth i think, the bokeh is nicest and the center of the daisy is nice an sharp

I'd crop out the daisy in the top left corner of it though, maybe a nice square crop on the round shape of the daisy

Borderfox

Love the 1st and 2nd one

Fenster

Getting home and working on the photos up close, I threw out #1 as it was too cluttered and #3 as the focus is really soft. As well as #'s 2 and 4, I added another two from my collection and did a lot of cleaing up in Photoshop:









For some reason, Firefox and Opera bleach the photos, they're best viewed downloaded.

bp_me

The DOF seems just a little off in all of them.....

Roen

I'd go for no.3 in the second set you posted up. What lens were you using?

Fenster

The 18-55mm kit lens at the time (woo).

Roen

Aha! That explains the lack of blur in the background. Are you allowed to PP the shots for the competition so you can blur the background?

Fenster

Oh aye, I've already touched all of them up to some degree.

Roen

I'd go nuts on the background and blur it to hell, the skies the limit if you are allowed PP it!

ro6ert

Definitely #3 in the last patch. Do you mind me asking which competition you are entering? Wouldn't mind checking it out myself.

Fenster

Its in the print magazine Digital Photographer, the prize being the new Olympus DLSR and some macro kit. I figured why not?

bonzer1again

#3 is by far the best, and also a great subject to choose. Good luck in the competition, You should do well with that pic............