Red and Purple Roses Blooming

I will start by saying that I usually make it a rule not to do critiques when there is no EXIF data available, as it becomes rather essential to learning the techniques that went into the photograph. So, if I make some incorrect assumptions, it's due to the lack of EXIF data.

Flowers were one of the main things I took photos of when I was first taking photographs and learning how to control my exposure. That being said, I'm seeing a few of the same mistakes in this photograph that I've done in the past.

1.) Overexposed. When you shoot outdoors on a sunny day, you need to be careful. I see some grain in the image, which suggests you used an ISO higher than 100, which is unnecessary given the lighting. The aperture also seems to be too big (small number), and as a result some of the detail is lost and the focus is soft, and this has also led to overexposure.

2.) Color saturation. Roses are beautiful, and sometimes the camera can oversaturate the colors of the rose petals. I'm unsure whether the saturation / vibrance was increased in post-processing, but be careful with that, because it can cause colors to bleed and cause you to lose some of the subtle details of the flower.

3.) Harsh sunlight. Ideally, you want to photographs flowers in overcast lighting, as direct, harsh sunlight causes shadows and isn't very flattering. What you can do for an easy DIY diffuser, is to take a clear shower curtain, and a wire hanger, and create a cheap handheld diffuser. Holding it above the flower / plant will help to soften the sunlight, and makes for a more attractive capture.

So, my tips for the future are: watch your ISO, use a smaller (bigger number) aperture, don't oversaturate, and diffuse harsh sunlight.

I hope you find the critique useful! <img src="e.deviantart.net/emoticons/s/s…" width="15" height="15" alt="" title=" (Smile)"/>