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Pianissimo
3rd PlacePianissimo
jmsetzler


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Soft Focus (Classic Editing)
Camera: Canon EOS-10D
Lens: Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX Macro AF for Canon
Location: Hickory, North Carolina
Date: Nov 29, 2003
Aperture: f/2.8
ISO: ISO 100
Shutter: 1/4
Galleries: Macro, Floral
Date Uploaded: Nov 29, 2003

 Pianissimo: Musical terminology for "Very Soft."

I thought about this challenge for a long time before I decided on a subject to photograph. To me, soft focus has a couple distinct purposes. In my opinion, soft focus creates a feeling of warmth and some amount of surrealism. It also makes a subject appear to be soft to the touch. With this in mind, I believe that some subjects definitely work better than others for this technique. I decided to create my own version of a very classic theme with the center view of a red rose bloom. I used a Tiffen Warm Soft/FX 2 filter on my camera for this photo.

Post Processing: None - other than adding a border.

File: IMG_1215.JPG
File size: 1,495KB
Image Serial Number: 112-1215
Camera Model: Canon EOS 10D
Camera serial number: 1020300016
Firmware: Firmware Version 1.0.1
Date/Time: 2003:11:29 12:37:08
Shutter speed: 1/4 sec
Aperture: 2.8
Exposure mode: Manual
Flash: Off
Metering mode: Center-weighted average
Drive mode: Continuous: frame 1
ISO: 100
Lens: 105.0 mm
Focal length: 105.0mm
AF mode: Manual Focus
Image size: 2048 x 3072
Rotation: none
Image quality: Fine
White balance: Auto
Color space: sRGB
Saturation: Normal
Sharpness: Normal
Contrast: Normal
Tone: Normal
Custom Functions:
CFn 8: RAW+JPEG mode: large, fine



Statistics
Place: 3 out of 99
Avg (all users): 7.1429
Avg (commenters): 8.8000
Avg (participants): 6.9552
Avg (non-participants): 7.3151
Views since voting: 7446
Votes: 140
Comments: 42
Favorites: 23 (view)

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AuthorThread
 12/11/2003 03:48:41 AM
Great job John. One of my top pics, and quite deserving of the ribbon.
Soft focus works well on this subject, and as always, composition and color are perfect too.
 12/10/2003 01:13:03 PM
Really very Beautiful John, Great Work!

Message edited by author 2003-12-10 18:13:24.
 12/08/2003 09:31:25 PM
John, it's an honor being in the top 3 with you! Wow! Sonja on my right, Setz on my left. Life is good! Really lovely shot; the more I look at it, the more I like it! Keep up the good work!
 12/08/2003 01:59:06 PM
Congrats on third John! beautiful photograph... enticing, yet soothing.
 12/08/2003 08:07:16 AM
Very nicely done, but to be expected.
 12/08/2003 07:57:07 AM
Setz. Congrats on the ribbon. Very nice shot. Gotta love that Sigma 105mm. :)
 12/08/2003 07:17:25 AM
Congratulations! This is a beautiful photo with a perfect title. I love it. It was one of two that I gave a 10.

Joan
 12/08/2003 06:36:20 AM
Originally posted by kiwiness:
Yassir John! I take it this was shot with the Sigma 105 lens?


Yes... the Sigma 105 works nicely :) Thanks :)
 12/08/2003 06:12:22 AM
Yassir John! I take it this was shot with the Sigma 105 lens?
 12/08/2003 03:51:21 AM
Congratulations, John, it's a beautiful picture with a perfect title.

Ursula
12/08/2003 03:36:54 AM
Congrats! Perfect execution of soft focus, wonderful job.
 12/08/2003 03:36:11 AM
Congratulations on the ribbon, it is a lovely image and beautifully composed with it's heights and depths.
 12/08/2003 03:00:09 AM
you are truly an artist- great shot
 12/08/2003 02:33:19 AM
Congrats John - a beautiful shot!! Already in my favorites :-)
12/07/2003 09:11:02 PM
Congratulations john- just pipped me to the post - knew this would be a winner
 12/07/2003 08:26:47 PM
Way to go John. This is a terrific image!
 12/07/2003 07:26:01 PM
Beautiful! And no post processing. I'm amazed!
TC
 12/07/2003 07:21:09 PM
Alright John! This is the most beautiful flower I have seen yet. Congrats!
 12/07/2003 07:09:47 PM
John, A wonderful shot! good job. some real talent in the top three and you rounded the group out so well.

Congrats

Richard

P.S. boy am I glad I sat this one out:)
 12/07/2003 07:03:17 PM
Way to go Johnboie! Excellent shot. Congrats!!
 Comments Made During the Challenge
12/07/2003 11:01:27 AM
nicely shot.
 12/07/2003 10:41:29 AM
Beautiful shot. 10.
 12/06/2003 09:52:17 PM
real like this one --- in fact my only 10 good luck and hope to see a ribbon tomorrow
 12/05/2003 03:12:37 PM
Brilliant ! A perfect ten.

later added: You wont believe how often I've came back just to look at it, really beutiful !
 12/05/2003 11:26:22 AM
My favorite so far in the challenge. 10 from me! Well done.
JD
 12/04/2003 08:51:49 AM
Beautiful althrough I don't know about soft focus
 12/04/2003 08:18:07 AM
Excellent soft focus, great crop and composition, fantastic color highlights.
 12/04/2003 06:32:24 AM
I love the composition.....the vibrant color....soft focus works really well here
 12/04/2003 04:20:41 AM
An absolutely beautiful image. The lighting is perfect, I love the highlights on the petals. Composition is stunning, the rose filling the frame works well. I'm rendered almost speechless (which is hard to imagine). :-) My new favorite rose shot. Well done!
 12/02/2003 08:19:12 PM
Uses soft focus to communicate the softness and delicateness of a rose and its petals.
 12/02/2003 07:47:21 AM
I like flowers and this is very good.
 12/02/2003 05:02:50 AM
Very nice rose. Soft focus works to make this rose seem better than real.
 12/01/2003 03:40:29 PM
There are not enough superlatives to adequately describe this image. This is true \"soft focus\". Most, like mine, are not. I suspect many folks do not know what soft focus is.

But beyond that... Lighting is perfect. Use of the ROT is perfect. DOF is perfect. Title is perfect. In short... perfect.
 12/01/2003 01:43:22 PM
lovely title, lovely subject. The soft focus gives us a feel both for the texture and the scent of the rose, but at the same time it is abstract enough just to enjoy the shapes and color. The composition is nice with the center of the flower at the "thirds" line. 9
 12/01/2003 01:02:16 PM
A supreme image, expertly taken. Great composition, perfect use of the media and challenge brief - simply sumptuous. Your ribbon will be much deserved.

1 point off for the slightly thinner border on the left! ; )
 12/01/2003 12:20:05 PM
beautiful! fills the frame nicely
 12/01/2003 08:26:19 AM
Looks like a ribbon-winner to me. Perfect. 10
 12/01/2003 03:06:40 AM
This is beautiful. The soft focus and lighting are perfect. The color is rich and yet not over done. The composition and use of thirds make this a beautiful flower photo.
 12/01/2003 12:46:21 AM
Wonderful, soft, pretty so good!
 11/30/2003 10:55:04 PM
The close in crop is excellent, one of the best flower shots I\'ve seen in quite a while.
 11/30/2003 09:54:16 PM
WOW..Now this is stunning work. The colour of the flower really grabs your attention and the soft focus really work well here. I absolutely love the lighting as well. Excellent photo and GL in this weeks challenge.
 11/30/2003 07:23:50 PM
I love the glowing reds here along with the soft curling form. The soft focus adds a dreamy quality that just wouldn't be possible if this were sharp


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