A Simple Pretty Flower for a Sunday – 8
Here’s the eighth installment of “A Simple Pretty Flower for a Sunday.” You can view all the earlier Sunday flower images/posts on this page.
Today, we’re back to a Dahlia flower. After shooting some of these beautiful flowers at the Santa Fe Farmer’s Market, I went back the following weekend and bought some Dahlias to shoot at home. I wanted to better control the light, but also use my tripod, so I could take longer exposures and get better detail by using smaller apertures (the larger numbers).
The thing that I just think is so cool, and why I love this flower image, is if you look to the petal in the center left, it looks like nature has put some stitches into this flower. That just makes me smile. Franken-flower.
Hope you’ve been having a great weekend, and I hope you enjoy your Sunday.
Shot with the 105mm macro lens at f/22 and a shutter speed of 1/8th of a second. I placed the flower in the sun and the background was in shade, so it turned out black, although it wasn’t black or particularly dark; that’s how the camera interpreted what it saw.
Image Copyright © Katie Johnson. All Rights Reserved.
I love these flower photos.
Ah, thank you!
Beautiful exposure, Katie.
Thanks, Bob!
Smiling.
So glad to hear that; your comment makes me smile too.
Hi Katie – Nice shot and I like the Franken-Flower comment – Very funny! Sitting at my Mac working on photos this Sunday – weather is too overcast, damp, cold and murky to venture out! Thank goodness for central heating!
Your flower made me smile on a dull Sunday afternoon!
Cheers
John
Ah, glad the flower made you smile, John! It was dark and overcast all day today. I had to work on some professional photos for someone too.
Glad you enjoyed the Franken-Flower comment! 
This one is particularly lovely, Katie. I really like it: the black background, the framing, the colour and the the shape of the outline. It’s gorgeous.
Ah, thank you so much, Sync! So glad you can appreciate all that and the work I put into getting it.
Interesting that you went with f/22. Came out perfectly!
I tried different apertures, and I liked this one the best! So glad you like it and glad the feed is working again!
Oh my… This beauty is definitely making my Sunday much better! Thank you for that
Ah, glad that it’s making your Sunday better!
Yet another amazing flower photo! The ‘stitches’ are definitely cool, even a bit magical. Nice work!
Thanks, Steve! Glad you like those stitches!
Lovely pink colors, great work.
Thanks so much, Mats!
very beautiful pic Katie!
ThanK you!
Ooooooh, PINK! Can NEVER go wrong with pink!
Then I have some more pink for you!
I like the composition–off center makes it more interesting and the lets you go from the deeper color of the center to the outer lighter edges, Sally
Glad you like the composition, Sally! Truly appreciate you noticing that.
Love this one especially!
Ah, thank you, Adrienne!
What a showstopper! This is breathtaking. May I ask how you go about photographing something on a black background? I don’t often move a subject around, but I love the pop of color this has against the black. If you don’t mind my asking, what do you use as a black background?
Excellent crop, too!
Thanks, Jenna! Actually that black background was just a table I think that was in shade. I put the vase with the flower on the table, but in the sun, and the rest of the area was shaded. The camera had to use a darker exposure to compensated for the sun on the flower, so it made the background dark as black. I love shooting like that actually.
Try it, if you can. It really does happen. 
Oh, and the photo wasn’t cropped either.
That was the composition I was going for. So much the more compliment from you! 
Pink!
and such a beautiful shade of it. lol frankenflower. Love the lighting in this one 
Thanks, Cin! Glad you liked the image and the post!
I can’t stop to say beautiful…beautiful…and beautiful! The lighting is perfect!
Ah, thank you, Inge!
Wow …simply magnificent!
Thanks, Janette!
I love this! Beautiful. : )
Thank you so much!
Very nice shot Katie. Lovely colors.
Thanks, Matthew. Glad you like the image.
so appreciate flower pictures since the beginning of November here in Alberta. This is a beauty with great composition-thanks for sharing how you got it. got a chuckle with your “franken flower” comment. Natural light-no filters or reflectors?
Thank you! So glad you appreciate it. I love Alberta by the way. Gorgeous up there! It was all natural light with just the camera, lens and tripod.
Thanks so much for your comment and visiting my blog!
This is pretty. One of these days I’m going to have to figure out how to use that macro lens adapter I bought.
Thank you and have fun with your macro adapter!
What a beautiful photo, Katie!!! It seems like it’s floating in the air with its beautiful pink petals!
Ah, what a nice thought, Kristina! Thank you!
Lovely image. I see the stitching; nature is amazing
I love the colour against the black background. So elegant
Thank you for the wonderful comment.
Gorgeous!
Thank you for a breath of fresh air….
Ah, glad the photo gave you that feelings. So nice to hear.
So pretty. Wonderful shot.
Thanks!
Gorgeous Color!
Thanks, Helen!
Ohhh this might be one of my favorites. This is a really pretty fresh photo!
Thanks, Charleen! Always nice coming from you.
Love the off-centre composition!
Thanks, Mufidah!
You just knew I’d LOVE this dahlia!!! Ohhh so beautiful!
Of course, Cee!
I always think of you when I see Dahlias! 
Ah, thank you, Cee!
Pretty pink
Sweet.