“First Peony of the Season, Revisited”
“If today is not your day,
then be happy
for this day shall never return.
And if today is your day,
then be happy now
for this day shall never return.”
― Kamand Kojouri
I wanted to revisit this first peony blossom today. The image is made from a slightly different angle. When I shoot in the studio, I almost always set the subject up intuitively and stick with that shot. A few days may pass till I shoot it again, but I rarely, if ever, change the initial composition. Except this time.
I don’t spend a lot of time setting these shots up. I just ‘know’ that a certain composition will work. As I experiment, I may make changes from the original setup, but am usually not happy with it and don’t even make an image.
In the case of this wonderful peony blossom, however, the first shot, which I shared yesterday, was my go-to, yet this view is equally pleasing and shows the full face of the blossom. Nothing else was changed, just the shooting angle. I think both work and am now stuck with which one I like better. Perhaps both?
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
2.0 sec, f/32.0 ISO 100
High Resolution image on 500px
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Ed Lehming Photography 
When it comes to a peony, I just don’t think there is going to be a bad angle 🙂
Agreed
I think your final line says a lot, Ed. Where did this trait come from, this need to pick the best, the most beautiful, the funniest, the best? Why are we bound to pick a winner (thereby implying a “loser”)? Perhaps if we were able to look at flowers — or anything for that matter — and recognize the inherent qualities we might be happier with our selves and our world.
Hi Sally,
I should have said, “Which image best portrays the character of this blossom?” Rather than a better/best comparison. I strive to capture the ‘essence’ of my subjects. I use composition to show as much of that as possible, and some angles are more effective at this than others, though, as I said, my first instinct is usually correct.
Hi Ed. Sorry, I didn’t take you post to imply one is “better” — I felt you were asking us to consider the possibility that both brought forth qualities that might or might not be the same. You do a beautiful job of capturing “essence” — as you say, different angles bring out differences. Looking forward to more flowers. 🙂
No offence taken, I was asking exactly what you stated. Each brings out a particular quality.