I found the geometry and variable green tone of these Sago Palm leaves to be very interesting.  I attempted to find an appealing composition in good light. 

There are numerous potential compositions when photographing a group of these leaves and I would like to know what would be most appealing.

Please comment on the composition that I have chosen.

Is the lighting correct?

could I have done a better job with color?

..............................................

Canon EOS 5DS R

EF100 f2.8 Macro lens

f6.7

1/125s

iso 320

jlloyd,

Thank you for posting this lovely photo detail of the Sago palm leaves. 

You asked about composition, lighting, and colour.   I think compostion is OK - the background is 'busy', but being out of focus it allows the foreground leaves to stand out as subject.  A closer crop to show fewer leaves is an option, but that would be a different photo.  I like the 'tallness' of the composition, showing how uniform the leaves are.  The repetition of the fronds in the background gives a sense of thick jungle vegetation that seems suitable for the subject. 

The light seems to be coming from above and right.  That has outlined the leaves nicely, so I think that  works too.  Just my opinion of course.  I am not a lighting expert.  As for colour . . .  the shades of green are interesting and varied, but the blue background seems strange, and a distraction from the subject.  The image seems a bit dark overall. 

I took a screen capture and edited it in several steps.  Selecting the green leaves with the eydropper in Photoshop's 'Select>Color Range' made it possible to adjust their colour separately from the background.   Then, with 'Select>Inverse', the background can be adjusted without affecting the green leaves.  The big change was to de-saturate the background to lose some of the strong blue tone.  The green, foreground leaves were made a bit more green and less yellow with 'Image>Adjustments>Color Balance', and with the sliders in 'Image>Adjustments>Selective Color'.  'Yellow' was chosen from the 'Colors' list. 

I think brightening the image would be most helpful.  But it's your choice.  We often remind members to trust their instincts.  All we can do here in Critique is to suggest changes we might try if it were our own image to edit.  Much of  editing is personal choice and style. 

. . . . . Steven, senior critic

 I agree that removing the blue and improving the lighting  are  improvements.  This give me a lot to think about and experiment with.  

Your comments are helpful and greatly appreciated.

Hello jlloyd

Welcome back to the forum, and thank you for sharing your sago palm leaf photo with us. Steven has already offered you an edit that I find very appealing, but because of the strong patterns in the image I thought it would be worth looking at a black-and-white version. It may not be to your liking, and it's up to you to decide as always.

All the best, Elizabeth

Very impressive. It makes excellent use of the light.

I have not used black ad white before but will try it in the future.

Thank you