[peterst6906]

Hi Shannon,

I think you have the basis of a nice shot here.

The contrast of the pink against the green with the dark branch running at an angle could make for a really strong image.

What you did in the second version partly works, although I'd be interested to know what software you are using for your processing because some of the selective color has spilled over into the leaves and I think that a tighter result could be achieved if only the flower is color, if that is what you really were after. So depending on the software you are using, different people will be able to help you with the steps involved.

However, what I notice most about the second version is how much closer you cropped the shot. That's one of the big guidelines in composition, to get in close and remove anything from the frame that doesn't add value to the shot.

The lesson to take away from your own cropping in post would be to try to get in closer when you shoot the original photo. That will give you a much cleaner composition to begin with, but it will also give you better quality prints as you go large.

Also, with the branch running at a diagonal across the frame, the image has more impact than if you had it straight up and down or straight across from side to side. That to me, seems like a great decision you made to frame it that way.

Hope that helps.

Regards,

Peter