Omelet wrote:
In article ,
Bob Williams wrote:

Omelet wrote:
In article ,
Bob Williams wrote:

The nurseries in San Diego are putting out their bulbs for Spring
planting. I took a picture of this attractive and unusual specimen last
year at a Dahlia Show. Today I bought an assortment of bulbs that
included this one. I was astonished at how many different types of
Dahlias there are. Many do not resemble each other in the least.
Bob Williams
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[Image]
Good shot. :-)
It's tricky to get a solid background like that.
Thanks.
One neat way is to shoot the picture outside, at night, with flash .
Position the flower so there is nothing but empty space for 20-30 feet
in the background.
The flower will show up well illuminated with a black background.
Bob

I've gotten similar shots taking pics right at dawn when I get home from
work, but I don't quite get that solid background. :-)

Well done! I might have to try that, but how do you get it to autofocus?

Have someone shine a flashlight on it while you half-press the shutter.
This fixes the focus......Then turn off the flashlight and fire away.

You can also get some VERY interesting (if unpredictable) shots by
putting the camera on a tripod, Focus in Manual Mode and set the shutter
speed at say 15-30 seconds. Then PAINT the flower with a flashlight. For
those parts you want more luminous than others, leave the flashlight on
longer. The beauty of Digital Photography is that you can fool around
with different lighting situations and get instant feedback.
Bob