Connie, can you copy and post an example of what you are trying to achieve?

I've done some of that, but only through Photo Elements! It's quite easy to go from a darker background to a
completely black one, if you know the right tools to use.

I have an example of one I did for Teresa some time ago!

{{gwi:891112}}

Is this close to the idea you have in mind?

YES !!!!!!!

Now tell me what I have to do if you would please to get that look with my camera! PLEASE! PLEASE!!

Connie

Connie, I have a son-in-law, who is a nearly professional photographer (did wedding photos professinally on the side) and travels world-wide, taking photos always while there on other business, so he will be a good source to ask when he returns from Australia next week! If you can wait--I'll find out what I can!

Otherwise--do you have any Adobe Photoshop programs?

This is from my hubby--"If your camera has the ability to do spot meter, then it can read just the light
off the flower rather than the whole picture!

Another thing you can use is a telephoto lens! Take the picture far enough away to zoom in and set the aperture
manually to basically wide open, and that will change the depth of field, and make the flower stand out from
the background."

He takes real purdy pics. with his camera, too!:o)

I have an email out to SIL, and I'll report back what he says, as well!!

Here's another one I did in Photo Elements:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Honestly, it's pretty easy to do after the pic. is taken if you can't with your camera! I've never tried doing it with my camera,
because I never get the idea until I see a pic. afterwards! I do need to try what hubby suggested for myself though!

Okay, here's what I got back from SIL--from Australia! That's so hard to imagine that he's there and can communicate with me here!!!

"You could do it with a camera, but it would take some work. You'd have to turn the exposure down quite a bit and use a flash. If you are close enough to the flower and the background is far enough away, you would get this effect at night. Other option would be to turn off the flash and use external lighting, but you'd have to use special lighting to get the color correct."

Try PhotoShop--sounds easier to me!!! :o)

Thank you Janice for all your help!!

Sorry I didn't answer back sooner but I was on a 'sister, sister-in-law day' yesterday visiting a wonderful hosta and sun garden in Dixon IL. with my sister Rita , my sister- in-laws Patricia, Sandra, and Dorothy, and doing lunch with them. We try to do this once a year and the 5 of us have such a great time being together. Just got back on the computer a few minutes ago.

We could have spent all day wandering around the 5 + acres the couple and their 2 grandsons have developed over the last 13 years. They have over 5000 hostas planted under towering oak trees and then have started the hybridizing of day lilies the last few years so have a few thousand of them.

When they start a new hosta bed(they had one just finished a month ago) they use full grown hosta instead of the small divisions we do! I don't remember how many varieties of hostas they have but it has to be in the hundreds.

The owners told us that they have started to sell some of their hostas and day lilies to 'feed' their habit!!!

I'll make a copy of all your suggestions and try as many of them as my camera and old brain can handle!!! All the trouble you went to to help me is greatly appreciated.

Happy Hostaing to you!

Connie

If I can make a suggestion or two. Connie, if you don't have Photo Shop download a free program called Serif Photo Plus 6. It will give you a lot of features the expensive programs have. I learned on Serif and then bought Photoshop. I still use Serif a lot cause it is fast and doesn't hog computer resources like Photoshop.

Take photos in the evening. Avoid glaring sun. Manually set your aperture to the highest number letting in the least amount of light. Next use you Serif settings for l. Brightness to darken the photo. 2. Contrast to make the light colored things stand out.

This was the only photo I had at hand to work with. It shows a little how much you can change the photo with a few settings on Serif. Have fun!

Before:
{{gwi:891118}}
After
{{gwi:891120}}

Great 'bean counter'! That is very good info for alot of us! I'm saving this thread to refer to,
so I won't bug hubby or SIL when I want do some of the trick shots--and now with your advice,
I have no excuse to not be successful in trying them!

Connie, sounds like you had a great getaway or *hosta-day* and don't worry about etiquette,
( your mention on another thread) you're always a pleasure to read and you do just fine!!

Do you have any pics. of that hosta heaven you visited?