For this month's image, I chose this one of a zinnia in my garden. I am very happy with how my flower garden has performed this year, as it has given me lots of photographic opportunities without having to go to other places looking for subjects to photograph. There are still plenty of flowers around, even though autumn is already just around the corner.
What attracted me to this flower was the intricate pattern on its petals. I photographed it before the flower had fully opened, as I wanted to capture the details of its y petals in contrast with the yellow stems. Later, as the flower matured, those stems developed into what look like little yellow flowers, but in reality, they are the pollen-bearing parts of the flower.
In editing, I enhanced the colours, cloned out some spider webs, and flipped the image horizontally.
EXIF data:
Shutter speed: 1/160 sec
Aperture: f/5.6
ISO: 1600
Camera: Canon R6 III
Lens: 100mm macro lens
Extension tubes attached for additional magnification and shot it hand held
9 comments posted
David Terao
I love the intricate details in the center of this flower. I've never seen a zinnia like this before. Did you focus bracket this shot? Hand-held? If I were to make any suggestions, it might be to add a strong vignette to focus one's attention on the detailed center. Because the center is so symmetrical, I might even suggest cropping the image to a square (1:1). Posted: 10/02/2026 13:09:54
Maria Mazo
Hi David,
It seems I forgot to mention that it was a focus-bracketing shot made up of ten images, and it was taken handheld.
Thank you for your suggestions. You're right, a square frame could enhance the image and help focus attention on the detail. Posted: 10/02/2026 19:03:51
Denise McKay
I love zinnias and all the different layers they have as they bloom. You captured the details here very well. I agree with David that a square crop and vignette would suit this image.
Nicely done! Posted: 10/05/2026 12:56:31
Maria Mazo
Hi Denise, thank you for your lovely comment! I found all the shapes and details of the flower at this stage of its bloom really interesting, so I tried to make the most of them. Posted: 10/23/2026 13:21:47
Mark Bamberger
You captured the details of this zinnia (which I have never seen before) very well. The smaller petals on the left, with the larger petals on the right, lead the eye across the frame. IMO, the placement of the flower is perfect and I would not change the crop. A great pic! Posted: 10/05/2026 13:33:02
Maria Mazo
Hi Mark, thank you for your kind comment! I'm glad you like the crop. Posted: 10/23/2026 13:23:46
Dick States
Great detail in this image. I like the composition the lighting and the background. Zinnias are such great flowers.
I took a look at the histogram of this image. I don't think it hurts the image but the reds in the large petals are blown out, which means there's no detail in these parts of each petal. It's important to check the histogram of an image after you shot. A histogram is divided into four sections and tells where the information about an image is located in the histogram. It's very easy to blow out reds even before whites. The histogram is a very important part of most cameras. This is a great image like it very much. Posted: 10/16/2026 00:52:08
Maria Mazo
Hi Dick, thank you for your thoughtful comment. I agree with you about histograms. I usually check the highlights and shadows on the histogram, but perhaps I should also pay attention to the individual colour histograms, as you rightly pointed out, to make sure I retain the detail in the petals. Posted: 10/23/2026 13:27:14
Kim Kowalewski
Wonderful capture! Great color and details. I agree with David about using a square cropping to focus the viewers attention on the detail-rich center and those delicate yellow strands.
Posted: 10/27/2026 20:21:12
