One flower, two lenses

A small (1cm) flower on a larger, hairy (plus small spines) cactus. Two pictures, one going for hard, intricate detail, the other looking for the softer, gentler side of a cactus. The first is a stack of 17 shots with the DA35mm macro @ f8. The second is a single shot with the FA77mm + 35mm tube @ f5.6. Both with the K3.

Thoughts, comments etc. welcome as usual.

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Steve

I think you've actually captured the detail and the softness in the first shot - it's got a great balance - not looking clinically sharp and not "dreamy" - spot on (IMO)

The second shot is of course softer and almost "dreamy" but I think it need a tighter crop to remove the green band at the top - I find that a little distracting - and you could drop the exposure by 1/3 or 1/2 stop maybe to bring down the highlights

Just my opinions though - I'm sure others will see things differently

I agree with LennyBloke, especially about dropping the exposure. You might get some of it back by reducing the highlights somewhat.

The first wins for me.

Thanks for your thoughts, folks. I had a little bet with myself that the first would be the favourite, so it seems I was right.

The rationale for leaving the green band in the first (it's actually the lawn through a greenhouse window) was to try to give a feel of the flower being in a landscape (that happens to be the top of a cactus) with a distant horizon. Same as having a horizon and band of blue sky in a photo of a cactus in a desert. Perhaps I pushed it a bit too far... .

Bright highlights are usually present on the flowers of that cactus - the slightest hint of sun and they appear. I'm probably desensitised to them because I've seen so many!

Steve

Second one for me Steve, love the flower all caught up in that fluffy hairy snowstorm...

Thank you. I am not alone in what I like!

Steve