Another Spring, Another Flower Bloom attempt

[Arbib]

Our neighber has planted this flower in front of a Telephone Transfer Box between our lots...Last year I made a Color Pencil effect, This year I kept it "El-Natural"...

Olympus E-510, ZD 40-150 mk1 at 150 and closet focus (4.8 feet) at ISO 800 and F/7.1.
Side note: I was in Fla for a weekend, I had ordered a Plus 2 Close-Up lens (B&W NL2), But, when I got back, the flowers were gone..

I love Purple in flowers..



CC Welcome...

[solent]

Looks like an Iris to me (the flower, not the part of the eye).

What is causing the speckling of the background?

[Arbib]

Originally Posted by solent

Looks like an Iris to me (the flower, not the part of the eye).

What is causing the speckling of the background?

ISO 800 is the cause....I can clean it up with the "Salt/Pepper" noise filter in PSP 10...But it effects the edges too much...Plus, with the "Not So Close" focus of the early ZD 40-150 (4.8'), I need to crop a bit tighter too..Hence the purchase of a +2 Close up lens. I use the free version of Helicon Noise Filter 4.8...Has quite a bit of basic editing controls too..I used it on lower than the default value on this one...This program works best AFTER it is PP and sharpened (I over sharpen a tad to compensate if I am going to use HNF 4.8.

ISO 800 is not too bad...It does deliver clean edges even in small detail..So it is a trade off.. I prefer clean edges over less noisy BGs...(Camera NF set to "OFF" and -2 sharpness, and -2 Contrast)_