“The Dutch,” 131 Sullivan Street, SoHo, New York City
Sometimes I need to slow down and think more about what I’m shooting. A number of you know I’m not a flower person, except for yellow flowers that is – tulips, daffodils, and sunflowers just make me smile. So when I saw this arrangement in a window of a restaurant in New York City, I had to stop and take a shot.
When I opened it up on my computer, I immediately saw how I could have made it much better. See the woman just coming into view behind the orange vase? Yup, the human element would have been awesome. Perhaps not her specifically, but someone with a flair who would have added another layer of interest to the final image. As someone who loves to shoot urban landscapes, this should have been a no-brainer. Guess I was blinded by the delicious yellowness of these gorgeous sunflowers!
Visual Venturing 
I agree with you, of course. Maybe this pic could be the next One Photo Focus pic! Just to see what others would do with it…As a flower person, I would’ve focused on the flowers+vase, shallow depth of field in other words, and let the background take care of itself by being bokehed out. But, having said that, I quite like the view you’ve captured! Looks like a nice eatery and locale.
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Thanks, Janina, and I really do have to play more with depth of field! You’re right in that a shallow field here would have been beautiful. As for 1PF, I’ve already got submissions lined up through March 🙂
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…well, just add it to the list! 🙂
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An ever-growing one 🙂
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and they are a happy sight!!!
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Thanks, Cybele 😀
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Beautiful photo, Stacy. I remember having the same feeling many times before that I should wait a little longer. Now I feel a little different… whatever shows up in my photo is meant to be there. Whatever didn’t show up… I let it go. 😉
Have a wonderful day!
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Thanks, Helen! I don’t know if I can ever reach that stage 😉 I think I’ll forever be at the “shoulda, wouda, coulda” stage until “seeing” becomes second nature. But that’s all part of learning – when to wait and when to let go!
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I like this shot! it’s vibrant!
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Thanks very much, mjay 🙂 I’m glad you enjoyed it!
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No, this is beautiful. The vase is intense, the flowers, lovely (they say summer!!), and the window and the background are interesting, but it’s that vase and those flowers. Wonderful.
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Spoken like a true gardener! Thanks, Lisa 🙂
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I hate flowers, but I love women. You should have waited. This woman intrigues me. Nice hair, nice body, nice sleeveless blouse…, “What, dear? No, I’m not doing anything. Take out the garbage? Sure! Be right there!”
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You had both me AND my husband belly laughing over your comment, Emilio. He likes your style 😄
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That’s what I’m here for!
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I love how the yellow in the flowers brings out the car behind it. Gives a sense of vibrancy and enhances your focal point.
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Claire, I love that you made that connection! I like including NYC taxis in my NYC posts (love the yellow) but I honestly don’t remember if this particular shot was purposeful. I’d sure love to say it was 😉 I was so focused on what I thought was missing in the photo that I didn’t see what was IN it!
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It is funny how as artists we get so critical of our own work, sometimes we don’t see all the things we did right!
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How absolutely true! And thanks for the reminder to look at the glass half full instead of half empty, Claire 🙂
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I agree, lesson learned (well in theory), we need to slow down and ‘see’ what we are shooting, not just shoot. I often open a shot when I get home and go, oh…….I never noticed that when I took the shot! Sometimes it’s a bonus, but usually it’s not
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Those bonuses are wonderful though, aren’t they? 😄
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sometimes lol
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😄
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I still love the shot, but agree, timing is everything. Nice light and colors, Stacy. I like this restaurant, too. 🙂
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And oftentimes patience 😀 Thanks, Jane. I contemplated stopping in for lunch, but the streets beckoned 😉
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Love the flowers. So bright and cheerful
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Sunflowers always look to me like giant smiles 🙂 Thanks, Raewyn.
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It’s a beautiful photo, Stacy. I’d certainly hang it on my wall.
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Awww, Hugh, what a wonderful thing to say. Thank you for that 😊
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Very beautiful! Sometimes we have less than one second…
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How right you are, Amy – this time, though, I had more than enough. I just wasn’t “seeing”! Thanks 🙂
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Still a lovely shot though Stacy! As for the lesson learned, people are either in the way or not in the way enough. Or so it feels at times!
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Ah, so true, Patti 🙂 Thanks for liking the shot 🙂 The Dutch looks like a lovely place for lunch!
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Lovely shot, Stacy. 🙂
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Thanks so much, Sylvia 🙂
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I just love learning from you! Such a pretty sunflower arrangement. I have some growing in the back yard. Okay… they are only 4 inches high but they are getting there! HA HA HA!!
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What a nice thing to say, Nancy. Thank you! And how lovely to grow your own sunflowers. I do NOT have a green thumb – which perhaps goes hand in hand with why I’m a “limited” flower person 😉
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