Across Departure Bay from my house is a small island called Newcastle Island. One summer day I paddled across the bay to wander around with my camera. I had been focusing on trying to photograph birds but eventually I turned around and noticed a lily blooming in the sunlight. I took some pictures but noticed that if I got a little lower I could put the cattails, which were also catching the sunlight into a very pleasant background blur. Together, the crisp yellow flower and the out of focus form of the cattails in the background really strengthen the image. I really wish that I had gotten rid of the foreground foliage, I feel it really weakens the image.
-Russell Berg
Canon EOS 7D EF-S 70-300 at 300mm f/5.6 1/500 ISO 160 −1 ev
The blur in the background is produced by these molting, (not sure if that’s the correct term), cattails. In some ways I like this image better. It doesn’t have the strong focal point of the image above but the sunlight in the disintegrating felt provides a strong counterpoint to the dark green firs in the background and the light green of the grasses below makes an interesting 3 colour band.