I find roses to be very difficult subjects. In order to take a picture of one that is particularly impressive, the flower has to be perfect, the lighting should be complimentary, the depth of field needs to reflect the important detail, and the background must be unobtrusive. In addition, the way the petals unfold must be elegant. I've photographed hundreds of roses, but this is the only shot I really like. It was in a floral display in the lobby of a hotel in Costa Rica, and I tried on a whim to capture something interesting. In this instance, unlike past attempts, I used a ring flash. The way the light fall off happened is a big reason the lighting looks so good. I think that made all the difference -- plus, of course, the flower is perfect in every way. My settings were 1/60, f/32, and 320 ISO, and I used a 50mm macro lens.
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