Are You Ready For Some ... Flower Power?

You nailed it. I wish I was there right now, lying in that grass, surrounded by sunflowers. Thanks Edwin, you made my day.

Photographically speaking, I prefer the first one. Like the way the wide angle curves the edges. And film is so pretty - it has a soul digital does not capture.

Nothing wrong with flower photography when it's done well! What this really shows is how wonderful it is to have a camera will REAL control. An aperture ring on the lens with depth of field scale is something that will never be known or understood by anyone growing up with the digital "technology" of today. I typically use my x700 with 28mm lens set to f8 or f11 at hyperfocal distance so no focus is needed, (which I cannot see well enough to do anyway). I'm surprised you used A priority instead of setting the shutter speed manually, but it appears the old warrior Minolta nailed the correct exposure!

Nice job!

steve

First one: bit of a gap in the composition along the bottom edge, with the flowers bottom rh corner dying away too much. I can see that you've used the two stands of grass as stoppers and this works well, but the good solid base of flowers dies away too much on the right.

Second one: On the whole, I like this the best. But, although I suspect that like me you neither want nor need digital editing, I would have been tempted to edit in the field, as it were, to physically remove the tall, pale single grass stem towards the left-hand edge.

Third one: Again, tall grass stoppers work well and this time there's a good, solid base of greenery and flowers along the base. What edges it out of first place for me, though, is the curiously uneven sky tones. I'm not familiar with circular polarisers but could it have been adjusted to give a better effect here? Otherwise, this is the winner. Best composition, without a doubt.

Nice to see some decent flower shots, though.

I like the first one better. Nice cloud pattern and gives me the feeling that they are reaching for the heavens. The yellow and blue are good together.

No...allergies to flowers and pollen. Sorry.

Nice pics though.