Longspur Violet Trio (Viola rostrata)

Longspur Violet Trio

Longspur Violets (Viola rostrata), taken with a Micro-Nikkor 60mm AF and a Nikon Sppedlight SB-600 diffused; the flash strength reduced by one stop. Or maybe two. I really dislike the artificial harshness of flash macro photography, but the boost to depth of field is very helpful. I usually diffuse it, reduce the flash strength, then correct the exposure in post-processing to keep rich color, avoid wash-out, and reduce harsh shadow. It’s hard to eliminate all shadow with my flash hanging over the subject. A ring flash would probably to a better job illuminating the flower interiors, though at least overhead light is a more natural direction.