Checked the EXIF info and you shot it at 1pm, so that might explain the plenty of (defused) light you got there; even in the shade.

Ah I see said the blind man. Yes the patio is roofed & this was picking up the bright overcast light as this is only just under the patio. Sorry about that Aamm rereading wot I said isn't as clear as I thought.

Yes, I read that, but aren't patios usually covered. That's why I asked.

Thanks Aamm & Ernest:-) I knew I was on a winner wiv Jilly on this shot:-) Here's a cut & paste from me comment below Aamm as it will save you from having to read all the interesting things written there. "This was taken just under the patio with bright flat overcast light."

I knew you would get Jill's attention with this one :-)

Woho mate, this must be printed large and hung in one of your walls. It's that good.

Was it shot in the shade or under open & cloudy sky. The light is magnificent.

Blimey! You're correct Daniel I completely forgot I'm an expert now..................Daniel you must now sell your camera & buy one that shoots in Raw, that's me expert advice to you mate:-)

So if you now shoot RAW you are also an expert :-)

Daniel you can't go far wrong exposing for the highlights as we accept no detail in the shadows as normal but we never accept blown highlights. I really don't find any difference between my Raw files & Jpegs & I only shoot Raw because the experts say it's better. I think if you're careful about your exposures in camera then shooting in Jpeg is as good.

Finally, again thanks RK and Rod for the feedback, I really appreciate it.

I've put the original picy with no PPing except for whatever Camera raw is set on in the drop box & you can see the picy has been darkened, so no recovery of underexposed areas was necessary.

OK RK, thanks for answering. About the noise present at low ISO, I didn't know it could be a matter of concern in big sensor cameras like Rod's. Trying to recover details in heavily underexposed areas is a different issue, if needed I could blame it on a bad exposure setting. About the link to luminous-landscape, I read it before, but I don't know if this advice it's going to work with cheaper cameras like mine that does not deliver RGB histogram. According to the user manual tt is supposed that my camera delivers luminosity histogram but I was told that cheap cameras shows green histogram instead of luminosity one. So as I don't trust too much my camera my concern is to avoid highlights clipping and then I prefer to expose the highlights right and fight noise in shadows by PPing, presuming there is not too much detail in shadows. If not, I was wrong because I should have shot HDR. My camera just deliver JPG and then I have not the exposure control range available in RAW. Continued...

Daniel following is a link that touches on this

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/expose-right.shtml

Daniel, noise is present even at low ISOs, that is noise will show if you try to recover details in heavily underexposed areas. At higher ISOs this is more pronounced while trying to correct underexposure, its better to shoot for curve to the right (over expose) for higher ISOs.
Rod, think its the soft diffused light and your magic fingers did the trick here.

Thanks Dougy:-) Maybe its the lighting that makes RK think it's so smooth looking a. This was taken just under the patio with bright flat overcast light. Of course me magic fingers did some magic stuff in PS, you know, dodgy burn, burn & dodgy:-)

Superb lighting and it just lifts that flower right out of the darkness.

Would you RK expect some noise in shots like this?. I ask because you own a terrific gear, I have no experience with medium / big sensor cameras but I would expect such a good performance from Rod's camera even in shadows considering sensibility was 100 ISO.

Thanks RK:-) No noise ruduction was used just my normal S shape in the curves tool, unsharp mask & dodge & burn & after downsizing I added some contrast & then desaturated it a bit to get more normal colours.

Great color isolation... shades of green and red. Rod you managed a manly flower shot.
Did you run this thru a noise reduction filter... looks too clean.

Thanks Jilly, Etna, Daniel & Seymour:-) Us blokes will never stop learning from you girls jilly:-) I didn't know you had a girly side Seymour:-)

Glad I could teach you something LOL !!

Wow...what a perfect portrait. Perfect exposure, focus, sharpness, shadows...everything. Such an outstanding work only could became from someone who loves flowers.

Pictures of flowers show a moment of life. Another good example of simplicity and good results. Well done mate!

Thanks Jilly:-) This is on our patio in a big pot & it gives a nice show every spring. I didn't know it was native to you in SA so from now on we will call it our Jilly plant & the ole pot it's in will be called an Ernest:-)

Rod ., that is lovely, and more especially since they are indigenous to our country. Called Clivia's ( which I am sure you know) and recently heard that they have been exported to Aus & China. A plant really worth growing and they really herald Spring and life as they start the season!! Beautiful light.