Pink Rose

[Anita Bower]

I'm continuing to experiment with soft-looking images and am looking for feedback.
I took this image last week at Longwood Gardens. 105mm macro, f3.3, 1/640, ISO 200, tripod and diffuser as it was sunny.
Processed in Elements 10: selective darken and lighten, free texture by FireDance (http://www.flickr.com/photos/36986446@N08/4104057449/in/pool-textures4layers) applied four times at blend modes Screen, Soft Light and Linear Burn. Copy layer at Soft Light blend for contrast. Sharpen and DeNoise.
Constructive critique requested. :-)

[Dennis Bishop]

The curve of the stem and bloom are wonderful, and I absolutely love the background. Two suggestions I'd offer are shown in the image, below. Because you wanted a soft look, I masked a Hue/Saturation layer so it applied only to the bloom. The reds were desaturated and lightened a bit (somewhere around 20%, each). When there's a single subject -- so that no other elements of the image are compromised -- I pretty much adhere to divine proportions in the composition. That was accomplished primarily by adding canvas to the top and the right.

[Maureen Allen]

Hi Anitia - lovely rose! i like Dennis' suggestions except instead of adding canvas, I would simply take a slice from the bottom edge.

[Cheryl Slechta]

Anita, I think this is gorgeous. The background is perfect and I like the soft feeling of the image. Dennis' repost is also nice although I agree with Maureen, just a sliver off the bottom of the OP would work for me. I hope you've got more "soft" images that you'll share with us:S3:

[Anita Bower]

The curve of the stem and bloom are wonderful, and I absolutely love the background. Two suggestions I'd offer are shown in the image, below. Because you wanted a soft look, I masked a Hue/Saturation layer so it applied only to the bloom. The reds were desaturated and lightened a bit (somewhere around 20%, each). When there's a single subject -- so that no other elements of the image are compromised -- I pretty much adhere to divine proportions in the composition. That was accomplished primarily by adding canvas to the top and the right.
Dennis: Thank you for your work on my image. I followed your suggestion and desaturated the flower a bit and think it looks better. I just read up on the divine proportions rule, but I don't understand its application to this image. I would have thought I'd need to add room at the bottom.

[Dennis Bishop]

. . . I just read up on the divine proportions rule, but I don't understand its application to this image. I would have thought I'd need to add room at the bottom.

Before going any further, I should correct a mistake in my original statement. I added canvas to the left as well as the top and the right. Okay, divine proportions . . .

Divine proportions and the golden rectangle are very much intertwined. The golden rectangle and its derivatives are commonly found in nature, so -- in addition to the fact that it's proportions are classically regarded as being pleasing to the eye -- there's likely something fundamentally right about it. It certainly isn't sensible to force every image into being a golden rectangle because so much else can be compromised. However, any rectangle can be divided into divine proportions based on the ratio of the golden rectangle's sides.

Depending on the image, it might not make sense, at all, to impose divine proportions. When I use it, I go with either of two approaches depending on the content. I'll try to place the horizon or tree lines at a divine proportion line. Similarly, I'll try to place a rectangular shape from a building or the boundaries of a specific color so it's bounded by a horizontal and a vertical divine proportion line. At other times -- with an image like your rose -- I try to put the visual weight at the intersection of a horizontal and a vertical divine proportion line.

The magenta lines imposed on the image, below, divide it into divine proportions. (The rule of thirds is a rough approximation.) Because of the shape and colors of the flower, I felt this was the best placement, and it was a subjective decision. I've learned not to try to force a subject like this into one of the regions bounded by any of the horizontal and vertical lines, although I do take that approach on some images. I've gotten used to using a standalone application I bought some time ago. It allows me to superimpose divine proportions and related shapes over anything on the monitor. (With CS6, Adobe allows divine proportions to be viewed when cropping, and I applaud them for that.) So, earlier today, I added canvas all around, superimposed the divine proportion application, decided where to crop, and that was that.

I didn't give the golden rectangle a thought. When I thought about how I'd respond to your reply to my earlier comment, however, I decided to see how a golden rectangle would fall on the image. The green lines are a golden rectangle and its divine proportions. I was amazed. A rectangle defined by the top and right side of the rose and the bottom left corner of the image is a golden rectangle. And the junction of the stem and blossom are at one of its horizontal divine proportion lines. I wish I could tell you that I originally set up the image so it'd come out that way, but I didn't. Perhaps it was just dumb luck, but I prefer to think that it was a natural consequence of the inherent beauty of the golden rectangle and divine proportions.

If you're interested, here are two links showing more about the golden rectangle and -- although I don't think it's referred to that way -- divine proportions. The first is a 27-minute Disney short from 1959 called Donald in Mathmagic Land. The second is slightly under four minutes and includes only the golden rectangle/divine proportion part. I'd recommend watching the original to the end of the golden rectangle part and deciding if you want to watch the rest.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRD4gb0p5RM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReJOK8RMzPE

[Anita Bower]

Dennis: Thank you so much for your detailed explanation! Clearly there is more for me to learn. :-)

[Bob Miller]

Hi Anita...This is very lovely! I liked it as soon as I opened it! I prefer the OP....Hope to see more!

[Anita Bower]

Thank you all for your comments.:S3:

[denise ippolito]

Anita, I love this one and Dennis' suggestions improve the image for me. Great background and softness!