Requiem for the Summer

[Jackie Schuknecht]

I can't bear to cut back the flowers and plants to get ready for (gasp) winter. Took this yesterday, my cosmos are still hanging in. One in-camera blur. Converted to black and white, then added a cool tone.

[Nancy Bell]

Very well conceived and processed with lovely transitions from the front flower fading to the back flower. I especially like the addition of those brightest petals of the front flower. They seem to glow and set up the dramatic contrast with the black bkgd. I'm not sure what I would suggest, but I think you might play with the amount of black on the left and right. Maybe more black on the right as the flowers almost seem to be moving that way?

[Dennis Bishop]

I like this as a visual image, and I'm impressed that you were able to do it with a single blur. Assuming that you're showing a progression to the absence of the flowers during winter, I'd suggest darkening the non-overlapping part of the flower on the right so that some of the darker parts disappear into the background.

[Jackie Schuknecht]

I will work on it if I have time. Dennis I really practiced on the weekend to get one that I liked. I also discovered that blurs show up much better on a black bg which I used.

[Anita Bower]

Your Cosmos seems to be moving, moving away, away. Nicely done. Wish there were more light on the center of front flower. Dennis has a good idea of making the flowers become darker as they move away. I, too, hate seeing my flowers die.

[Paul Lagasi]

A very neat idea, its given me all kinds of ideas to try this with. It's -5C (23F) this morning in Ottawa but bright and sunny, so its coming. Nice work.