Clematis by Moonlight

[Julie Kenward]

I liked all the different shades of purple on this one clematis vine but wasn't sure what to do with it. I finally went with using the watercolor filter in PS, then Topaz Clean. I tried a few textures but didn't like the outcome so I deleted them and finally went with Nik's Sunlight & Soft focus filters and I liked that but it was so bright and cheery that it didn't really look all that different than my normal images. Finally, I decided to add Topaz Adjust's Black Rose filter to add a silver glow to the colors, helping to mute them and make it look more like moon glow.

[Dennis Bishop]

I very much like the composition, the colors -- including all the variations in the greens as well as the purples -- and the look you achieved. However, I'd rather see that spent blossom in the lower left disguised. I tried a couple things. The one that worked better for me was a masked green from one of the leaves on a layer in Multiply blend mode. It pretty much blends into the background and looks fairly natural.

[Cheryl Slechta]

Hey, Jules, I'll have to check out the Black Rose filter - I don't think I've ever used it before but I like the results. The large leaf intersecting the clematis on the left seems to draw my eye to it more than the dead bloom. Here's a different crop that eliminated them both. I like both versions though:S3:

[Judy Howle]

I love the colors and processing Jules! I'll have to try Black Rose preset. I don't mind the comp as is.

[Brendan Dozier]

I like your subtle filtering treatment on this Jules - has a pleasing, fresh, and natural feel to it.

[Indranil Sircar]

Beautiful composition and I really like the black rose filter effect. Very nice!

[Julie Kenward]

Thank you everyone. Dennis and Cheryl, I tried alternate crops to alleviate the dying rose but then decided I wasn't after the "perfect" image - but one that shows real life as one encounters it. I also like that the rose is somewhere it doesn't belong - a loner in the middle of all those budding clematis. Kind of sums up my life at times...

But thank you both for your excellent suggestions.