I must be stuck in a leaf phase. This hydrangea had only one flower cluster this year, but it did put on a display when it was backlit by the morning sun. I don't know why -- the holiday season, perhaps -- I added the fireworks after spending a long time getting the image just the way I wanted it.
fireworks (several years ago) -- Nikon D2X, zoom lens at 200 mm, f/8, 8.2 seconds, ISO 100
hydrangea -- Nikon D3S, 105 mm macro lens, f/3, 4-exposure HDR at 1 EV intervals, ISO 200
processing
- Topaz Simplify -- Watercolor II
- Alien Skin Snap Art -- Watercolor, Color blend mode
- four B&W layers -- two Fractalius; Alien Skin Snap Art, Stylize Line Art; Topaz Simplify edges; all Multiply Blend mode with reduced opacities
- Flypaper Textures -- texture at Multiply blend mode, partially masked from hydrangea
- two Kim Klassen textures -- one Pin Light blend mode; one Multiply blend mode, partially masked from hydrangea; both at reduced opacities
- two Photo Filter adjustment layers -- Cyan masked from hydrangea, Warming 81 masked from everywhere else
- masked border
- fireworks -- two layers at reduced opacities, one at Linear Dodge blend mode, other at Color Dodge blend mode
- gradient vignette


