daffodils

These small daffodils looked fine when they were first put into the vase. However, the stem of one was too short to reach the water, so it didn't look as happy as the rest the next morning. The photo was taken on the kitchen counter with light shining through a south-facing window on the left. I propped a piece of foamcore against one of the hanging cabinets and put a piece of textured art paper in front of it as a backdrop.

Nikon D3S, ISO 200, f/11, 1/2 sec, 105mm macro lens

processing highlights

• Topaz Simplify -- saved Watercolor preset
• Alien Skin Snap Art -- two saved Watercolor presets in Color blend mode; one masked to the flower & vase, 53% opacity; the other unmasked at 79%
• Photomorphis texture -- masked off the flower & vase, Divide blend mode, 28%
• three Flypaper Textures layers-- Liner Light, 30%; same texture, masked off flowers, 37%; different texture masked off flowers & vase, 31%
• The last of the textures had a blue and gray oval with lighter corners. Select Color Range was used to select a fair amount of the oval. The selection was filled on an empty layer with the complement (violet) of the yellow on one of the daffodil petals, and the layer was masked off the flower and vase. Lighten blend mode, 34%
• five black & white layers -- Multiply blend mode: three Fractalius, two masked, 23 - 63%; Divide blend mode: Simplify edges preset at 52%, Snap Art Line Art preset at 19%
• Alien Skin Exposure -- focus, grain, and vignette adjustments
• Photo Filter adjustment layer -- Yellow, masked to color vase slightly
• Nik Color Efex -- Reflector Efex (subtle soft gold on left side)

This is beautiful Dennis. Your background reminds me of tin wallpaper. I like the one flower drooping from the group. I might back down from the vignette just a bit as I fight it a bit overpowering for this delicate image.

Nice image and application, Dennis.

I might have moved the flower a little to the image left. When the other flower (that sagged) was there, it might have been more balanced. However, as shot, there is a lot of yellow and moving it slightly left would cut that up a little. But that is just a suggestion. Not sure about the sagging flower. I think I would have removed it, or found some way to give it some support so it would have balanced the colors as noted above. But like the image and processing of this.

Elegant! That was my first thought. I like the arrangement of the flowers in the tall vase. The drooping flower works, to my surprise. I like the lines around the edges of the petals. They seem to be of a lighter color that the petals and work to create definition for the flowers, which might otherwise blend into each other due to the simplification. Beautiful light. (Dennis, your setup is similar to mine.) The cool colors of the vase and bg make the warm colors of the Daffies stand out. I might have cropped some off the top, but, not a big deal. I think the bg paper works, which surprised me, as I would have thought it would be distracting.
I just read the comments of others (I usually try to write my comments first), and wonder what it would look like with the dark vignette made slightly lighter.
As always, lovely work.

Simply lovely! I really like the added subtle texture of the bkgd. For me it adds a uniqueness to a "vase of flowers" image. It feels like flower shapes are rising and dancing behind the daffodils, giving a very uplifting feel to the image. The pale colors and the silver vase add a tone of elegance. The daffodils with petal shapes and yellow shades are very much the beautiful focal point. I might have liked that the very yellow center daffodil was more defined. And always, thank you for your detailed workflow.

Thank you all for your comments.

The drooping flower . . . I wondered what sort of reaction there'd be to it. This wasn't the first arrangement of daffodils in that vase this season, but I didn't even think of photographing the others. If it weren't for the drooping flower, I doubt I would've shot this one. Maybe it was the contrast between it and the other flowers that grabbed me. I like contrasts in an image, and this was one was a type we don't ordinarily think of when developing an image.

In addition, I like images (or a series of images) showing transition. That was one of the things that appealed to me about shooting the breaking up of the ice on Lake Erie. Maybe that's another reason why I ran for my camera when I saw the drooping flower with the others.

I too think the drooping flower "makes" it...sets it apart from just an ordinary grouping. Good background choice...does not compete with the vase, but rather adds texture to the photo. thanks for the work flow info.

I agree that it is very elegant. I like the textured background and the drooping flower makes the image. Beautiful processing!