White Cyclamen

[Anita Bower]

I'm starting to play around with a used 180mm macro lens I recently purchased. I took this photo indoors using natural light at f3.5.

Processed in Elements 10. Applied two free textures from Coffee Shop : Painting and Vintage Cream. Used brush to desaturate center, as explained by John Chardine (I love learning new techniques!). Slight white vignette using CEP.

The image looks a bit duller here than on my monitor in Elements.

As always, I appreciate constructive critique.

[Indranil Sircar]

Hi Anita, beautiful composition. I like how you used the canvas to frame the flower. On my monitor, the flower seem to have lost in the bg as is the texture. I can see it much better if I am increasing the black point on the neutral color in selective color. TFS.

[Dennis Bishop]

I like the background and the shape of the petals. However, the shape is very difficult to see without some adjustments. I'm all for the pale colors, and I wonder if that look could be retained and the petals be seen better if the texture were masked off them.

[Anita Bower]

Indranil and Dennis: I appreciate your comments!!! So very helpful to know how an image is seen by others. I was trying to have the flower fade into the background, but apparently this is frustrating rather than pleasing. Again. Thank you ever so much for your input.

[Kerry Perkins]

Hi Anita, the flower is lovely and I like your concept. I do agree that just a touch more definition of the bloom would add to the impact of the image. I do like the fact that the flower draws the viewer into the image, so I think just a small amount of change is all that I would suggest. Nice!

[Bob Miller]

HI Anita....The flower fades too much in the bg on my monitor but I like your idea of a fading flower.

[Nancy Bell]

I really like the idea of the pale flower against the pale textured bkgd. But I'm with everyone in that I really cannot distinguish the petals much. Maybe you could try revealing the petals & stem a bit like the center of the flower.

[Anita Bower]

Thank you Nancy, Bob and Kerry. It is unanimous that this image doesn't work as presented and that I need to allow more of the flower to show. All the comments have been most helpful!!

[Cheryl Slechta]

Anita, I think it would be a lovely image with just a little tweaking - I hope you'll repost