theme: lily

[Nancy Bell]

I have a difficult time with the subtleties of this theme. So this may or may not qualify . I used Topaz b&w 2, low contrast, reduced opacity and some PS adjustments.

[Michael Gerald-Yamasaki]

Nancy,

Greetings. I think it works well as a chiaroscuro image. I'd be interested in seeing this without the lower leaf, perhaps cropped at the bottom a bit. The conical flower enveloped in blue is very engaging.
Thanks for posting.

Cheers,

-Michael-

[Wendy Kates]

Nancy, I agree with Michael. The lower leaf is a bit distracting. Otherwise, it is really beautiful; the lily really pops against the background.

[Nancy Bell]

Michael & Wendy, I thought about that lower leaf, especially since it is not in focus. I like the way it completes the diagonal through the flower and the main vein of the back leaf. Without it the lily might seem to be just floating, like an illusion. Maybe I could make it merely a light shadow.

[Jackie Schuknecht]

I think if you darkened that leaf in the fg it would improve the image, and maybe a stem fading off the lily if you have any details in the original shot. A tough theme, I think, unless you dedicate a lot of your photography skills to it.

[Dennis Bishop]

Nancy, I agree with you about that leaf in the lower left. Absolutely. If you hadn't said what you had about it completing the diagonal, I would've. (Maybe I just did.) I like the color combination, too.

[Anita Bower]

I like how the lily emerges from the darkness, and that the dark has a blue tint to it. It is interesting to read the differing views on elements of an image, and shows that there is no one right way. I would prefer to eliminate the leaf; the flower looks like it is floating as it is. Nice details and colors in the flower itself.

[Nancy Bell]

Thoughtful analysis, Anita. Thank you and I will try a version without that leaf.