Theme: Backlit Lily
This was originally a white lily with a green BG. I used NIK vignette filter to add softness around the border, then a H/S layer which changed the colours to blue/orange, and finally put it through the glass filter. Even though not sharp ( though the original is, I liked the effect and thought the stamen was something to hold focus). Cropped to 16:9.
Gorgeous! I love the BG but the flower feels like it could use a little punch of some sort. I wonder how it would look to layer back on some of the original flower. I'd keep the lovely filtered edges and just brush it in with a mask in the center of the petals.
Thanks Diane, I lightened the highlights using Photokit, and then a curves adjustment blended at soft light.
But this also lightened the BG and gave it more punch. Masking the new lily over the original would make it stand out more. It's just me, but I'm usually not a fan of very low contrast in the main subject. It's usually possible to keep a soft look but have a little more contrast. To really see the difference, layer this with the OP and click the new one on and off.
I also did a touch of Nik's Pro Contrast and Detail Extractor.
I love the colors! I agree that more punch in the lily adds to the image.
Very pretty image Jackie, and I think it's a good idea to add a little contrast between the flower and the background. I like the texture, it is different and interesting.
"It is an illusion that photos are made with the camera... they are made with the eye, heart, and head." - Henri Cartier Bresson
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Jackie,
Greetings. I found the thumbnail very compelling but was less wild about the full image. Having looked at the image in various sizes I found that I like it once the texture on the edges of the lily were not so visible. So my inclination would be to reduce the texture on the lily or at least at the edges. The contrast is less an issue for me than the texture on the petal edges. The background and color is beautiful and the lily is set off in 3D very nicely. Thanks for posting.
Cheers,
-Michael-
Thanks Michael, I will revisit this one if time permits. Funny, I picked it just for the glass filter! I appreciate your critique.
I like your original post, Jackie. (Diane's treatment is good, too, but it's an entirely different interpretation. Art is subjective . . . )
In art, in general but probably especially in photography, we're conditioned to see a subject. Some landscapes may not work that way, and I'm not at all sure that we should always expect a subject, especially in an abstract image. When I look at yours, I see it as a whole with blues, orange, greenish, and white. With the blues in the lily, it blends in just like the rest of the colors and is a part of a single pleasing image. At least that's my take on it. I like the glass filter effect, too.
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