The Daffodils are in Bloom

[Richard Waas]

i just got back from NY and was on sensory overload with flowers in bloom. The daffodils, tulips and many others were just beautiful. This is not something we get in Miami, especially in the spring and summer. This image was photographed with my Canon 5D MK II, ISO 1000, f/16.0, 1/320 sec, EF100-400mm f/4.6-5.6L IS USM, 400mm, Evaluative Metering, Auto Exposure, Auto WB, No Flash. I used a sandwich technique taught to me by Tony Sweet. Comments Welcome.

[Tom Graham]

Interesting composition, I like it. And might like it more without the extreme vertical blur on LHS, not sure.
BTW, what is the "sandwich technique"?
Tom

[Lance Peters]

Hi Richard - agree with Tom - like this a lot!!
The blurred section on the LHS does draw the eye away from the subject.

A description of the tech would be good!

[Alfred Forns]

Different and works Richard !! Like the texture on the white flowers and overall feel !!! .. agree on the corner maybe just a little over, if the file was saved with layers might reduce opacity some !!! You got the eye !!!

[Richard Waas]

The blurred left side bothered me too and I tried to crop as tight as I could. It was a DOF issue and not from the technique. I used Viveza 2 to brush in more structure to give it a little more detail. Thoughts?

A "Sandwich Technique" is when you take the original background layer then click in the the layer menu to duplicate the layer. Go to Image and click on "Apply Image". Change the blending mode to Screen. Duplicate the Background Copy layer. Apply a 20% Gaussian Blur and change the blending mode to Multiply. Any questions, please ask. Have fun.

[Michael Gerald-Yamasaki]

A "Sandwich Technique" is when you take the original background layer then click in the the layer menu to duplicate the layer. Go to Image and click on "Apply Image". Change the blending mode to Screen. Duplicate the Background Copy layer. Apply a 20% Gaussian Blur and change the blending mode to Multiply. Any questions, please ask. Have fun.

This sounds like the "Orton Effect" (or a variant)... originally developed with two film slides sandwiched together by the photographer Michael Orton.

This description http://mosa.unity.ncsu.edu/photos/orton/methods.html gives a nice theory background for, perhaps, creating your own variants.

I like your photo, btw. Good work on the left side (perphaps just a it further? Maybe clone some detail in from the far right side?).

Cheers,

-Michael-