Whatta Way to Go

[Dennis Bishop]

This hydrangea in front of the house is a bit bedraggled, but it's taken on exciting new colors. Pretty good for this late in the year in Michigan. Taken today. Oops. Just looked at the clock. Technically, it was yesterday.

4 shots with different focus points
ISO 1000 (plus a couple makeshift windscreens), 1/160 & 1/125 at f/8 (aperture priority -- in the shade but the light was changing), 60mm macro lens

shots stacked as layers
auto align and auto blend
Topaz Simplify -- preset based on BuzSim
the background is an old cardboard box (one of the windscreens) and two Flypaper textures
Snap Art -- Stylize, line art for dark gray accents
Nik Color Efex -- Sunshine/Detail Extractor/Contrast Color Range (CCR at a very low setting. The actual colors were amazing.)

[denise ippolito]

Dennis, You already know how fond I am of aging flower blooms and leaves so this is very interesting to me. I spent a few minutes taking in all that you have done and I don't think I would change a single step. I might take a look at the very edge of the right side leaf-the wavy lines catch my eye and I find myself staring at it. I like the subtle use of Snap Art and Simplify. Very creative and well done. You have inspired me to get out there and find something half-dead to shoot!

[John Storjohann]

Dennis, you are incredibly gifted with your processing skills...this reminds me so much of some of the processing that Hillary Hahn was doing with her avian images earlier in the year that it's uncanny. Wonderful warm colors...a blend of sharp lines and subtle gradations really set the image off...reminds me of an old, hand painted lithograph. Nicely done!

[Dennis Bishop]

Dennis, You already know how fond I am of aging flower blooms and leaves so this is very interesting to me. I spent a few minutes taking in all that you have done and I don't think I would change a single step. I might take a look at the very edge of the right side leaf-the wavy lines catch my eye and I find myself staring at it. I like the subtle use of Snap Art and Simplify. Very creative and well done. You have inspired me to get out there and find something half-dead to shoot!

Thank you, Denise. Are these the wavy lines? What would you suggest -- a local lightening of the leaves / darkening of the background?

[denise ippolito]

No Dennis, I love that area! I have used a white arrow. It is from one of the texture overlays I think.

[Dennis Bishop]

Dennis, you are incredibly gifted with your processing skills...this reminds me so much of some of the processing that Hillary Hahn was doing with her avian images earlier in the year that it's uncanny. Wonderful warm colors...a blend of sharp lines and subtle gradations really set the image off...reminds me of an old, hand painted lithograph. Nicely done!

Thank you very much, John. I tried to find Hilary's avian images but without success. The feel of this is a bit different from most of my images, but it seemed to work with the subject. The key was finding the right textures for the background. When I use textures, the Flypaper Textures collections is the first place I look.

[Roman Kurywczak]

Hey Dennis,
I like the old time look to this and subject. Very nicely done!

[Dennis Bishop]

No Dennis, I love that area! I have used a white arrow. It is from one of the texture overlays I think.

You're right. It was from the first texture. Thanks for catching that.