Clematis Fract

[Cheryl Slechta]

This clematis was the first thing that caught Maureen's and my eye last night. I used Fractalius Impression, Nik Viveza to brighten the center, Topaz Simplify blended with soft light and a Gaussian blur around the edges.
Thanks for looking. Comments and suggestions appreciated

[Jay Sheinfield]

Nice clean whites........cool Frac application. Love the dash of yellow. I might clone out the black sliver in the LLC, for my taste. The radiating pattern is great. Well done.

[Dennis Bishop]

This is nicely composed, Cheryl, and I like the soft gray tones revealing the texture in the petals. I wonder if using a Curves adjustment layer to lighten up only the background just a little would still provide enough contrast to set off the flower well but be consistent with its softness.

[Maureen Allen]

Cheryl, I love seeing this flower again. It was so huge and beautiful. I very much like your treatment of it and the way your image captures how soft and delicate the flower is.

[John Storjohann]

Cheryl, this is really nice...I've always found Clematis difficult to photograph for some reason. Great combination of straight lines and subtle curves...the center of the bloom looks almost like a starburst...very effective use of Fractalius, particularly with the yellows. I agree with Jay, RE the black in the LLC; I might be tempted to paint back just a smidge of detail in the petals. Nicely done...enjoy your images!

[Anita Bower]

Very nicely done! Just the right amount of blur on the edges to create soft look, while saving the sharpness at the center. Just the right amount of Fractilus for interest without distraction. Wonderful composition. There is movement and flow in this image which gives it a special feel. My eye goes right to that beautiful center, then to the petal. Beautiful whites. The only place I might add back a bit of detail would be the two petals in LLC. Well done.

[denise ippolito]

Cheryl, I love the softness and the pop of the flower from the BG. Good suggestions above!

[Andrew McLachlan]

Hi Cheryl, this is lovely. I love clematis, they are such beautiful blossoms. The treatment here is perfect and ditto Jay's suggestion on the black sliver.

[Bob Miller]

Hi Cheryl....I am loving the softness of the petals contrasted with the sharp stamens> Nice work!