The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
These have been manipulated with a swirl filter in PS. The picture was taken at Diamond Lake in So. California. Poppies don’t open until the sun wakes them up, so the light can be problematic.
Specific Feedback
I want feedback on the manipulation of the poppy and its effectiveness in B&W. I am taking an online class in B&W and have been playing with pictures in my archives. Does this one work in B&W?
Technical Details
Taken with my Sony a7iv on a tripod. ISO 500, f/11, 1/80 sec. at 560 mm
Processed in LR, Silver Efex Pro 3, and Luminar AI
I have posted a reworked version of the B & W. @Diane_Miller’s comment about the right side of the flower blending into the vignette and the need for some structure in the center of the image prompted me to rework it. @Alfredo_Mora, you suggested simplifying the BG. I didn’t try it with the colored version, but did so with the B & W. I am much happier with the reworked version. Thanks to all of you.
Critique Template
Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.
Barbara, I love the whimsical shape of the poppy! It looks like a tree from the Lorax movie. I like the high key edit in the black and white but am on the fence about the white vignette. The shapes in the poppy tend to blend in with the background.
I do prefer the color version with the beautiful yellow and blue color combination. It looks so much like a painting. I would recommend reducing the twist effect in the background so it appears more like soft clouds. Overall, this is a wonderfully creative image.
Creative fun! I lean toward the B/W but that’s because it’s more mysterious what the plant is. The white vignette works for me and I would be tempted to extend it more on the right side so it blends into the petal there. Don’t know if there is enough tonal info but I’d be tempted to see if a little more tonal detail could be pulled out of the center of the flower. Might need to be masked to keep the effect there. Fun image to play with!
Barbara, it’s a fine shot and I think it works well in black and white. I like the light vignette.
In this instance, though, I prefer the color version. The color contrast is appealing and attention-getting. It looks like something Georgia O’Keeffe might have painted.
Thank you all, @Alfredo_Mora, @Diane_Miller, and @Don_Peters. Your various reactions to the vignette interest me. The goal of the B & W was to keep it light and joyous. As Diane pointed out, there was very little texture in the middle part of the image once I had manipulated it. Simplifying the background sounds like a good idea.
Barbara, I think I have never used the swirl filter in Photoshop. but this is great! I like the black and white better and not only because I am a monochrome kind of guy. With the color you can still get what this is and for me the effect in the clouds is a bit too obvious, but as a black and white, this is a really clever abstract looking more like a drwaing than a photograph. It stood out from the thumbnails and I am glad I clicked on it. Thnaks for sharing.
These are both very cool, Barbara. I like the B&W especially because it does feel less obvious what it is. The white vignette works for me as well. I guess I could come up with something to change, but personally I like this as presented.
The B&W absolutely works with this one Barbara. Your rework is great. The color version is very bright and almost looks like a very nice poster. Nice work.
The color version has the color combination the Van Gogh liked so much. Even though O’Keefe loved doing flower abstracts this comes closer to a Van Gogh for me. Comparing color to b&w here is very difficult for me because they’re so different.
I used to ask my piano teacher who was a better composer, Mozart or Beethoven. He would just laugh and never give an answer.
I have been out of town on a photo workshop in the Grand Canyon, so I am replying late. Thanks to @Ed_Williams, @Dennis_Plank, @SandyR-B, and @Igor_Doncov for your reactions to the idea of B&W versus the color version of this fun way of playing with a flower.
