The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
This past winter, I bought a large light pad (on Amazon), set it up at about a 45-degree angle (which makes it easier to photograph), and then proceeded to take flowers from bouquets that I keep in the dining room. It was fun to photograph the individual flowers! They are all unique, and the leaves frequently have interesting “gestures.” I love high-key work, and the light pad is perfect for creating images similar to the one above.
I’ve thought about getting a light pad. This image might just push me into doing it. It looks for all the world like a pencil drawing. Very nicely detailed and I, too, love the gestures of the leaves. Wonderful image.
This is really nice Susanna. Did you keep a hint of green in the stem and leaves or is that just my mind filling it in? I’ve been too cheap to buy a light pad, I use an old tablet that’s not compatible with the newer software for somewhat similar shots and it works fine, though it’s a bit small.
@Dennis_Plank, @Bill_Fach, @Gill_Vanderlip, @Chris_Baird, Thanks for your feedback! I converted this flower (and all in this collection) to B&W, and then I lowered the opacity so the color would show through a bit. I like the “look” of the flowers — not quite realistic, but almost. I didn’t want “photo-realistic” images.
I don’t use LR. I use ACR and Photoshop for all processing, including converting to B&W. That’s my preferred method. I lower the opacity of the B&W layer to get the effect I want. Hope that makes sense!
I use Photoshop totally for all editing. I use it like a dark room. Pretty much the way Cole Thompson edits. And Bill Guerrant. My teachers. When I use the b and w conversion in photoshop I use the faders to get the lights and darks. The Vibrance filter keeps some color in the image and can go totally b and w. I’ll try to learn more about opacity. Always learning.
I tried to change opacity. The image went into gray checkerboard look. Not sure how this works. I’ll keep trying. When you did your image at what percent did you use.
Thanks.
This is such a beautiful and serene image. I like your choice of a square crop and desaturated colors. It all works very well to create an impactful and unique image. Nicely done!
If you make the B&W layer, you can get a great look by changing the layer fill mode to “Luminosity,” then lower the opacity as you wish. I use NIK’s Silver Efex Pro 3 for my B& W conversions because it gives me far more control. For instance, (and this can also be done in the RAW editor), by scrolling down in the dialogue box you can adjust the color and tonality of each individual color, and or choose a primary color filter then adjust individual colors.
Oh, almost forgot but you can also work the color range/tonality in your channels dialogue. All your adjustment tools can be directed to a specific channel - such as the green.
Thanks, @Chris_Calohan for your suggestions. I’ve been using NIK for about 20 years, including Silver Efex, and Photoshop longer. I appreciate your tips! There are so many ways to use both programs — they seem endless!
I generally try a number of approaches to achieving the “look” I want in a photograph. That can include blending modes or something as simple as working with the opacity of a layer, as I did in this image.
Balance and Visual Weight: This is a lovely photo, but the white flower and white background are a little too bright for my taste. It is difficult to appreciate the flower with such a bright background. In my humble opinion, I would try to take down the white background with a little grey or a pale rose or other complementary color. I suspect the white background looks very nice with a more colorful flower.
I see your point, @jim3. Thanks! I’ll work with it, but probably to slightly tone down the background rather than change the color, which would change the intent of the image.
|