The photographer has shared comprehensive information about their intent and creative vision for this image. Please examine the details and offer feedback on how they can most effectively realize their vision.
Self Critique
I enjoy turning flowers into works of art.
Creative direction
This is one in a series of flowers that are pieces of art using methods that emphasize the shape and character of the flower.
Specific Feedback
All feedback is appreciated.
Technical Details
The poppy had a very cluttered background, which challenged me to feature the shape and beauty of the individual flower.
Taken with Sony a7iv focal length 560 mm, ISO 500, F/ll, 1/80 sec.
Processed in LR & PS, multiple layers of textures and blend modes were used for the background. Topaz Lab artistic filters were used to obtain the painted look.
Description
The poppy was one of many growing at Diamond Lake. The challenge was to find one open and not yet in harsh sunlight. The post-processing is an adventure, finding a look that tells the story I have in mind.
Very nice! These fluorescent orange CA poppies are so difficult to photograph well, and it’s obvious from the tonal detail that you started with a well-controlled exposure in good light. I love it when the center is darker orange and the petal tips go more yellow, which you have captured very well here.
Artistic filters are a hard sell for me, but I really like what you did here, and I love the way the stem fades away at the bottom of the frame.
@Saundie and @Diane_Miller Thanks; I was striving to make it more artistic than faithful to how we usually see poppies. Maybe the viewer would be willing to stop and pay attention and not say, “Oh, just another poppy.” Diane, I am fascinated with the artistic filters and can play with them for hours instead of doing the laundry!
@Barbara_Djordjevic, lovely poppy! We have them here in NC in the summer. Fortunately, the DOT plants them along the highways. We always find ways to get off and park to photograph them! The color of this one is beautiful. I love the gesture of the flower. Cluttered backgrounds can be a challenge, but you did a great job with this. The painterly effect is subtle and supports the flower. I doubt that a non-photographer would know it was created. My only slight issue is the truncated stem. My eye wants to see it longer, creating a more graceful support for the very graceful flower!
A lovely poppy, and your use of textures, etc. is beautiful. I’m with Susanna on the length of the stem. My eye wants to see more of the stem, to accentuate all the graceful curves. This mass of the beautiful orange petals feels quite large in the frame, making this unbalanced to my eye. Lacking a lot more stem, I could see a square crop of just the petals.
Thanks, @Susanna_Euston and @Bonnie_Lampley, regarding your views on the artistic use of textures and the painterly effect. Your comments on the size of the poppy and the short stem deserve my consideration. I appreciate your taking the time to comment.
