Petuna's Aglow

Image Critiques
,
1

Original - 56ZE_1742ME2v4-npn.jpg
Original - 56ZE_1742ME2v4-npn.jpg2298×2298 788 KB

Critique Style: Standard

The photographer is looking for thoughtful feedback on the image as a whole, especially around the areas noted below.

Feedback Focus: Artistic + Technical

About This Image

This is a result of being retired and having nothing better to do… and you can’t photograph another house finch… :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:

Actually though, I don’t know why I thought of this… and someone can let me know if they’ve seen this done before… but sitting here in the backyard, early morning enjoying some coffee and the birds and thinking what could I do creatively besides ICM’s… @Huw_Thomas got me thinking about his technique of “swirling” the camera (which is very cool btw,) but then “Orton” came to my mind. I think most folks are familiar with the term and technique called the “Orton Effect.” I actually use that frequently with my nature/landscape images at a very low opacity for added contrast. But then I thought, why can’t I do this in camera? ding… ding… ding… an idea was born.

Set the camera to multiple exposure mode. Take a normal picture - a subject that say has highlights. Then manually turn the focus ring softer and softer with each subsequent exposure. I tried from 2 to 6 and more frames. This one is just 2 images to create this final work. I believe also the blending mode was “light mode”. Basically, creating the same idea as the Orton effect in post processing, but instead, doing it in camera?

This was one of my early attempts. Again, just 2 exposures; a normal, in-focus frame, blended in camera with the same scene only grossly out of focus, creating a glow. Now to be completely honest, I’ve done a lot of tweaking in post, but mostly to improve, but the basic flowers and glow are as captured. For example, the LRC was actually brighter thank any of the other flowers. My first attempt I CA-cloned it out, but in subsequent versions I just decided to significantly burn/desaturate. There’s one of the petals was washed out and so I dealt with that. Can you find where?

Feedback Requested

My big question to you: Is this a technique worth pursuing? Is this too gimmicky or is there potential here?

It’s also just for fun. Very curious to hear your responses. Thank You!

Technical Details

Camera: NIKON Z 8
Lens: TAMRON 150-500mm F/5-6.7 Di III VC VXD A057Z
Focal length: 500mm
Shutter speed: 1/200s
Aperture: f/6.7
ISO: 100

1 Like
2

Lon: Anything that brings a smile to the face is well worth doing and I think this is pretty :grin:-worthy. What I find cool about these kind of images is that you really don’t know what you’re going to get and some end up being a delight while others are an immediate DELETE! But hey, pixels are free and why not?
I think the artistic expression here is wonderful. It is certainly eye catching and is clearly an artistic creation using a camera. Great to have you doing this kind of work and, as for me, keep 'em coming.>=))>

4

Lon, the eye-catching color and sense of dancing is very attractive. I could see this with another one or two exposures. That might add more to the dancing feeling, or it might just make it seem busy… It looking at this, I wonder about a bit more at the bottom, if there’s anything interesting there. I could also see trying something like this with a fast shutter on a windy day…

5

@Lon_Overacker This is brilliant - fantastic colours and glow.

I must now go and try it!! Thanks++

@Mark_Seaver mentioned dancing flowers - I’m not sure if you have seen what Polina Plotnikova has been doing - she gave a talk to our camera club

Huw

6

Thank you so much @Bill_Fach , @Mark_Seaver and @Huw_Thomas ! I appreciate your comments and impressions.

Indeed Bill. And while I don’t trek in to the great outdoors as much as I should… just enough “nature” in my backyard to keep the juices flowing. I appreciate the affirmation to keep going!

All of the above Mark! Actually this of course is a potted plant/annual with lot’s of dead/messy stuff near the base. And I’ve been experimenting with mixed results, taking Bill’s comment of “free pixels” to heart… but I’m changing all kinds of variables, including letting the wind do the talking. The inspiring thing is that once you find a combo that looks good (or got lucky), you can then refine it. fun stuff.

Thank you so much Huw - you’ve inspired me to try new things too! I checked out Polina’s work, and that provides even more ideas. Hers is pretty awesome and unique! Thanks fo the link!

Spent some more time in the “studio” this morning. We’ll see what I can come up with.

7

You created a very interesting image. I have not really fooled around with the Orton effect, so I don’t have a standard by which to judge the technique. Yes, this produced an interesting abstraction, especially with the backlit “appearing” flowers. Retirement does this and it is nice to ignore the status quo and do something different. Well done…Jim

1 Like
8

Oh geez, Lon. Now I have to do a third “Lon(g) Shot”? Just kidding. I like the idea, and I think it’s always worth playing with any technique that makes us curious. Curiosity is the mother of invention as much as necessity, and when you are retired, necessity might start to wane, so what’s an older lad to do?

With this image, the intensity of the colors gives it a kind of “black light poster” effect (I’m assuming since you are retired you are old enough to have had a few of these in your room growing up). That might be giving it a tendency toward gimmicky (not there yet, but perhaps leaning that way if you do a lot of these).

I would be curious to try this with a low color contrast subject. In other words, what would this do to a scene or subject with muted colors, and what would happen if you went high key? You know, just trying to fill your time since I’m newly retired and still have lists that say things like “1. dust. 2. vacuum. 3. get groceries” just so I can have the satisfaction of crossing things off a list.

ML

2 Likes
9

I’m late to the party, Lon, but what a beautifully artistic image! Absolutely pursue this further. Not only is the effect, well…effective…:o) To ditto what ML said, I curious how it works with other color pallets and subjects. Have fun trying it out. Keep us posted! I LOVE IT!

10

Lon, I will second @Bill_Fach’s comments. The Orton effect can look quite gimmicky at times, especially if overdone on a landscape. I think it works most of the time with flower shots such as here. Beautiful work. I usually use a preset I made up from following Brad Hill’s technique. I will have to try this in camera one and see how they compare for ease and effect.