The photographer is looking for thoughtful feedback on the image as a whole, especially around the areas noted below.
About This Image
This is a result of being retired and having nothing better to do… and you can’t photograph another house finch… 
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
-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?