Purple Iris

Image Critiques Flora Critiques
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Purple iris
Purple iris900×720 299 KB

I used several of my own backgrounds with this. One was a background I created by blurring the original, another was a motion blur of some tulips. Any comments fair game.

I know it says “avian” in the title. I have tried to get rid of that twice and it keeps popping back up.

Regards to all
Kathy

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7 Likes
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Very artistic image! Like the effect you achieved with the use of your textures while maintaining the detail of the iris. Nicely done.

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Kathy: I commented on Patricia’s latest image that my :scream:meter has been kind of quiet lately and then you go and spike it again! Your creativity is inspiring. Most excellent. :+1: :+1:>=))>

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Love the way the flower appears as if out of a mist. Very nice use of backgrounds, Kathy - a truly lovely image !

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In the words of George Takei (Mr. Sulu) - Oh My !!!

Of all the adjectives I use to describe images, sublime is at the top of the list. This is one of those rare images that deserves sublime. Such a wonderfully creative image :+1: :+1: :+1:

1 Like
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This is so beautiful. I love how the Iris comes out of the background, and also how the tips/edges of the petals seems to blend right back in to the background. Very arresting!!

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Lovely! I really like the colors you used in the BG. Also like how the flower feels soft to the touch, and yet is sharp in detail. Absolutely lovely.

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Very lovely, especially given the complexities of the iris. This presentation simplifies it and brings it right into the most compelling part, while not just darkening the edges.

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Great image, well executed, Kathy! It has a good soft feeling and the colors are fantastic! :+1:

1 Like
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Kathy, this is spectacular! The subtle colors and blurring of the surroundings work perfectly with that lovely blue iris.

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What a great work of art, Kathy. The colors are really excellent.

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It is a great, dreamy image… Reminds me of Alice’s Cheshire Cat appearing and vanishing…

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Kathy,

I think Antonello best described it… dreamy. Yes, soft and dreamy, yet a bit of attention getting detail in the middle. Beautifully balanced in that way too.

Lon

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@Bill_Fach @Shirley_Freeman @Ed_McGuirk @Patricia_Brundage @Ian_Wolfenden @Mark_Seaver @Lon_Overacker @Mark_Muller @GennyK @Kathy_Barnhart @Ellen

Thank you all for the kind comments. Making more use of my computer time than shooting time at the moment as I have not figured out how to get flowers into the house other than expensive bouquets.

Stay safe
Kathy

1 Like
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You have transformed the iris from “just another pretty face” to “a girl I dream of”.
Any chance that you could write a tutorial on how you did it, including creating the background?

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Hi @Dick_Knudson (Dick Knudson)
Thank you for that nice compliment!!
Ive actually had someone else ask me to teach a seminar on this. I’m working on it but have to say this has all been speed learning for me in the last 12 months or so… Those who frequent the flower board here know I have oft complained of PS being a mystery to me.

Having said that, here is what I did

  1. Basic adjustments in LR
    2. In PS, new layer, heavy blur new layer, free transform it to stretch it, then use a mask to mask out the flower. New layer is at about 90 percent opacity.
    3. Another new layer, created by hitting “shift, option , command, e” on mac. Don’t know what it is for the PC. With new layer, go into Topaz, pull one of my blurred backgrounds and combine the two. Probably about 30 percent opacity with a normal blend mode. Play with this as to what looks good. Return to PS. Use a white mask and paint out the flower with a soft brush.
    4. New layer. Orten effect. Probably used about 10-20 percent opacity. Again applied a mask and took the effect mostly off the center, leaving some.
    5. New layer. Go back to Topaz. pull out a black and white background , apply this . I’m not sure what opacity and blend mode I used. I play with them until it looks right. Then I returned to ps and took the black and white effect off the flower.
    6. I then returned to LR. I made final adjustments in LR, cropped, added a slight vignette , etc.
    I make additional backgrounds by shooting blurred photos. Mostly of flowers but you can let your imagination run here.
    Have fun
    Kathy
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I know I am very late but I have to say: a beauty! Splendid stark contrast between great sharpness and great softness. I love it.