I saw Kort's thread about images that you are unsure of, well here is a rose that I am unsure of, but I felt the need to create my own thread, because I would like some input if any of you have the time

I took this image the other day with my E8700, I really like this one out of all of them, but it doesn't have the look I want, and I am not sure how to achieve the look I want either... I am looking for a softer image maybe more high key?

I have only resized, no sharpening or smoothing. I am curious, how would you postwork it? Have at it! :) But be ready to explain what you did!

Brenda :)

Message edited on: 01/12/2006 18:19

Here it is, I have left it rather large but had to compress it some so that I could post it! BTW the original is sharp. :)

Message edited on: 01/12/2006 18:16

Message edited on: 01/12/2006 18:20

Hi Brenda

Nice shot
I would maybe crop off the darker edge in the bottom right.
Not sure either what you want to achieve, but have done these two, they both soften the image slightly.

PW done with PS CS2

Simon

Make a duplicate layer.
Then go to the bottom layer and apply Gaussian blur - 1 per 100 px an longest side (ie image of 800x600 would be radius 8)
Edit/Fade Gaussian Blur" and select the mode as "darken."

Go to the top layer and repeat the process, but select the "lighten" mode.
These layers will not look good at this point.
Top layer set the opacity to 50%

NB if you want crisp petal edges duplicate image before doing the postwork, and then layer the PW image over the original, and erase the PW layer back with a small soft brush, and apply sharpening to bottom layer USM PS7 CS etc or smart sharpen CS2

2,
Duplicate layer
Hue and saturation
Hue 0
Saturation -70
Lightness 0
Brightness and contrast
Brightness 15
Contrast -15
Duplicate current layer
Gaussian blur
Radius 1 per 100 px an longest side (ie image of 800x600 would be radius 8)
Set blending mode of current layer to overlay
Merge layers.

Message edited on: 01/12/2006 19:45

the second

i would adjust the colors a bit. i went to Red/Green/Blue and here are my settings: Red 10; Green 0; Blue -9 it's a beautiful image, Brenda!!! :)

Ooooooh Simon! I really like number two! That is beautifully soft! Shelia a nice touch you added there with the color, the "soft" touch is what I am having a hard time perfecting! I have seen many rose images that were "soft" very feminine and full of mood and atmosphere, this is what I am looking for. Anyone else care to give it a whirl? I am open to suggestions. Brenda :)

sorry brenda...i didn't read good enough. :( i tried again to see if i could soften in a way to make it look better than the way you have it, but i wasn't successful. everything i tried...well, your original looked better. sorry. :(

OK I need to get to bed 4:30 am comes early, will be back tomorrow evening... Is this too soft?

It's ok Shelia, I am new at this kind of thing too. I know I don't want it sharp but I am thinking my own version might be too soft... sigh now for real I am off to bed. Brenda :)

I actually have to say I like what Shiela did to this. Having it that way would make a nice valenties day card with a bit of graphics added.

It's late for me,too,but I will definately see if I can do anything.I love working on this type of image,and yours is lovely. -Marlene :^)

Here is my suggestion - I would crop the image to make it a less central composition and tweak it a little more but this is how I would start. I sharpened using USM. I added a duplicate layer and changed the blend mode to screen. I added Radial blur - type zoom @ 75%, centered on middle of flower

You could increase the blur or add it again if you like more.

WOW! What a beautiful capture Brenda!!! Even though a rose is so soft and gentle...i prefer them "sharp" cause they have so many beautiful details. So to me Sheilas version look best so far. I couldnt help but play a little with it as well. #:o)

Lovely Brenda, a very nice "take it as a whole" image for me. I like the softer treatments, sorry Andreas. ;] I'd be hard pressed to pick my favorite, though I'm leaning towards Richard's, with just a hint more of the added softness of your last version.

So much for MAS...pfffft. LOL. #:oP

Brenda, you asked if the version you did in #8 was too soft. IMO...it's way too soft. i guess i'm more like Andreas in that i also prefer them sharp...and for the same reason.

Brenda,you got so many beautiful responses here!I see a few that I really like very much.I'll tell you what I think after I upload mine...

Obviously I liked your shot,because I ended up playing around with this,on and off all day!LOL,Now I have at least 6 different versions that I like!

Sorry to say,none are what you were looking for.BUT you did say,'what would YOU do',as your thread title after all.LOL.

And this is what I think I would do...I would collage 4 different versions of this,a la Andy Warhol...

Here's one.I can always tell you what I did if you are interested...but I doubt it,lol. ;^)

Marlene

PS I had a blast doing this! :^)

Definately NOT what you asked for... ;^)

Marlene! Do your own thing and show us what YOU would do anyway! I like what you did btw a very cool crop and effect! Shelia and Andreas, sorry it just doesn't look finished to me being sharp, I personally prefer the softer versions, adds much mood to a plain jane rose imo. But don't get me wrong I do appreciate your input, because it makes me realize that we do not all think alike! Maybe I will do two, one each way LOL! It sure would be a boring world if we all liked the same thing! :) LostPatrol and Onslow, I love your second version Simon as well as Richard's crop and postwork. I will play with the settings you all gave me, I work in PSP but I will be able to figure them out as they are very similar, no worries! I have always wanted to do a rose like this, but always get frustrated and wind up deleting it! :( BTW? I have been playing with this thing for four days now LOL! Kort, Thank you for your input and support, glad it isn't just me who prefers a softer image here! :) Thank you all for helping teach me the technique to get this effect, maybe not one I would use very much, but it is something I need to know how to do... I have a pounding headache right now, just took something for it and I am going to lie down will be back later... maybe way later! :-S Brenda :)

He he all so subjective isnt it, soft/sharp, yin/yang , wouldnt is be boring if we all like the same thing. Still never really managed a good rose shot, so I quite enjoyed myself playing about with it, even though is wasnt mine grrr lol I feel quite inspired to go and get some rose shots now, just need it to warm up a bit. Thanks for letting us play! Simon

Thanks Brenda.Sorry about your headache...Hope you feel better soon...

Okay...I like Simon's second,and the color on Sheila's.It looks better to me,too,'upping' the red.Richard's is beautiful,too,but way too high key for me...Then again,that is what you asked for...Andreas' is a bit too sharp for my taste...but there's a really nice crop in there,that is high key,if that is what you want...

I love doing these close crops...It just appeals to my eye more when the focus is on the diagonal,and the shapes get to repeat themselves.On the other hand,I can 'work' something to death,lol.I'm still a 'honeymooner' with photoshop,I guess,LOL! ;^)

So, this is my crop,and a bit of postwork,before I got 'carried away'!It is by no means,'done' in my eyes,at this point...

Marlene :^)

PS-The reason I started playing with it,was because after I cropped it,I wanted a heavier shadow on the right...That's how I ended up with so many versions of this,lol!

Message edited on: 01/13/2006 21:02

Other than a crop Marlene what else did you do? I like the view you created here... off to work on it again... hmmmm! Maybe a nice crop like Marlene's and some nice postwork like Richard's!? Thinking this is day 5 with it, even though I didn't do anything with it last night! sigh Oh yeah and I have some sunscapes to upload to the puter as well, a bit breezy this morning, but will see if I happened to catch anything worthy! Thinking I also need to work on making sure everything is up to date being burned to disc, before wipe my hard drive sighs heavily Brenda :)

So MANY flowers, so LITTLE time! These "What-if's" are kind of fun. At least I think so. And it really helps to have such a nice photo to start with. My first inclination is always to take a colorful flower and show it in B&W.

But while playing around I found that combining pasting the B&W (Red channel from the original) on top of the original, and trying different blending modes, made sort of a nice graphic. All depends on what the artist is trying to do.

I know I'm pretty late, but wanted to show you the two ideas I came up with anyway.

... and no. 2

MISHA!!!! Hi Stranger!!!! i LOVE that little flower in B/W!!!! Brenda, please don't apologize 'cause you like it soft and i like it sharp! Different strokes for different folks! Hope you feel better! :) Marlene, i do like your crops! :)

MISHA!!! I have played with it in both black and white and sepia, love your version in black and white, hmmmm wonder what it would look like soft in black and white or sepia, you guys are giving me all kinds of ideas... regardless what I wind up doing with it, I will probably only post one in the gallery though. Your color version would look much nicer soft Misha! wink-wink Drea OMG!!! What have you done here girl? Love your effects too, Geeze thinking now I need to make a collage of this flower! Your creative mind has taken this rose to limits where I knew it could go, but was clueless how to get it there. Now it is between Richard's version, Simon's second version and Drea's version. I can't decide which I like better... as for Misha's black and white I like the tones there too! And I love Marlene's crop! Wonders how Drea's version would look in black and white or sepia with Marlene's crop? LOL! This is just too much fun!!! Finished uploading today's shoot and ewwwww... looks like this one will be suffer the big delete. I guess that is the beauty of shooting digital eh? OK back to the rose... no worries, I have no intention of deleting this one! :) Brenda :)

Drea- number 26 details please???

Hi Brenda.I'm glad you like my crop.I think Richard's or Andrea's first would look wonderful like that! I also love Misha's b/w.A slight sepia might give it a lovely antique rose look. I look forward to seeing what you eventually do.I hope you'll either show us here,or let us know you've posted it. Have a lovely Saturday! Marlene :^)

Will let you know when I post it my dear! Not for a while yet though I am sure. Still time to play, it isn't ever too late to show what ya did! :) Brenda :)

Cool project Brenda...I'm terrible at flowers...guess a little abstract dosen't hurt eh?...hugs...Raz

The more I see this pic the more I love it.Sooo many wonderful ways to take it... :^)

I agree, so many wonderful variations. Shows how we all look at the world a bit differently. ;]

I'm glad you like what I did - and here are the results of your additional ideas... Will come back after having retraced what exactly I did when playing around with the original image...

Razz you definately have my attention there, that is sooooo cool I love that one too! sigh And Drea I really like number 26, it is my favorite! I am not totally sold on the black and white or the sepia... :) So many choices geeze hard to pick my favorite out of all of these... Brenda :)

The sepia with a really cool border could be absolutely stunning.

Ok - so now I tried to "do it again". I normally save all my steps when postworking on an image, but this time I didn't... so I had to do step 2-6 again (you might notice that the colours slightly change between image 6 and image 7...) So here's the explanation: 1) original shot 2) "watercolour"-filter applied (for anyone in Germany: Data Becker 400 Fotoeffekte) to sharpen the image 3) "dreamy"-filter applied (opticVerse Labs - Virtual Photographer) with full softness 4) copy of image 2) with "dreamy"-filter and less softness and PSP7 "sharpness-correction" 5) image 4) "masked" (also Data Becker...) 6) image 5) inserted into image 3) 7) some cloning to avoid edges between lighter and darker parts 8) "oil painting"-filter applied (Ulead Photo Express 4.0) 9) slightly pink spot applied (Ulead Photo Express 4.0)

You see I'm kind of a program-hopper, but even though you probably have different ones you might find filters that work just as well for you...

Thank you Drea for taking the time to explain this to me, will definately see what I can come up with! Watercolor filter eh? Oil Painting filter too? I have some Ulead will have to go look at their site I don't have data becker but I am sure I can make this work in one program or another! Thank you again! Looking at the images above is a big help! :) Brenda :)