Dead flower

Elines

Elines

Well-Known Member
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Seems a shame not more is posted on this part of the forum so I thought that I would give it a go:

Original image
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Created on light table I made using led light strips in a wooden box with a Perspex top.

'Normal' B&W image

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Final image

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I felt the 'normal' didn't have any atmosphere so to try and make it more interesting (to me):

  • with the colour image I selected the background using select - colour range and then altering with a H-S layer (to avoid background being totally black in next few stages)
  • converted to B&W
  • inverted the image
  • darkened the bits of stem with a D&B layer (to my eye they were too bright and stood out a bit too much
  • increased contrast between dark and light in the petals to make the 'veins' stand out a bit more, using luminosity masks.
  • added Ian's film grain + reduced texture using the ACR filter to soften the image
I got rid of the stamens (?) because they were too bright (when inverted) and I couldn't work out a way to darken them to my satisfaction. I also got rid of the bit sticking out the back as - to me - it was distracting in the inverted image.

I'm reasonably happy with the final image as it suits me more (currently) than the 'normal' one.




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Man O Man. What you've done!
I can't make up my mind which I like best. Probably the last, more abstract. After all that good work, you deserve a free break.
My only complaint is your title, "Dead Flower" It should have read, "Gone to Heaven". At least at my age it's more appealing.
 
Thanks Joe.

The dark version wasn't what I had in mind when I took the picture, but the 'normal' B&W looked to me a bit like a record shot - no atmosphere. Plus I prefer the tones in the dark version.

Either way I was interested in what sort of tones I would get from the light table.

More usually the light table approach (I think) is used for colour, eg see:




Perhaps I'm just going through a dark phase:eek::)
 
Love the final image Chris. I wouldn't have thought to do that. Works really well.
 
Thanks José- me too but I was just pleased to get something out of the shot (which I actually took last April) :)
 
Whilst I prefer the final image overall, I do think that you could do with more tonal separation of the flower head and background Chris. Great idea.
 
Thanks Mike.

As I've preserved the layers I may be able to play around with the background. If not there's always next time :)
 
Quite a nice result Chris, what's interesting is the journey from original to the finished edit.
I agree with Mike, if it was my image I would be try to seperate the background a little...
 
Thanks Alan.

Yes, I need to pay more attention to the background when I use this approach, (light table + inversion) with a pale subject :)
 
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