WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU WANT TO SHOOT BUT THERE DOESN’T SEEM TO BE ANYTHING TO SHOOT THAT YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY SHOT BEFORE??
FIRST LESSON IN BLOGGING: Keep Your Title Short and to the Point!!
Oops! I’m testing your endurance!
🙂
Well you know me, I head to my local nursery. “I’m Back!” Actually, that’s the expression on my face when I exit the car and notice the worker’s curious looks of wonder. “I’m Back!”
Don’t you have those moments when you just have to get out there and shoot something?? I do!! But, what if you’ve shot everything there is to shoot and you don’t have the time to travel to a new, exotic place? You see, whenever I don’t have a chance to plan a lengthy photo shoot, I always find myself drawn to my neighborhood nursery to photograph their beautiful flowers!
This happens to be a beautiful rose that needed a little attention. So, I added a series of artistic layers and tweaked the saturation and hue a bit to come up with “The Rose.” The post processing along with the shadowing have provided the ingredients to bring out the interest in this amazing blossom!
The Rose
Some say love, it is a river
That drowns the tender reed
Some say love, it is a razor
That leaves your soul to bleed
Some say love, it is a hunger
An endless aching need
I say love, it is a flower
And you, its only seed
It’s the heart, afraid of breaking
That never learns to dance
It’s the dream, afraid of waking
That never takes the chance
It’s the one who won’t be taken
Who cannot seem to give
And the soul, afraid of dying
That never learns to live
When the night has been too lonely
And the road has been too long
And you think that love is only
for the lucky and the strong
Just remember in the winter
Far beneath the bitter snow
Lies the seed
That with the sun’s love, in the spring
Becomes the rose
Music and Lyrics – Amanda McBroom
Beautiful rose – how about challenging yourself to photograph a subject you do not normally tackle. I suspect that whatever you pick will have the power to teach you something new!
Enjoy the journey. 🙂
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Artistically, it looks pointillist with watercolor added for depth. Assuming that you used Photoshop, then which filter gave the pointillist detail? I would like to try this sometime. ~ Lynda
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Ah Lynda, you want my post-processing secrets!! Well… 🙂 Naw…I’m just kidding with you. First, I painted the background black. Then, I muted the color slightly and increased the contrast somewhat to deepen the shadowing a little more. Then, I adjusted the hue slightly more into the pink area, and muted a bit more. Then, I applied an artistic filter called posterization. Once I initiated the filter, I then adjusted the Edge Thickness to 1, the Edge Intensity to 2, and the Posterization to 3. These adjustments are all accomplished within the filter. I always experiment with several variations of levels before I land on the one I think is best. I really like this effect most of the time for flowers. There have been a few instances where it just didn’t seem to work with the subject. So, there you go! I actually love sharing ideas with you and others when it comes to techniques! Thanks for getting ball rolling, Lynda! 🙂
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You do make a great point, Dawn! And, I really appreciate the fact that you made it. I do find if I’m not careful and intentional, I will simply shoot the same thing repeatedly. great and challenging comment!! I like that! 🙂
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Haha! The title. (It was to the point, though!) 🙂
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Dawn’s comment is SO great – just my words. Or you cuold shoot something you usually do – from a new angle! Just turn around can sometimes give a surprising and successful result…
Your rose here has become beautiful, processing is something I’d like to start exploring in the future ….
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This may be my favorite floral shot that you’ve posted. I like how it looks weathered, crushed a little, yet full of wonderous beauty. Kind of like how life and love is in real life. Beautiful, keep up the good work. 🙂
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I read that and just had to laugh…it just kept getting longer and longer, Jessie! 🙂 I’m glad it made you smile, too! Thanks for stopping by!
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Processing is something that I have forced myself to experiment with, Truels! I love photography, but realize post processing is a very important aspect of photography! I agree with both you and Dawn!!! Thanks!! 🙂
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Every time I shoot another flower and work with it in processing, I think it becomes my favorite, Car54!! At least, until the next one comes along!! HAHA! 🙂 This one is my favorite right now! Thanks for all of your great comments!! I do appreciate them so much!! 🙂
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Another great floral! Well done.
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