This was a shot I took with a view to the Circle challenge but I didnt feel it was right for that. A lot of processing later and I have arrived at this image. I like the colours in this a lot.
We we heading down to Taupo for a wedding and I saw these sunflowers at the side of road. I knew then I wanted to take a shot for the circle challenge on the way back. When it come to heading back home we had stopped at my Mother-in-law's in Hamilton and Conor (10 months then) had just gone to sleep in the car. We didn't want to wake him so my wife quickly stopped the car and I snuck out trying not to wake Conor and got off half a dozen shots. Back in the car I noticed that I had forgotten to check some camera settings: ISO in particular! I always forget that one. The images were a little overexposed.
The day I took this was a bit windy hence the petals at the top right aren't in a nice circular formation like the rest but I think that just adds interest to the image.
Here's the original processed at -1 exposure:
Editing Steps: Convert from RAW at exposures: -2, -1, 0
Create HDR image
Tone Map
Neat Image
Clone out
* some leaves from another plant
* some leaves that poked out from behind the sunflower
On the centre of the sunflower
* Saturation +34
* Lightness +5
* Hue -14
Gradient fills from the left, right & top
Curves
Selective Colour: Blues: Black +50
Auto Levels
Channel Mixer: Blue: Blue +110
Contrast +19
With the flower masked out
* Levels 0, 0.84, 255
Flatten
Resize
Add Border
Neat Image
Save for web
Post Challenge: Wow! A Yellow in a Free Study! I never thought I'd get even close to a Free Study ribbon given the calibre of the photographers who enter Free Studies. When I entered I had hopes of a top 50 (being the top 10%) and then when I started scoring in the high 6's I thought maybe top 20. A couple of hours before rollover it crept into the 7's and I thought maybe, just maybe, I could get a top 10. A ribbon is fantastic! Thanks for the high votes :)
It seems that by including my editing steps and the original I have triggered some debate in the forums: here
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Place: 3 out of 561 Avg (all users): 7.0994 Avg (commenters): 7.9000 Avg (participants): 7.0534 Avg (non-participants): 7.2500 Views since voting: 306520 Views during voting: 330 Votes: 171 Comments: 58 Favorites: 56 (view)
Knew this might ribbon gerry...it's stunning. Considering this was taken with a so-so lens, it makes it even more superb! Do you think Canon might have accidentally put some L glass in your lens??? Congrats on the deserved ribbon
ha, with decent light you can get fantastic results from the 18-55mm
Knew this might ribbon gerry...it's stunning. Considering this was taken with a so-so lens, it makes it even more superb! Do you think Canon might have accidentally put some L glass in your lens??? Congrats on the deserved ribbon
Since it ribboned, this shouldn't be a hard one to critique :)
The first reaction I had looking at this image was: "Wow, that's some beautiful post-processing."
The original image looks pretty, but unexceptional. The new crop makes it a lot more interesting - the picture turns into a portrait, with the personified flower reaching out towards you at the centre of it.
The tonemapping makes the image a lot more dramatic, and I like the effect of the gradient fills. The border works well too -brings out the image without dominating it.
I don't think I really have any objections. It's difficult to take interesting pictures of flowers, but you've really succeeded - the flower looks alive, vibrant, and surprisingly person-like.
Hi, Congrats for the ribbon. I'm really amazed at how you edited this picture. Would it be possible to write a detailed tutorial setting out the steps in detail? Thanks.
This is a real stand out shot. I can't believe it was such a simple photo that was totally transformed by fantastic processing. Great work and congratulations.
appreciate very much that you not only shared a very nice picture BUT ALSO detailed editing steps. To improve is a good goal... let others participate is even better. thank you
Right then, joke's on me as I now have to plough through 564 images and bump them all (yes, all of them) up. There'll be a third run through for fine tuning. It's day two now and I'm running late, sorry.
Yet another flower, but this one stands out, pictorially. 6
i love sunflowers and i think you have done them justice with this photo..you have captured their beauty with the strong vibrant colours and sharp detail
Standing Tall
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