B&W Tulips

GerryDavidGerryDavid Registered Users Posts: 439 Major grins
edited August 23, 2005 in Wildlife
33084672-M.jpg
http://gerrydavid.smugmug.com/photos/33084672-L.jpg

Aperture: f/4.8
ISO: 100
Focal Length: 36mm *in the 35mm world, I thinkthats roughly 200mm*
Exposure Time: 1/600

Photoshop work:

* I started off with cleaning the image up a bit
* then some highlight/shadows adjustments
* curves adjustment layer

* then the adjustment layer that helps you make an image b&w by giving it more latatude or something,I forget the name of it.
* after playing with this a bit I discovered I had to change the mode to cmyk
* channel mixer and played with the levers a bit, finally finding a combination I liked. It turned the yellow tulip pretty white in this picture.
* curves to help create more contrast while helping more detail in the main tulip show through.

* I then discovered there was way to many highlights in the background so I duplicated the cleaned up layer and used the burn tool on that, with 20%. I tried to burn the b&w merged layer but there wasnt enough info on it to do a nice job, which is why I went back and duplicated the cleaned up layer. Since I work with adjustment layers as much as I can I didnt have to go back and redo some stuff.

* copied the merged layers *ctrl shift c* and applied USM to that, then reduced the opacity until I found a result that I liked, roughly 40% opacity.

I wanted to keep this an 8x10 ratio, but there was some stuff in it that I didnt care for, so I used some math with the measure tool, calculated how much I had to increase the canvas by, skewed the picture and stretched it to cover the new canvas area *I did it this way so the bottom layers wouldnt be resized and cropped* and then cropped off the excess on the side. I dont think you can tell that the image was roughly widened by 8%.

I know this picture doesnt really follow the rule of 3rds but I didnt want to trim off the border flowers since showing a little bit would have been distracting, and cropping them all off didnt look right.

Im also tempted to burn the border flowers slightly so thier not as bright. Also theres some bright spots that im wondering if I should burn them some more, and remove some of them.

So what does everyone think of the picture? Personally I think I like the way it all looks, but I can see how some may not.

Comments

  • HarrybHarryb Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 22,708 Major grins
    edited August 23, 2005
    Hey Gerry,

    Usually I don't like B&W conversion on flower shots but thsi one works for me. The comp is intertesting, you held the highlights well and the contrats is good.

    Thanks for the detailed insight into your post processing technique. You did a couple fo thing that I will probably want to try in the future.
    Harry
    http://behret.smugmug.com/ NANPA member
    How many photographers does it take to change a light bulb? 50. One to change the bulb, and forty-nine to say, "I could have done that better!"
  • Steve CaviglianoSteve Cavigliano Super Moderators Posts: 3,599 moderator
    edited August 23, 2005
    15524779-Ti.gif with Harry. I'm also not a big B&W flower person, but I do like what you've done with this shot thumb.gifthumb.gif It sort of reminds me of some IR flower shots I used to do. As Harry also points out, the composition and exposure are really nice clap.gif


    Steve
    SmugMug Support Hero
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