Karen Botvin
March 2020 - Pink Magnolia
Original 1
Original 2
About the Image(s)
This pink magnolia was taken in Kanapaha Gardens in Gainesville, FL using my Nikon D850 with Sigma 105mm macro lens. My edits done in Lightroom included a bit of cropping off the top and bottom of the original. I applied my camera presets and used the basic adjustments for exposure, dehase, shadows and blacks. I applied a radial filter to direct focus to the flower. Then I took into Photoshop and added a texture from Flypaper Provencal with a mask of the flower and a second texture that I created from the surrounding gardens and copied the mask from the previous layer. Hope you like it.[Original 2 is the texture for magnolia.]
This round’s discussion is now closed!
9 comments posted
Karen, it appears to me that we have a really good photographer and editor in our group. I love how you layered the two shots to achieve the perfect bokeh for the finished image. This would make a wonderful print with its soft colors and highlighted center. My first reaction to the position is that perhaps it is a bit high and wonder how a little cropping off the bottom would look and then add some to the top and a little to the left. Just a thought because I do think this is beautiful and wish I could repeat that process you used. Posted: 03/02/2020 13:49:11
Thank you so much, Shirley, for your kind words. I can see, now that you pointed it out, that I could crop some off the bottom and maybe add to the top. I'll play around with it and see what happens. Don't think I've ever done that with layers and top but I'll give it a go. Thanks again. Posted: 03/02/2020 17:13:31
It is a wonderfully taken and modified image. I do agree with Shirley with the positioning of the flower within its boundaries. Your suggested modifications would improve the composition. Posted: 03/08/2020 09:59:19
Very nice result. Great fading pinks in the flower and matching "bokeh".....agree with the crop suggestion. Posted: 03/08/2020 15:59:37
This is a great image! I like how you layered the images. I agree with the crop suggestion, but also think you could put some inspiring words in the space below the flower. Posted: 03/11/2020 08:51:53
Thanks, everyone, for your comments on my pink magnolia. I've made the suggested cropped and added a bit to the top of the image as Shirley suggested. I do agree, it presents better with less on the bottom. Posted: 03/11/2020 10:10:04
Very nice. Now go print it! Posted: 03/16/2020 15:32:06
What a beautiful and inspiring photograph, Karen!
I really like how you shaped your artistic expression with this beautiful flower. Lovely complimentary colors, perfect lighting to direct the viewer's eye to the subject and hold its place. The updated crop works for me too. Do you think it is a touch dark in the upper left corner?
LuAnn Thatcher
visitor from Group 62 and Group 3 (April 2020) Posted: 03/26/2020 09:57:47
I really like how you shaped your artistic expression with this beautiful flower. Lovely complimentary colors, perfect lighting to direct the viewer's eye to the subject and hold its place. The updated crop works for me too. Do you think it is a touch dark in the upper left corner?
LuAnn Thatcher
visitor from Group 62 and Group 3 (April 2020) Posted: 03/26/2020 09:57:47
Thank you, LuAnn, for your kind words. Yes, I do agree with you that the left top corner is dark. I noticed it myself after I posted the cropped version. I need to fix the texture level so it's not there in the future. Posted: 03/26/2020 11:44:42