Candy Childrey, PPSA
February 2021 - Fiddlehead Fern
Original
About the Image(s)
The image this month is a rainforest Fiddlehead Fern from Costa Rica.
f/8, 1/400 sec, iso 2000
70-300 mm lens mounted on 4/3 sensor
Focal length 300 mm
The image was cropped, basic adjustments in RAW. A vignette was added, and then the rest of the background was burned to create a black background. I tried leaving some of the messy detail from the background but did not like it. The leaves were left to give some balance near the bottom.
This round’s discussion is now closed!
10 comments posted
(Group 32)
Nicely done. I am very fond of formal portraits against pure black. Eliminating the background makes this work, and leaving in a few leaves is a good touch.
I think the stem is a bit out of focus--could you have shot at f/11 and 1/200?
Is this an edible Fiddlehead? I have eaten Fiddleheads in the north, and they are a great delicacy. Posted: 02/03/2021 23:39:15
I think the stem is a bit out of focus--could you have shot at f/11 and 1/200?
Is this an edible Fiddlehead? I have eaten Fiddleheads in the north, and they are a great delicacy. Posted: 02/03/2021 23:39:15
(Group 34)
I do not know if it is an edible fiddlehead. There were many fiddleheads in Costa Rica. Posted: 02/10/2021 13:28:44
(Group 78)
Wow, just breathtaking! I thought it might be a ed caterpillar of some such insect. Great diagonal lines and wonderful color with the green and orange against black. What wonderful texture. An inspiration to us all! Posted: 02/04/2021 21:26:01
Candy,
I like the golden color and the golden spiral, the fine detail, and the diagonal composition. I would say the subject itself is of moderate impact. Posted: 02/05/2021 11:58:41
I like the golden color and the golden spiral, the fine detail, and the diagonal composition. I would say the subject itself is of moderate impact. Posted: 02/05/2021 11:58:41
(Group 70)
An unusual pic Candy and well treated. I like the leaf at the back and a good choice having it out of focus. The black background is all the rage these days and it has made it a pleasing shot. Posted: 02/06/2021 18:59:01
The color and texture on the fern are lovely. And once again you have changed the background to create a clean, unencumbered appearance. The few leaves at the bottom provide a good base for the fern. Posted: 02/12/2021 13:58:42
I love the color. The black ground really brings out the gold colors of the plants. It really enhances the image. I am unsure about the blur at the center of the spiral. I can't tell if that is background or plant. Beyond that I think it is perfect. Posted: 02/17/2021 11:43:03
Hi Candy,
Really nice composition and modification of the background. Your treatment really made this image a great image.
Can you teach us how you were able to achieve such a cleanup? Sometimes I use the brush tool and reduce the clarity and sharpness and occasionally the saturation to separate the subject from the distracting background. Did you really just used the brush and darkened the background?
Posted: 02/26/2021 15:23:46
Really nice composition and modification of the background. Your treatment really made this image a great image.
Can you teach us how you were able to achieve such a cleanup? Sometimes I use the brush tool and reduce the clarity and sharpness and occasionally the saturation to separate the subject from the distracting background. Did you really just used the brush and darkened the background?
Posted: 02/26/2021 15:23:46
(Group 34)
Pierre, I processed in RAW first bringing down the shadows as much as possible without affecting the fern. Then I used OnOne Effects to darken the shadows further. You could also use the Camera Raw filter to bring down the shadows after using the RAW processing, and use a mask to remove darkening on the fern.(Brightness/contrast adjustment layer could also be used-Bring the brightness down then use a mask to recover the fern.) Next I burned the background to further darken the background ( I usually burn or dodge in soft light-New layer, select soft light and check box at bottom-fill with 50% neutral grey. Then select burn tool, background is black, and start to darken the background.) Next I added a vignette from Nik/DXO software, brought back anything on fern that was darkened with a mask. Lastly, I used a brush using the same black that was in the background and painted out any further distractions. There are a hundred ways to do anything in PS. This is the was I did this one. If you have any further questions, I would be happy to help. Posted: 02/27/2021 11:41:53
Thank you. I will try your method to clean up my "messy" backgrounds.
Posted: 02/27/2021 16:12:07
Posted: 02/27/2021 16:12:07