Ruth Sprain
July 2021 - Resurrection
Original
Original 2
About the Image(s)
In the Colorado mountains a couple of evenings ago, I took some photos of wildflowers in an area that was clear cut a number of years ago to remove beetle-kill trees. Then I photographed trees that were burned in a wildfire a mile away. The fire came very close to condo buildings. A band of clear-cut trees removed around the condos helped save the buildings from being burned. Now three years later, wildflowers grow beneath the blackened trees.
I shot both photos with my Canon 7D (I’m not sure of the exact settings). I did an intentional vertical blur of the burned trees at 100 ISO. Then I did a composite image with the burned trees as the background to the columbines. I dodged and burned, and sharpened the image. I’d appreciate your suggestions and feedback.
This round’s discussion is now closed!
15 comments posted
Ruth, what a great story behind this photo. I really like the blended image as it is very creative and shows the beauty of the wildflowers. It is very sharp and the background you chose really makes the flowers pop. My only thought would be to bring out the purple/blue of the flower on the top as it seems a bit too bright against the light background. This is a beautiful photograph and tells a very compelling story. Posted: 07/04/2021 18:28:05
Mary Ann, thanks for your suggestion to provide more distinction between the columbine and background in the top central area. Instead of changing the color, I darkened the dark edges of the flower. That helped too. Posted: 07/08/2021 18:20:40
I agree with Randolph...you should enter this image in competition! Posted: 07/11/2021 17:41:26
Ruth, this is a very creative composite image! I would not have thought to blend that background with the flowers, but it works very well, giving the background an abstract quality. You did an excellent job of masking to make your composite seamless. The flowers are sharp and well-exposed and I particularly like how you've brought out the detail and luminance. Very nicely done. Posted: 07/05/2021 20:07:02
Thanks, Michael. I appreciate your comments. Posted: 07/08/2021 18:21:20
It is a beautiful and enduring photo. I was taken back when I first saw it. All the hard work and skill you put in to creating it shows what is possible by a artistic photographer.
You should enter it in competition.
Posted: 07/10/2021 10:48:41
You should enter it in competition.
Posted: 07/10/2021 10:48:41
Thanks for your kind words. As a matter of fact, a member of my local club asked that I give her a digital copy of my image to enter in a PSA print competition. I'll see how it does. Posted: 07/23/2021 18:24:56
(Group 85)
Great story, and it helps explain the background image. There is one tendril (?) hanging down behind the flower in the composite that is almost invisible in the original. It is just slightly distracting. Too bad it wasn't fully straight down, it would add a third tendril surrounding that leaf. Just my opinion. Not sure if it would help to take it out. Posted: 07/13/2021 15:28:02
Lisa, thanks for your comments. I see where you mean with the bent tendril. It's too bad that it wasn't straight, but I suppose I could just remove it too. Posted: 07/23/2021 18:26:25
(Group 85)
It's a beautiful image. Hope you can get a great print! Posted: 07/23/2021 18:28:19
(Group 85)
It's a beautiful image. Hope you can get a great print! Posted: 07/23/2021 18:28:19
The sky blue columbines are beautiful! To what I learn, the blue columbine is the state flower of Colorado, and it is sometimes called "Rocky Mountain columbine." I only have lavender and white columbines in my back yard.
Your composite gives the image an artistic feeling. The small flower reaches out to the big one like a mother-child connection. I'd prefer to sharpen the yellow stamens a bit more. For some reasons, I feel that the angle you captured the big columbine flower has created an empty space at the right bottom corner of the image. Posted: 07/15/2021 05:26:13
Your composite gives the image an artistic feeling. The small flower reaches out to the big one like a mother-child connection. I'd prefer to sharpen the yellow stamens a bit more. For some reasons, I feel that the angle you captured the big columbine flower has created an empty space at the right bottom corner of the image. Posted: 07/15/2021 05:26:13
You are correct that columbines are Colorado's state flower. We have a lot of them in wilderness areas in the mountains. Columbines vary from purple to lavender to blue. There's also a red columbine that is smaller. Thanks for pointing out the empty space on the bottom right. I'll have to consider how to balance out that empty space. Posted: 07/23/2021 18:30:27
Hi Ruth,
These columbine flowers sure are pretty, and the burnt trees do make an exciting and creative background.
For me, the background is too busy and is distracting from the fragile columbine flowers. The challenge I find is all the lines contrasted with the soft organic petals of the flower seem to clash for attention. The bright sky in the background is also pulling my eye away from the pretty flowers.
Lastly, the bud seems like it's falling into the frame from above; I don't see it attached to a stem-this bringing tension into the photo for me. The open flower also doesn't seem to be connected to a branch. I remembered last month; we had a visitor tell us about the correct way a columbine should hang, so now I have his comment stuck in my head.
I hope, somehow, this was helpful.
Best regards,
LuAnn
Posted: 07/19/2021 15:37:22
These columbine flowers sure are pretty, and the burnt trees do make an exciting and creative background.
For me, the background is too busy and is distracting from the fragile columbine flowers. The challenge I find is all the lines contrasted with the soft organic petals of the flower seem to clash for attention. The bright sky in the background is also pulling my eye away from the pretty flowers.
Lastly, the bud seems like it's falling into the frame from above; I don't see it attached to a stem-this bringing tension into the photo for me. The open flower also doesn't seem to be connected to a branch. I remembered last month; we had a visitor tell us about the correct way a columbine should hang, so now I have his comment stuck in my head.
I hope, somehow, this was helpful.
Best regards,
LuAnn
Posted: 07/19/2021 15:37:22
The bud coming from above is because I shot the photo from above. I just thought the two blossoms were in such a unique configuration, seeming to reach towards each other. That's also why you don't see the stems. The stems are underneath the blossoms.
I thought the background was an artistic contrast to the columbines. However, I do understand that you thought the background was distracting. Posted: 07/23/2021 18:35:21
I thought the background was an artistic contrast to the columbines. However, I do understand that you thought the background was distracting. Posted: 07/23/2021 18:35:21