Peggy Reeder
January 2025 - Succulent Garden
Original
About the Image(s)
This is a closeup of a neighbor's potted cacti, shot straight down - no tripod. I did some basic editing in Lightroom, emphasizing texture and clarity. However, the red flowers were pretty overwhelmingly red, which I did not care for. So, I took it into Color Efex Pro 5 and applied a couple of filters. Sorry - I don't remember which ones. That really toned down the reds and brought out the texture of the flowers and gave me a look that I wanted. I think it's a little bland though, so suggestions are welcome.
5 comments posted
I don't think it bland at all. Really nice composition that would make a nice print. I was bothered by the bright spot in the upper left corner. I suggest darkening it so that it doesn't attract the viewer's eye. Posted: 01/14/2025 14:29:17
Yes, I can do that. Thanks Mike. Posted: 01/14/2025 18:18:43
Very nice abstract composition with a mix of shapes and textures. Reds can be tricky to work with, but here they turned out well; I think that there is a soft box effect helps a lot. Maybe saturate a bit more while keeping an eye on the reds to prevent bleeding. Print worthy. Posted: 01/15/2025 23:30:48
Yes, I agree and I love the colors and the overall look. My eye is going all around to find the focal point to rest on. I think it is the large green cacti on the bottom left.My thinking is that with something like this, we need to find a main subject and then use all the other elements around for framing it. Then make sure there are no distracting elements around the edges; and even consider some kind of vignetting to hide the sins. Posted: 01/17/2025 20:04:14
I like the way the red and green are separated. To me, the focal point is the circular small cacti around the green one at the bottom. Nice job.
Posted: 01/19/2025 17:04:46
Posted: 01/19/2025 17:04:46