Melissa Cramer Sonnen
March 2025 - Victoria Cactus with Ladybug
Original
About the Image(s)
It was a grab shot with a snapshot camera in a dimly lit greenhouse. The detail enchanted me. But the thing was so drab. So, some Nik Silver EfeX was needed, plus a lot of shadow/highlight adjustment, some curve work, and lots of other stuff. It took nearly a month of tinkering. Then the lady bug was needed - an afterthought. But I like the way it turned out.
4 comments posted
Melissa, I really like your handling of the cactus. Your choices to desaturate and intensify contrast and edges brings attention to the structure and makes this the primary subject. I like the way the lady bug serves as a contrast by being a splash of color. I wonder if it were a little larger if it may balance it as a notable counterpoint. If you were interested in other explorations I wonder if the adding of a very subtle coloring of the edge (an area the lady bug is heading. I've often used a subject like the lady bug to paint its way into a different landscape. That is how I might play around with it but it is complete as is, nicely done. Posted: 03/05/2025 11:36:04
Brad - I think the bug should be bigger too. I will add a wash of color - I do submit this to salons, and the color added would be good for PIDC. This thing does pretty well in MONO (without the bug, of course). Posted: 03/05/2025 12:01:41
Melissa,
Good image. Agree about the size of the lady bug. The square aspect ratio works well and I like the coloring of the bug. Posted: 03/06/2025 09:26:41
Good image. Agree about the size of the lady bug. The square aspect ratio works well and I like the coloring of the bug. Posted: 03/06/2025 09:26:41
You've done some great work in turning this cactus into a piece of artwork Melissa. I particularly like how you've managed to eliminate the colour and keep the texture and outline of the plant. Personally, I think the ladybug is the right size, a larger one would make the ladybug the focal interest rather than the cactus itself. As it is, the eye wanders around the cactus and then lands on the ladybug. Well done. Posted: 03/08/2025 04:09:01