Ed O’Rourke
August 2026 - Simple Elegance
Original
Original 2
About the Image(s)
I came across these flowers at a local state park and just had to take a photo.
For post processing I had to do a good bit of increasing the exposure and working with the shadows and highlights. Not much else for the color version, but for the monochrome version I worked at increasing the contrast. As they were in a shaded setting and the background was pretty dark, when getting home I wondered what they would look like in mono.
Canon R; RF 24-105 lens set at 43 mm; f/11; ISO 500; 1/160.
6 comments posted
This shows off the callas so nicely in black and white!Great job of selecting what should be sharp or soft and the tip leads me right into the image. Great image Posted: 08/03/2026 14:37:40
Hi Ed: You did good post processing work in creating this monochrome conversion. I really like your off set composition of the two flowers with the top one off set to the right of the bottom plant.
A really good choice to add the very thin white border, it defines your picture area from the large black web page.
Good Work!! Posted: 08/04/2026 02:22:13
A really good choice to add the very thin white border, it defines your picture area from the large black web page.
Good Work!! Posted: 08/04/2026 02:22:13
I like the conversion to black and white. However, it seems to me that the white parts of the flowers lack some sharpening. Otherwise, a good job. Posted: 08/04/2026 16:55:46
A long and great way between the original and the final B&W version.
There is a lot of crop but I like this "close-up" version. It has an impact on the texture in the petals.
Good composition in this format (portrait). Posted: 08/18/2026 14:56:02
There is a lot of crop but I like this "close-up" version. It has an impact on the texture in the petals.
Good composition in this format (portrait). Posted: 08/18/2026 14:56:02
Nicely done. I'd like to see a little more texture across the expanse of the flower. My first thought is to adjust the Dehazing setting a bit. That's always worked for me is dealing with a high contrast situation. That said, I've been looking for the right subject to do BW. This was very inspirational. ???? Posted: 08/22/2026 01:29:22
Hi Ed,
Seeing the original capture makes me appreciate this monochrome transformation even more. You did a fantastic job bringing out the light and details from such a dark, shaded shot.
Stripping away the color was the perfect decision here, it emphasizes the organic, sculptural flow of the petals-almost giving it a classic Robert Mapplethorpe aesthetic. Cropping out the distracting third flower on the top left really concentrated the visual energy on the graceful dialogue between these two blooms. Great job! Posted: 08/23/2026 18:06:45
Seeing the original capture makes me appreciate this monochrome transformation even more. You did a fantastic job bringing out the light and details from such a dark, shaded shot.
Stripping away the color was the perfect decision here, it emphasizes the organic, sculptural flow of the petals-almost giving it a classic Robert Mapplethorpe aesthetic. Cropping out the distracting third flower on the top left really concentrated the visual energy on the graceful dialogue between these two blooms. Great job! Posted: 08/23/2026 18:06:45