Presenting: A colorful blossom

[Mira]

[alfredo]

1. Excellent, excellent, excellent. The specks of dirt really

makes this image.

I would edit out the bit of background to complete the negative space.

I tried selecting and extending the arm to removed the black sleeve. It worked technically, but it appears the sleeve adds something to the image.

A square format might look good too.

[Mira]

2. Thank you Alfredo,

your praise means a lot.
Could I enter it i would make the background all black like you said, and leave the crop alone. I too like the sleeve, it adds that bit of a startling that I like because it makes you a second look.

[alfredo]

3. Play with the curves. Dragging the bottom third of the curve

down a bit will make a dramatic change to the hands. It will bring out detail and richen the tones.

Here's what the curve change looks like. It can go darker if you wish. Of course it is grittier, dirtier, and displays less innocence than your interpretation. It is all about what you want to say in the image. I probably come from a darker place than you so my interpretation will reflect that.

[Mira]

9. I like here that you augmented the part you like in this shot:

the sign or work expressed in the bits of soil on the hand, and you expounded on that. It gives a totally different feel to it than what postatomic did, but they are equally valid. Yours says i worked and worked so I could present you with this. His says "you are so beautiful to me" to the flower.

Nice attention to my photo, guys.
In yours, Alfredo, I'd like a little more black on the right ant the left. Don't know why, I just would.

[alfredo]

10. I used the test crop to work with the curves. You composition

works well as is. I had to see it in a square format to judge for myself.


A good image can be worked with in many ways. A crappy image is a crappy image no matter what is done.

[postatomic]

4. Just to show you that I have a soft gentle side

:)

In my highly biased opinion your original is way too harsh. It doesn't convey the message that I would like to see.

I used digital filters with multiple layers but you can produce -most- of the effects in camera by blurring the focus and altering the white balance. This is quick and dirty but now the image conveys the message in more of a subtle manner. I like what Mr. Alfredo did and if this was my photo I would go even 'darker' in the processing, but I 'think' this is what you were trying to convey.
:shrug:

[alfredo]

5. A more spiritual approach it appears.

[postatomic]

6. I've been told that I am a very spiritual person

Maybe that is where this comes from. I study Tao when I can. My own photography is all over the place but I do try to keep grounded so it represents the person I am. Tough to do. My own opinion is that photography is a combination of Science, Psychology, and Art. Most people never get past the Science part.

[Mira]

7. Science, Psychology, Art,, Humor, Pathos

all are necessary to entertain, intrigue and fascinate the viewer.

A photo as a rule is fine by me in degrees, unless it is boring. That I don't like.

[alfredo]

12. I got bored with color, and decided to go black and white.

Without the distraction of color, I found a world of texture and geometry. It makes one focus on the story.


Desaturating the hands really helped move the story along. To the child, the gift was the flower, not the hands. Maybe your story is told from the viewpoint of the giver, otherwise, the hands would have been in color.

[Mira]

8. What you did is focus in on the word :"Presenting" and with

that in mind you did a better job than I did.

[postatomic]

11. No. Not better. Just different.

Both Mr. Alfredo and myself showed you how to 'see' your photo in a different way. I have far more photo editing tools than I suspect you have so I can look at a photo and my brain will process that and direct me toward the tool(s) that I can use.

[alfredo]

13. You have to have a good image to work with, and Mira delivered.

[postatomic]

14. Exactly

I was motivated by the good photo. It all starts at that point.

[alfredo]

15. Now that Mira has had her daily affirmation...

She earned it.


Her burst of creativity seems to stem from the purchase of a new lens some months ago.

[juxtaposed]

16. I like the lacing of the fingers, and the softness of color and edges.