Experiment with Layers

What technical feedback would you like if any?

What artistic feedback would you like if any? Does it work?

Pertinent technical details or techniques: Going through old files and attempting to learn layer technique. Background file is a field of windblown grasses with opacity lowered.

(If the background has been replaced, etc. please be honest with your techniques to help others learn)

If you would like your image to be eligible for a feature on the NPN Instagram (@NaturePhotoNet), add the tag ā€˜igā€™ and leave your Instagram username below.
3 Likes

Thatā€™s a very cool flower, with lots of character, and the background texture is lovely. The colors of the two blend well. What I learned in a class from Kathleen Clemons, is that this kind of layering looks ā€œmore naturalā€ (lol) if the texture is erased from the flower itself and the periphery, but not all the way erased. So, lower the texture layer opacity + paint it off some more on the subject.

Thanks for the advice. I did not succeed in using the ā€œblack conceals, white revealsā€ technique, so I cloned out most of the texture over the flower in photoshop after saving. Iā€™ll keep trying.

Patricia: A beautiful amaryllis and I really like what you did with the BG. I envy your creative instincts and the results you get. Most excellent. >=))>

I like the idea of setting the flowers against the textured bg but I find the bg textures slightly overwhelm the petal textures, especially with the petals being mostly pale. A good experiment though !

Hi Patricia, I do like your composition, with the flowers positioned sideways; it really shows of the brilliant crimson streaks and their overall shape. It sounds like you put a lot of work into developing that background, and its good to have those skills for post processing enhancements, but (my taste only) I would prefer something a little simpler with a darker shade to highlight the flowers better. Thanks for sharing!

Hi Patricia, enjoyed your post. I wonder what a yellow iris against your bg would look like. Iā€™ll bet the results would resemble the old masters paintingsā€¦just a thought.
Wayne

Beautiful image Patricia! Excellent technique.