सुवर्ण

Description:

Ranunculus, garden cultivar. There are dozens of native Ranunculus - buttercups. These native plants have been selectively cultivated to create an abundance of ornamental varieties. It’s an example that all our “florist” blooms began, somewhere, as wildflowers.

In the Pacific Northwest, the buttercup is called “Coyote’s eyes.” The legend is that Coyote was tossing his eyes in the air and catching them again when an Eagle snatched them. Unable to see, Coyote made new eyes from the buttercup.

Specific Feedback Requested:

All comments are respected and appreciated. The image is the result of experimenting with using a single color.

Pertinent technical details or techniques:

Is this a composite? (focus stacks or exposure blends are not considered composites)

If you would like your image to be eligible for a feature on the NPN Instagram (@NaturePhotoNet), add the tag ‘ig’ and leave your Instagram username below.
2 Likes

A gorgeous view of this lovely flower! I love the softness, but not so sure about the intense yellow. I think you’ve commented before about color-blindness? I know there are several varieties of it, and wonder if you’re seeing the colors correctly. They certainly aren’t bad, but so un-natural that I’m wondering if some alterations to the color might be worth pursuing. There are hints of gold-brown in the shadows, which is very nice. Here is a look at moving the global Hue to about -15 to give a more “organic” color.

I’m also wondering about a little more on the right, so the edge of the petal isn’t almost touching the frame.

2 Likes

@Diane_Miller Thank you, Diane. I very much appreciate you insights and comments. We do see color differently. However, here’s something that I don’t understand:

I checked the two images with a color meter - at the same point in the upper left corner, where there is continuous color, the mix, on both images, is R-213, G-225, B-66;

How can that be? I use a calibrated monitor and rechecked after doing a calibration.

You have a far better understanding of color than I do, any thoughts?

Namaste

1 Like

I’m assuming the two images do look different on your monitor — to you or to anyone else handy with “normal” (whatever that is) color vision? Stand by and I’ll do some thinking. They should have different values.

Are you sure your monitor is using the calibration?

Diane Miller
www.DianeDMiller.com

1 Like

I downloaded both from the NPN page and opened both in PS and converted to my working space — that’s necessary to ensure a correct histogram but probably not for displayed color. I opened the Info panel and cruised around that corner with the eyedropper. I get this:

Mine: 225, 190, 53
Yours: 215, 226, 53

Diane Miller
www.DianeDMiller.com

1 Like

Opening them again and leaving in sRGB instead of converting to my working space (which is Adobe RGB) does give different values, although the colors appear the same. But not converting does skew the histograms to inaccurate values and that would reflect different color values,although appearance is preserved. That does sound crazy — I’ll have to dig to get an explanation, but you’ll see a caution noted in the dialogs about opening images. And of course if you don’t have the profile mismatch warning checkboxes set in Color settings you won’t be warned when opening in a different color space.

When I open without converting to my working space I get these — approximately — as I move the eyedropper there is some variation due to noise.

Mine: 240, 194, 26
Yours: 212,230, 1

Diane Miller
www.DianeDMiller.com

1 Like

Thanks for taking the time to explore.

I checked, and I am using the calibrated color from the Spyder.

I’m using a different color space - ProPhotoRGB. You cautioned about using that in a previous post, and I meant to ask you why. But that’s another discussion. I convert the images to sRGB when exporting to NPN.

The most likely answer to the subtle differences you can see, and I can’t, is that my vision is not as acute as yours. If I move the global hue settings on the original image, I see a shift in what I would call contrast, but the color is the same.

I’m afraid it is what it is, and as you suggested, I need to have another pair of eyes looking at my images. I usually do that for prints and electronic photographs going to clients.

Again, thanks for taking your time.

Namaste

1 Like

I’m calibrated too and get different RGB values as well. And given what I see on the screen for the two versions, @Diane_Miller RGB values make sense direction-ally. On my calibrated monitor your version looks more yellow green, and her version is a warmer yellow. And Diane’s RGB value differences indeed show that, comparing the two versions her Red value is higher, and her Green value is lower.

With that said Paul, I love your use of soft focus here, and the creamy look that it creates. I think the soft focus creates a very gentle and inviting look. As such I prefer Diane’s warmer yellow color, because I think the warmer color helps to re-inforce the inviting feeling.

1 Like

@paul_g_wiegman, this is the first time I’ve seen a color issue with your gorgeous images. I think this one stands out because it is so monochromaic and it doesn’t take much to change the whole thing dramatically.

Two possible issues to look at further:

ProPhoto RGB will preserve the gamut of colors captured by modern sensors, where Adobe RGB has a lower gamut that will not give the full saturation on some, and sRGB is even more constrained. But Pro Photo contains colors that humans can’t see, monitors can’t reproduce and printers can’t print – to various degrees. Because it can contain those colors, it is possible for us to adjust colors to that wider gamut and never know, unless we go to the PS View menu and do Proof Setup and Gamut Warning. When we print or make an sRGB JPEG any out of gamut colors need to be brought into the smaller gamut. If that is done the right way there is almost no perceptual difference, but the wilder the colors are the more compensation needs to be done. For me, it’s better to stay in a smaller gamut and keep things simpler, so I switched from Pro Photo a while back and went back to Adobe RGB. The raw files will still keep whatever gamut the camera captured. When I make an sRGB JPEG from LR or a print file from PS, I let the defaults take care of it and I don’t even pay attention any more. Back in the last century it was a constant PIA.

And you said you measured the colors of both your original and mine and found them the same – that raises a red flag but I’m not sure what it means. How were you measuring the colors? Try the Info palette in PS and it will show the colors under the eyedropper. If they are the same on your system, something is wrong somewhere.

I know I’m getting off the subject of your image, which I do think is drop-dead gorgeous, but with a small asterisk about the color.

1 Like

Thanks for taking your time and explaining the Adobe RGB vs. ProPhoto. That makes a lot of sense, and I’m going to give Adobe a try.

I stick with the files from the paper manufacturer and let Lightroom take care of the rest. Yes, the last century was a huge PIA when it was time to print. The newer printers are much easier to use and provide consistent results.

I’ve measured colors with Digital Color Meter included on my iMac. I understand what is measuring but need to understand better how manipulations with Lightroom color sliders impact those numbers. Since I don’t see colors well, my objective is to relate the values to a particular color.

The next step is to learn and use the mechanics of Photoshop to handle color better and finally get a handle on layers.

Thanks again, you’ve been a big help. And thanks for the comment on my work.

Namaste

1 Like

@Ed_McGuirk Color is not my strong suit, and I really appreciate having people like yourself and Diane help and show me new avenues.

I’m partially color blind, so I’ve had to work with the RGB values to at least get close. But I now realize that it’s more nuanced, and now’s the time to tackle that issue.

Thanks for the comment on the photograph generally. It’s fun to move between tack-sharp on some projects and creamy soft with others. Every subject needs to be handled in a way that it dictates and the project objectives demand.

Namaste

1 Like

Using the Photoshop color picker or Info panel is also how I check RGB values. I also find checking RGB values this way is good way to detect subtle color casts in images. For example I may have a waterfall image with a subtle blue cast. If I measure the RGB values of a neutral color such as the white in the water, I can tell if there is a blue cast because the blue values will will higher than the others, where for a true pure white the RGB values are each essentially the same.

1 Like

Thanks @Ed_McGuirk ;

For my work at a botanical garden, plant portraits, and other clients I will include a middle gray target, or be sure and include something neutral and use that to get the balance as close as possible.

I investigated the Photoshop color picker combined with splitting the histogram into each channel and now I have to get a handle on the values displayed.

Thanks for your help. I appreciate you, and Diane, taking to time.

Namaste

1 Like