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ctfchallenge | all galleries >> Challenge 159 - Creative Use of Flash >> Challenge 159 - Exhibition > Pink Dogwood
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09-MAY-2008 Penny Street

Pink Dogwood

My front yard


other sizes: small medium original auto
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ctfchallenge13-May-2008 02:50
thanks Angioman, I'll give that a try!
thanks Cat - this is my original. There was a lot of discussion about changing it, but I decided to stick with this. Penny Street
ctfchallenge13-May-2008 02:14
Penny, I think this shot is fine like it is. However, if you want to play a bit, try the demo download of Vivenza (PS and Aperture plugin). It will let you click the black tone and selectively darken without flattening the other colors. Works pretty well (and is a bit easier compared to burning). Unfortunately my demo is running out and I am not about to drop $250 on the plugin set! But like I said, this shot works great as is! - angioman
Guest 12-May-2008 15:02
Well done. Looks good to me! Missed earlier versions if any but I like the rendering of colors here!
-Cat
Rod 12-May-2008 12:41
You might be right Penny seeing what I did below the next day I don't think mine works.( I'm buggered if I know why it look better yesterday):-) Overall your one works better so just stick wiv that as it looks more delicate.
ctfchallenge12-May-2008 03:28
I've played with this one alot tonight and I'm still not convinced.
Darkening the blacks, on my monitor, makes me loose alot of detail - but also the pink doesn't look so natural anymore. I'm really not sure what I want to do. Any other opinions? Maybe I should just scrap this one and go with a different version of the pink dogwood altogether.
Penny Street
ctfchallenge11-May-2008 04:57
Thanks again Rod for your comments - I think what I've learned is that I need not to be timid because in both cases what you've done is make the blacks darker and I was afraid to do take that drastic a step. Again, I will re-work this and get back to you.
Penny Street
Rod 11-May-2008 03:53
When I do an S shape in the curves tool it seems to over saturate the colours so I took a lot of it back out to where I thought it looked OK. Also black does tend to enhance to look of the colours. Don't tell Lydia but when I was young & silly I used to put a black border around me colour prints for enhancing the colours:-)
ctfchallenge11-May-2008 03:19
Or maybe that's an optical illusion of sorts because making the background darker makes the color stand out more.
ctfchallenge11-May-2008 03:18
if you took the saturation down, how come it has more color?
Penny Street
ctfchallenge11-May-2008 03:13
I think the other less lit picy is easier to PP into a decent picy than this one as everything is so bright. Full on flash just produces a light that flattens everything. I pulled down on the curves tool & then had to take some saturation out. I think it looks better for me but I like the look of your other picy that I played wiv in Pending better.
ctfchallenge10-May-2008 21:59
Thanks. Pink is easier than white and yes, I had figured out how to adjust the flash by the time I got to this one (not that I knew what the effect would be!). Penny Street
ctfchallenge10-May-2008 21:48
Great shot Penny! I prefer this one over the first shot (looks like you used more power in the flash, not as flat with better saturation). - angioman