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I’m having some trouble finishing up this shot of a ladybug showcased by two white tulips. I’m concerned about the bright white area above center of left tulip (burning to darken it slightly doesn’t seem to help), brown streaks on some white petals, and the green leaf below the white petal in upper left. I’ve also thought about cropping to 8×10 to direct the eye (rule of third) but don’t know whether #1 or #2 is better. Are there any rules for cropping petals? Your feedback is always welcome and appreciated, thank you!
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i added more black to the bottom of the image so it didn’t look as tightly cropped. and i cropped down the top. i used a few different techniques.
top left – selected the reds using a mask made from the red channel and darkened them until they faded in the background.
bright spot on the top tulip – selected the bright area and used generative fill with the prompt “remove bright area.”
red area on right – removed using content fill and a little bit of the clone tool.
brown lines on the petals – brown removed using a hue/sat adj. layer, set the mask to black and brushed in over the brown areas. i would also remove the white line on the lower tulip.
green leaf – i like it so i didn’t do anything. but ai generate could remove it easily and rebuild the flower edge.
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Hi, Beth. Thank you so much for your generous next-level feedback giving me not only things to look for but also more techniques for me to learn. I really appreciate the specific detail you’ve provided. Great stuff, very helpful! I’m curious, what editing software do you use? I think it’s time for me to upgrade from Photoshop Elements 12.
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i use photoshop cc classic. i’m not too sure which, if any, of those tools are available in elements. gimp is free to use but it has a steep learning curve.
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Thanks, good to know. I’ll do some research, I know my options with PS Elements are limited if I don’t upgrade.
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I used to use Elements, more than 10 years ago now, I think. It had more features than I could use, including at least some layers functions. My impression at the time was that Elements ran a couple of iterations behind full-on Photoshop. I have found Adobe’s subscription model less onerous than my initial impression of it. I tended to purchase updates every year or 2 anyway. Lightroom is easier to use than Photoshop and has so many features (now) that many have stopped using Photoshop at all.
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Thanks for your thoughts on both Photoshop & especially Lightroom. I had a trial run with Lightroom but never really got past the presets to learn how to do editing with it. I’ll do more research & comparison before I pull the trigger. With AI becoming so prevalent in all aspects of our lives, who knows where photography & editing software are heading now that people can generate photos with AI?
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i added more black to the bottom of the image so it didn’t look as tightly cropped. and i cropped down the top. i used a few different techniques.
top left – selected the reds using a mask made from the red channel and darkened them until they faded in the background.
bright spot on the top tulip – selected the bright area and used generative fill with the prompt “remove bright area.”
red area on right – removed using content fill and a little bit of the clone tool.
brown lines on the petals – brown removed using a hue/sat adj. layer, set the mask to black and brushed in over the brown areas. i would also remove the white line on the lower tulip.
green leaf – i like it so i didn’t do anything. but ai generate could remove it easily and rebuild the flower edge.
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- https://instagram.com/lightstalking
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Allows Edits? YesI’d also bring out slightly more brightness on the reds of the bug. 🙂
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Hi Rob, thanks for your feedback on the bug (the star of my shot). I agree about more brightness on the reds. I’ve messed with it a bit, but wasn’t sure what the right amount was. I don’t know how to tell when I’m overdoing it. Is this simply a judgment call, or is there a technical way to assess it?
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it’s a judgement call. if you’re not sure, put it away and look at it the next day. if you still can’t tell that there’s an issue, it’s probably fine.
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not sure if my monitor is fooling with me, but i think a super-slightly warmer setting on the white balance could take this image closer to your creative intention.
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Hi Marty,
Of course, you know, these are no Tulips. I should know living in Holland with so many Tulips around. These are Daffodils.
I think your Ladybug needs to get more punch.
And a 1×1 crop brings out the ladybug as well.IMHO, you don’t need the full flowers. This is my take.
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Hi Erik, you caught me out on the tulips! I have zillions of tulip photos from our Dallas Blooms here every years. I can’t believe I did that lol. Of course, they are daffodils all day long! I am laughing at myself & blaming it on a new medication that causes my mind to “slip” from time to time. Go figure. I’m with you on the 1:1 crop, I’ve been experimenting with that this afternoon. Thank you, I appreciate your feedback! 🙂
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