Simple life...

... oh for one!

[finished image on my [url=http://www.blipfoto.com/entry/1405448]Kinda Horrigans[/url] journal]

Just an anenome today! And a very simple shot. Taken with my 18 - 55mm lens and a Raynox 250 adaptor as I don't actually have a macro lens... but this does the job just fine.

With the RAW file the exposure was increased a little (+35) and the clarity boosted by +15 as I wanted it brighter and the petals etc just a bit more defined. In Photoshop, I duplicated the background layer then did Filter > Render > Lighting effects and chose a large omni light to brighten the flower petals and brought the opacity of the layer down to 50% as I didn't want it to be too harsh. Then, flattened and sharpened. The way the sharpening is by duplicating the background layer and then using Filter > Sharpen > Unsharp Mask and the settings approximately as follows:

Amount: 228%

Radius: 1% (or less)

Threshold: 3

Then, click Edit > Fade unsharp mask and choose 'luminosity' blend mode. Set the layer to approx 70% opacity. The luminosity bit means that you're not affecting the colour areas, just the lighter bits and minimises the chance of having tell-tale halos around things after sharpening. Reveal the layer mask and you can then paint out any areas which you don't want sharpened - things like skin which you want soft, for example.

Flattened and saved.

Tip of the day:
I do love a good composition - and 'How to go beyond the regular compositional advice for getting the best shots of your kids' gives plenty of great ideas to really help your child portraiture composition pop!