Back in the Butterfly Garden

[janis]

Hi all,

I finally got back to the butterfly conservatory yesterday. We are in the middle of a heat wave and even though I went early in the morning, huge beads of sweat were dropping off me onto the camera in no time. I trusted that the D7100 is fairly good at keeping the moisture out but, in truth, I was just having too much fun to stop. These are not necessarily the best shots, just the ones I played around with last night. More to come when I find the time to process. Your C&C welcome as always.

#1



#2



#3

[chrisc]

Like the caterpillar most but the top guy is pretty special too...can I do an edit on the flower?

Funny, I was just about to post some flutterbys I reworked from last year, but I'll wait a bit yet.

[janis]

Yes, Chris, you can do an edit on the flower, but you gotta know it ain't going to meet with my approval unless it looks like a Laura Ashley print. ;-)

As for your flutterbys, don't hesitate posting on my account. I am fully prepared to be outdone by you; it keeps me humble and hungry to learn.

[grasshopper]

Love the caterpillar image Janis.

I had the same problem with the heat last year. The sweat dropped onto the back of my camera and boogie red up my zoom out button.

[janis]

Thanks, Ron. Did the problem with the zoom out button resolve itself?

[grasshopper]

   When it first happened there were a few more issues with the camera, some so sever, that I was getting worried about it. The zoom out /info button was the only button that bit the dust.

[chrisc]

Laura who? I don't do no Laura Ashley's, I do Chris C's

[chrisc]

This is the workflow for the edit.

[grasshopper]

There you go with them colors again.

That look great Chris.

[chrisc]

I didn't add one color, only enhanced or diminished what was already there. This new workflow system is really awesome and I feel like I am a babe in diapers on the learning curve, but I do try to learn at least one good technique each day...that only leaves about 100 tutorials to go...hahahaha

The fun on this image was getting the shadows to hold detail, get good separation between the reds and yellows and toning down the leaves and background color in a much more natural way than simple desaturation. As you can see by the image workflow, there are lots of ways to skin the cat.

[janis]

Very impressive, Chris. I don't understand your workflow. Is that a PS or a Lightroom screen? Maybe someday...

[chrisc]

It's a workflow system designed by Tony Kuyper to work with LR4 and CS6. Essentially, he circumvented Photoshop's own capabilities and added some things they honestly didn't have a clue the program was capable of producing. Tony is a computer analyst, programmer who knows how to write exceptionally difficult algorithms. I don't pretend to understand them completely but like all computer programs I've used over the years, it is not necessary I understand, only that they work for me when I want them to. These work exceptionally well.

While I use the premade masks, Sean Bagshaw shows you how to make your own in a set of tutorials. A lot less expensive, but not as efficient as each set of masks has to be built for each individual image...ugh, I'd rather have them universally handy especially knowing I can take any one out of the box and customize it for the image I'm working one. I did this twice in your flower where I found a mask to be too restrictive in the shadow details.

[janis]

Very interesting. I will have to read more about it. Your work is a great advertisement for Kuyper's system, but I am a long way from even being able to consider it for myself.

[chrisc]

So, did I get close to Laura Ashley?

[janis]

Personally, I think the Laura Ashley style is a faded, vintage look, but I will ask my authority.