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Then Out Came the Sun...
Then Out Came the Sun...
yakatme


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Soft Focus II (Basic Editing III)
Camera: Nikon D70
Lens: Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G IF-ED
Location: Pinecrest Gardens, Miami, Florida
Date: Aug 20, 2006
Aperture: f/6.3
ISO: 200
Shutter: 1/640
Galleries: Macro, Floral
Date Uploaded: Aug 22, 2006

 I have discovered an inexpensive soft diffusing filter that is easy to take with me when I want a soft focus: my breath! After a thunderstorm the air was very still and extremely humid. I left my air-conditioned car to get some shots at the gardens and my lens fogged immediately. I had wanted to use my 12-24mm but I didn't want to chance getting the inside of my camera fogged up while changing lenses. So I had to use the lens that I already had on the camera and I had to keep cleaning it over and over again. To give me the soft focus I had brought with me some plastic bags and some KY jelly. I was going to try various ideas to get the soft focus, but I didn't get to try them because I couldn't keep the lens from fogging for quite a while. By the time it stopped fogging up, I realized that I was getting some decent shots and I ended up having to breath on the lens and quickly compose and shoot several shots as the fog on the lens quickly dissipated. After downloading, I found that actually very few came out well. Many of them produced colors that seemed to merge across their boundaries and didn't look good. This is one of a few that worked out well (I hope).

Post processing: Adjusted the curves in the individual channels numerous times to get the colors to come out like I wanted. Despeckeled one time, twice made it way too soft. Cropped to improve the composition and resized for web. No gaussian blur (took care of that with my breath).

Here is a shot of the same flower taken without applying my 'diffuser'.

Statistics
Place: 39 out of 252
Avg (all users): 6.0252
Avg (commenters): 6.7692
Avg (participants): 5.8551
Avg (non-participants): 6.0947
Views since voting: 933
Views during voting: 329
Votes: 238
Comments: 14
Favorites: 3 (view)

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AuthorThread
 09/04/2006 09:09:44 PM
Hey there from the Critique Club

Camera Work/Technical: Great color and very nice focus. While I can see the effects of the diffuser in comparison, the image looks pretty sharp as a stand alone.

Lighting: Very nice and very even lighting. There are no overpowering highlights and no deep shadows to compete for attention. With a flower this color, achieving a balance like this is not always easy.

Composition/Content: I like your choice of composition for this image. Off-centering and loosely following the rule of thirds adds interest and allows the eye to wander through the frame.

My Opinion: I think that you have a fabulous image that is technically well done. I also think that it is a bit too crisp to compete in a soft focus challenge. I do see a very distinct difference in the two different versions, and that would have been helpful in voting. Unfortunately, we can only see the single image. Still, very nice work and a strong, well-deserved score.

Eric
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
08/29/2006 10:44:17 AM
Nice composition and colours but for me this is too sharp to be 'soft focus'
 08/29/2006 12:25:17 AM
Shallow depth of field but dead on focus thus not "soft". Nice Shot though - 5
 08/27/2006 08:24:08 PM
Vibrant colors.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/27/2006 07:36:04 PM
The coloring in this is magnificant!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/26/2006 04:54:59 PM
colour and lighing are fabulous
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/25/2006 11:03:19 AM
Great delicate capture with beauty of these complementary colors. 7
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/24/2006 08:01:07 PM
I love the colors
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/24/2006 04:57:00 PM
as I said this is a bright and lovely photo and looking at how the shades are in a sharp focus photo I am more than happy to up your score as not only have you managed to give it the soft focus but it is still nice and clear, if that makes sence
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/23/2006 09:03:28 PM
very delicate
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/23/2006 08:56:33 PM
There's only two florals I've rated highly in this challenge. This is one of them. Excellent work and smashing crop.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/23/2006 09:15:10 AM
Nice colors (7)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/23/2006 07:00:19 AM
spectacular shot...the colour is superb, it should do well with the voters here
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/23/2006 06:19:22 AM
Nice detailed image, great colors, cool title. I like this one.
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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