Flowers and Fireworks

[ronlane]

A couple of shots from my weekend.

1) My neighbors flowers. I drive by this corner at least twice a day and didn't notice these flowers until I walked by with my camera this weekend.



Orange flowers by Ron_Lane, on Flickr

2) Our City fireworks display is put on by the fire department and is done the weekend before the 4th every year. (It's legal to shoot fireworks in our town for about a week and a half leading up to the 4th.



Mustang fireworks-12 by Ron_Lane, on Flickr

 

[mmaria]

Am I allowed not to like the bg in the first photo ?

#2 is nice

 

[IzzieK]

nmaria ...you are always so funny!!!

I like #2 too...lucky you out there in Okie...we are not allow to shoot fireworks here in MO. Shoot in manner of photography, yes, but not shoot fireworks from our backyard. Some get away with it though...

 

[ronlane]

Am I allowed not to like the bg in the first photo ?

#2 is nice

Yes, you are allowed to not like the bg. Is it the road being too bright that you don't like? That bothered me a little too, when I got them back to the pc. I should have spent time shooting a bunch of angles but with the wind and the kids being impatient.

 

[mmaria]

yes, that road is a trouble

 

[oldhippy]

Both nice, but 2 is way better. Have a great forth. Ed

 

[ronlane]

yes, that road is a trouble

thought so. I even tried to burn it in LR4 and with Nik collection, but it looked REALLY bad when I did that. I decided to just leave it and use the light/darken center to draw the eyes to the right flower in the front. (but didn't want to over do the vignetting)

I can live with it not being a portfolio shot.

 

[ronlane]

Both nice, but 2 is way better. Have a great forth. Ed

Thanks Ed.

 

[mmaria]

yes, that road is a trouble

thought so. I even tried to burn it in LR4 and with Nik collection, but it looked REALLY bad when I did that. I decided to just leave it and use the light/darken center to draw the eyes to the right flower in the front. (but didn't want to over do the vignetting)

I can live with it not being a portfolio shot.

can you live without Nik collection?

 

[ronlane]

yes, that road is a trouble

thought so. I even tried to burn it in LR4 and with Nik collection, but it looked REALLY bad when I did that. I decided to just leave it and use the light/darken center to draw the eyes to the right flower in the front. (but didn't want to over do the vignetting)

I can live with it not being a portfolio shot.

can you live without Nik collection?

I can but I really don't want to. How about you?

 

[mmaria]

I can but I really don't want to. How about you?

I can, but it's nice having it... although I don't really use it that much because I like finding numerous ways of achieving what I want in PS only.

 

[ronlane]

I can but I really don't want to. How about you?

I can, but it's nice having it... although I don't really use it that much because I like finding numerous ways of achieving what I want in PS only.

I only have PSE 11, so I have been using Color Efex Pro to help me instead of trying to find the "work around" from a PS routine that would work in PSE.

 

[mmaria]

I know nothing about Elements, but I'm guessing it must have Curves.
It's the most powerful tool in editing programs and therefore my favorite tool.... but in order to be that useful, one needs to know lots of things about editing, advanced masking, blending modes and much more.

 

[ronlane]

I know nothing about Elements, but I'm guessing it must have Curves.
It's the most powerful tool in editing programs and therefore my favorite tool.... but in order to be that useful, one needs to know lots of things about editing, advanced masking, blending modes and much more.

I need to get more familiar with Curves in PSE but I know it is limited on what it can do compared to PS.

 

[ronlane]

mmaria,

Is this one a little better? There's not as much of the road in the background.



Orange flowers 2 by Ron_Lane, on Flickr