Visited a friend with a beautiful garden...

Lyanna · Jul 19, 2004

And took some pics, obviously. I think these three are the best of the lot. What do you think?

This one kept still so I could take some pics. Very generous of him

Exposure time: 1/400
Aperture: f/4.0

Some poppies that were bloomed out. The DOF is rather weird, I know, but it appeals to me
Exposure time: 1/640
Aperture: f/4.0

This one gives me the feeling as if I were buried in an entire field of these bright orange flowers. Which I wasn't really, twas just a patch

Exposure time: 1/800
Aperture: f/3.2

danalec99 · Jul 19, 2004

Very nice!
I love the DOF on #3.

Good job!

Sk8man · Jul 19, 2004

the shots are great and the "natural" frames are fantastic.

maybe you can explain how you did it (the frames)?
i tried everything i know but can't achieve the same effect.

airgunr · Jul 19, 2004

Very nice work!

Lyanna · Jul 19, 2004

thanks! I really really enjoyed myself in that garden *g*

Sk8man: it's actually really simple. Too bad though that I can't really automate it. What I do is this: I take Photoshop and I do everything to the pic I need to do (adjustment etc). Then, I hit "canvas size" and resize the image to 1024 by 768, which makes for better viewing.

Then, I save. Then, I go back to canvas size again, and subtract 50 pixels on each side. This makes the pic smaller, obviously. I select whats left of the pic, copy it, then hit "step backwards" twice, which undoes the selection AND the subtraction. Then, I hit paste. I now have a background which is 1024 by 768, and a layer which is 50 pix smaller on each side.

I make the background layer darker with the help of "curves" under the "image - adjust" option. This is what creates the slightly darker border. And I add a stroke of an appropriate color (2px) to the smaller layer, which makes it stand out. Sometimes I also add a little shadow.

Voila! It may sound like a lot of work but when you get the hang of it, it is done under 5 minutes.

Sk8man · Jul 19, 2004

tnx lyana, gonna try that.

mentos_007 · Jul 19, 2004

Lyanna! Fascinating photos

You should put them in the critique gallery

Wow, your friend has frogs in a garden? wow

The second one is also great. And, fact, Dof is strange but nice. Although this blurred first popy is distracting me. And the last has beautiful colors

cowbert098 · Jul 19, 2004

danalec99 said:
Very nice!
I love the DOF on #3.

I agree, nice photos

hobbes28 · Jul 19, 2004

These are very good. Nice work.

pilgrim · Jul 19, 2004

beautiful

Karalee · Jul 19, 2004

Great shots, the colors are magnificent! Love the DOF in 3 as well as the angle.

Harpper · Jul 19, 2004

I love the colors you have on these pictures especially the last one. The group of flowers in the last one makes for a wonderful background.

ShutterBug4_4 · Jul 19, 2004

Great work! I absolutely love the colors and DOF in the third one, it's beautiful!

craig · Jul 19, 2004

Hey now! What kind of Poppy is that in the second frame? I think the third frame is the strongest. The composition is on point and that orange is out of this world.