I have been spending lots of time in the gardens the past few weeks, so I haven’t done more blogging like I had planned… Here is another Photo Art Friday post… The photo used here is one I took of the last roses of last year. The prompt from the Pixel Dust Photo Art blog was to modify a photo to look vintage. I have been doing a little more playing with Photoshop Elements, and have been playing with layers and more. There are lots of free textures available to be used to create various effects, but I prefer to try to do my own thing if I can. I have been taking some purposefully blurred photos and others of random things to use as overlays.
Last Roses of 2011
The result of my playing this week is above… I lowered the saturation of the photo and then added the paint daubs effect with the sparkle brush. After that I used a texture image I created, then allowed some of the flowers to show through more with a layer mask. I have so much more to learn…
Last Roses of 2011 Original
The photo above is the original photo of the roses… It was taken after an early snow was melting, causing large drops of water to hang on the petals.
Portulaca with Dew
Above is another photo I have been playing with… It was of a Portulaca flower covered in dew, with a photo of a blue Iris also covered in dew with a macro lens to catch the shimmer of the dewdrops out of focus as a layer over it. I also played with the paint daubs effect with the sparkle brush… It definitely changed the look of the photo…
There will be lots more photos taken in the coming days and weeks, and I am sure I will be playing with photoshop more, too….
I am a former textile artist and new pattern designer with a degree in horticulture, wishing to share my love of nature, flowers and gardens with everyone through my photos, sunprinted fabrics, and now pattern designs. Chronic Lyme Disease has caused major changes to the direction my life. I have to limit the amount of time spent digging in my gardens, and quilting has become more difficult. I discovered pattern design as a way to get art back into my life. I now use my gardens and photos to inspire designs that can be used on fabrics and print on demand items.
Your ‘play’ in PS has produced exquisite results, Sue! It is good to try and produce the results with our own use of the tools rather than only with textures or plug-ins. The first one does look like a vintage shot. The last one is amazing. Such a dreamy background for such a beautiful flower. I have found that Portulacas make wonderful subjects for photographs. Thanks for sharing with Photo Art Friday.
Wow I’d say you are doing a great job learning Photo Shop. I love the Vintage feel you gave to your roses and the last photo is as Bonnie said, “Dreamy.”