Illumination [Photo of the Day]
Uploaded: June 16, 2007 11:08:32
On this one, no filters were used.
Exif: F Number: 6.3, Exposure Bias Value: +0, Exposure Time: 5/1000, Flash: flash did not fire, ISO: 100, White Balance: auto white balance, Focal Length: 77mm, Camera Model: DMC-FZ30
Steve M. Harrington June 16, 2007
Ok, Mitch, give it up! How did you do this? It's quite striking.Mitch Spence June 17, 2007
Oooookay, twisted my virtual arm. :) Actually, it wasn't very esoteric. This started out as a reflection of these flowers in a pool at the St. Louis Arboretum. The black on the bottom was the edge of the pool. There were all kinds of duck feathers floating around too. At first I thought they were interesting but then not, so cloned them out (later). Straightened. Cropped. Basic editing--levels, color balance, etc. Selective color enhancement hue/sat for the flowers. (The dark ones were nearly black, deep deep purple, to begin with.) Selective sharpening. Then, I decided to enhance the blue of the pool only and instead messed around with all the hue/sat controls for that color, which didn't affect the flowers at all. Saturated the whoops out of it, changed the hue entirely, and fooled with lighten/darken too. Ended up with this, which I just really got a kick out of. I'll put up the original picture here if anybody wants to see it. It's really kind of goofy looking. #4405890Steve M. Harrington June 17, 2007
I toast your perseverance and skills, Mitch! Now it's even more impressive.Cheryl Meisel June 17, 2007
Well you turned it into a work of art lol. Wall PRETTY!Mitch Spence June 18, 2007
Hi, Cheryl. I'm delighted you like it. Thank you! #4409527Dianna Hauf June 19, 2007
Can you hear me oohhing and aaahhing??? This is quite exquisite Mitch! Whatever you did, (and I read it ALL), you did it sooo well! I would definitely hang this on my wall!! JUST beautiful!! :) #4413184Mitch Spence June 19, 2007
Dianna, hi and thank you. This one did rather surprise me, and that was fun, so it's pretty neat that you like it. And thank you for the suggestion about printing it. I just haven't done much of that lately and really should sometimes I guess. #4413224Patricia A. Stalter June 22, 2007
My, haven't you been busy. As a suggestion, you might think about having this one printed as a gallery wrap on canvas. I just did that with my Coldspring Tavern and I just love it.Mitch Spence June 22, 2007
Pat, thanks for the suggestion. The only place I've seen something that sounds like this is on Mpix. Is that where you had it done? I've never had anything done there. #4425128Patricia A. Stalter June 22, 2007
I have dealt with Mpix and they are good, but this time I went with myphotopipe.com They are a little cheaper. (As am I). I was pleased with the quality and the service. Pat #4425151Jenny Bosmans June 26, 2007
Fantastic work and beautiful image, Mitch! Looks super! :) #4437716Mitch Spence June 28, 2007
Pat, thanks for the recommendation, and, Jenny, my thanks to you. #4454298Susie Peek-Swint July 08, 2007
Many congrats on POTD Mitch ~ what a great shot! #4483707Pat Gamwell July 08, 2007
WoooHooo! WTG, Mitch! Gorgeous POTD! #4483726Karen Engelbreth July 08, 2007
Wonderful image - big congrats on your POTD, Mitch! #4483750Mary K. Robison July 08, 2007
A lot of PS work, but it paid off Big Time ~ Congratulations on your well-deserved POTD, Mitch! #4483766Arlene Krassner July 08, 2007
POTD: Congratulations Mitch. #4483802Laurie Daily July 08, 2007
The first thing I saw this morning after being away from civilization for a week was this beauty... Congrats Mitch! #4483947Nikki McDonald July 08, 2007
Couldn't be happier than I was to see this POTD on your fascinating creation, Mitch. All that work--or should I say play?--paid off. CONGRATULATIONS! #4483962Jeff Robinson July 08, 2007
Congrats Mitch on your Excellent POTD!! Jeff #4484038Joy Rector July 08, 2007
congrats on the POTD #4484084Dr Silly July 08, 2007
WTG Mitch. Congratulations on your neat POTD. :O)Sherri Gorman July 08, 2007
Congratulations on your beautiful POTD!!! #4484106Patricia A. Stalter July 08, 2007
Looks like you will HAVE to print this now! How wonderful to see it on POTD! My very fav person! Celebrate girl. #4484177Dianna Hauf July 08, 2007
Oh MITCH!! I am dancing with joy this morning for you as I see this beautiful image of yours making POTD!!! Well deserved my friend!! (as I said earlier, you rock! :) CONGRATULATIONS!!!! Have a fantastic day!! #4484216Kaye Burazin July 08, 2007
Bravo for you Mitch. POTD is awesome! #4484270Katarina Mansson July 08, 2007
Wow - I guess the heat is on even more now! My warmest (or do you rather want them cool?) congratulations on this fabulous POTD Mitch! #4484408Kara L. Hendricks July 08, 2007
Woohoo... Go Mitch... Go Mitch!!!Congrats on the coveted BP POTD!!!! #4484413
Michelle R. Kovach July 08, 2007
Congratulations Mitch! WTG! #4484451Nancy (Peaches) Harker July 08, 2007
OH so very cool and pretty...Congrats Mitch on your WONDERFUL POTD!!! #4484582RC Fritz July 08, 2007
Big Congratulations Mitch!! Great POTD!!! #4484680Datha Y. Thompson July 08, 2007
CONGRATULATIONS Mitch!!!!! WTG :0) #4484690Colleen Farrell July 08, 2007
Fantastic floral, Mitch--so creatively executed and presented! And of course you have to have the eye to see the potential to begin with! I'm finally taking a PSE course--would like to be able to do what you've done without having to rely on a filter for every effect. Oh, almost forgot--CONGRATULATIONS on your POTD!! :D #4484706Steve M. Harrington July 08, 2007
YES! I am over the top delighted that your talent, attention to detail and artistic vision have been recognized, Mitch. This has made my day! I am picturing you working for hours on this image, Madame Cloner. :)Susan Fox July 08, 2007
Congratulations Mitch on your wonderful POTD! #4484881Cheryl Meisel July 08, 2007
BIG CONGRATS on your POTD Mitch with this sweet works.Donna La Mattino Pagakis July 08, 2007
Beautiful and artistic, huge congrats on your potd!! #4485071Mitch Spence July 08, 2007
Well, my goodness. I could just pretend to be blase about it and say "oh, thank you" and like that. But I am EXCITED! Never had one of these before, and it has just made my day, or maybe month, or maybe longer. :) It's energizing and delightful, and I do truly, truly thank each of you for taking the time to congratulate me on this. BP has kept me involved in photography in a way that I'd never sustain otherwise I think, and all of you and your comments and inspiration are highly valued. #4485122Jenny Bosmans July 08, 2007
Congratulations on this beautiful POTD, Mitch! :) #4485380Judy A. Lawhon July 08, 2007
Way to go, Mitch...a beautiful POTD! Congratulations, I would be thrilled, too!!! #4485401Lindley Johnson July 08, 2007
Mitch, this is very neat, thanks for sharing your methods, which paid off big time! I'd love to see the original. Congratulations on your POTD! #4485627Mary Clarke July 08, 2007
Congratulations on POTD Mitch, lovely image #4485655Nancy Donnell July 08, 2007
Great photo. Congratulations! It is just delightful. I was curious how you achieved the speckled background?Jon Kolstad July 09, 2007
Congratulations on POTD Mitch, great image! -jon #4488605Mitch Spence July 09, 2007
Thanks once again to everyone. Let me see if I can get the original up here, as a couple of you have asked to see. As I said, it's kind of goofy looking, or as they say in one of my favorite movies, "Fargo," "he was kinda funny lookin'" :)Before I do that though, Nancy, you're absolutely right. It was the Botanical Gardens, not the Arboretum. We were spending a weekend in St. Louis for the zoo, the Botanical Gardens, and Grant's farm, just for fun. And you asked also, about the speckled background. That was simply the result (suprising as it turned out to be) of selecting the background only, and then the extreme saturation and hue change of that portion only. You wouldn't think that would do it, but it did. OK, the original now . . . #4488674
Nancy Donnell July 09, 2007
Hi, Mitch. Thanks for the post of the original. That water at MO. Bo. is usually a mess with fluffy stuff that shows up in the photos, and a huge job to clone out. I think they add something on purpose to make the water really dark, which usually helps the water lillies and things to pop visually. I love your colors, and your treatment. If you can come back, that place is always changing from season to season. There is an arboretum affiliated with the Botanical Gardens, although it is some distance away. It is wonderful as well, but completely different. ~ Nancy #4489469Laurie Daily July 11, 2007
I just had a chance to check out your original. Really makes me appreciate the efforts that went into your finished piece, Mitch. Wonderful work!!! #4496389Mitch Spence July 11, 2007
Nancy and Laurie, thanks for stopping back to look at the original, and Nancy, thanks for your input about the Botanical Gardens and Arboretum. Hope I can get back there one day soon. #4496915JO ANN CLEVELAND July 13, 2007
Very interesting! Bet we see this again!jo ann c. #4505342
Mitch Spence July 13, 2007
Jo Ann, thanks for looking and for your comment. I don't know. We'll see. :) #4505555Carol Teal July 16, 2007
Mitch, I missed this wonderful POTD!! I was just going thru old emails and deleting them when I saw your name on the POTD image that I receive in the newsletter. I clicked on it and read all about how you did it and saw the original. Great work you did with this one! What a transformation! And WTG with your POTD! #4514914Mitch Spence July 17, 2007
Hi, Carol. Thank you. I get so far behind trying to see all the neat stuff, you know. Got family company this week, so I'm kind of sneaking into my workroom, which my granddaughter is inhabiting, to quickly check on email. :) #4519100Phil Stith July 21, 2007
Hey, Mitch! Congrats on your POTD. I gotta' say that you are putting up some really cool captures! Very nice work!!!Mitch Spence July 21, 2007
Hey, Phil, thank you. I gotta say back that you're doing some pretty cool stuff yourself! #4536019Sign up for an interactive online photography course to get critiques on your photos.
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