Texture Tuesday and Yellow Mums

This weeks theme over at Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesday is free and easy.  Any photo, any color, any texture.  In my Easter centerpiece I used egg shells for little flower pots and they haven't hit the compost bin yet so I thought I'd get a little more use out of them.

Two layers of kk_paperlove, one set at multiply and one at overlay.

Two layers of kk_paperlove, both set at multiply.

  

One layer of kk_paperlove and one layer of kk_stained linen both at multiply.

   

  

Macro Monday Mums

"Nobody sees a flower, really - it is so small we haven't time, and to see takes time"

                                                                                                                                                                                                    

                                                                                            -- Georgia Okeefe

Texture Tuesday - Whites

This weeks challenge at Kim Klassen's was to focus on the color white.  White is a color I love to photograph, but, I've never used a texture with white flowers and was pleasantly surprised with the results.  If you mouse over each photo you should be able to see the before and after. Both photos use a layer of kk_providence with a blend mode of multiply to provide a little color and a unsaturated layer of kk_stainedlinen with a blend mode of multiply at 50% to provide a little texture. In both photos the textures were softened with a brush at 50%.

White Mums

The little bundle of white mums is still going strong. At Micheal's I found a little heart shaped vase that is perfect for February.



Also at Micheal's I picked up some white clay to make little hearts. Easy to work with, just roll, shape and bake.



A little bit of red food coloring can make dramatic changes.

Texture Tuesday

This weeks challenge at Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesday is open.  Easy enough, just apply at least one layer of any of her texture's.  I've been playing with a bundle of white mum's I bought at the supermarket for the past week and finding they are a very versatile flower.  Kind of like one of those foods without a lot of taste, they seem to take on the flavor of the accessories and processing.  Here's the final version.

And here's the original, SOOC view I started with

I first applied a lay of Subtlyyours with a blend mode of overly at 54%

Then a layer of Sweettart with a blend mode of multiply at 60%. I used a brush at 50% to erase some of the texture from the hearts and flower.

Did a little work in Color Efex with a high key and vintage film filters.

Back into photoshop and added a duplicate layer of Sweettart.

A small adjustment with a curves layer was done to add a little contrast and finished.

Texture Tuesday

This weeks challenge at Kim Klassen's is to use her new texture Simplicity. I think I picked the wrong photo for the texture and settled on using it in the background only using the brush to erase it off the flower petals.  After the texture was applied I did some lighting of the flower centers with curves in photoshop.   It really has reinforced for me the that not all photos go with all textures, they should be carefully matched.  If you hover the mouse over the photo you'll see the before and after.

Macro Monday and a mum

Friday night I bought a little bouquet of white mums from the grocery store to help get me through another winter weekend.  It's been my practice lately, when I've got something new to photograph, to start with a lens and capture every angle I can, change lenses and start all over again.  With this little bouquet I first brought out the macro lens and placed a white background behind the flowers to try and get some white on white shots.  Technically, none of these are macros but close ups.  I just didn't think Close Up Monday sounded as good as Macro Monday.