Start to Finish

Well, this is my image for Kim Klassen's Beyond Layers "Start to Finish" assignment. We were supposed to finish with a vintage-looking still life by setting up a 'studio' to get a plain background and then process the image using a texture and a custom gradient that Kim provided.

I did learn a lot by doing this exercise, especially some processing techniques that I did not know about before in Photoshop.

I did everything I was 'supposed' to do: set the shot up with foam core boards and window light and all that, processed it with the custom gradient and the revolution texture and even the technique of inverting the layer mask and brushing the desired effect onto just the flower. But where I fell down is in the setting up of a still life that I thought looked okay. I did set up a few and snapped some shots, but I ended up thinking they all looked stupid. Then I went back to my usual simple, singled-out subject  . . . and a typical subject for me as well . . . a dried hydrangea flower . . . man, I need to break out a bit, huh?

I need to work on the still life set up thing. Some people just seem to have knack for that, but I don't . . . mine are either too busy or they look strange with stuff all out of proportion and scattered in weird ways, with weird angles and perhaps just not 'matching' enough and my fall back is always something like the photo in this post . . . I guess that is my comfort zone and I need to move out of it . . .