The Grand Finale`

Gallery: FloraPosted August 28, 20072,111 views27 comments

When I started this project of taking a studio set-up outdoors, I did have a particular shot in mind and this is it. I knew that my Asiatic Lillies were about to bloom and while I watched them carefully I had time to practice with the set-up. The only real difference with this shot is the bg. I used a piece of mat board (a very rich motled brown) for the bg. Although this is not something I am going to do with every floral shot, I learned a lot and had fun in the process. As always I am looking forward to your comments.

Comments

27 comments

Comment posted by Philip Southard on August 28, 2007 at 10:58 PM

Beautiful image Barb. Love the warm, rich colors, nice DOF, and the BG is super. On my screen it all looks like a painting; a real pleasure to view.

Registered on July 15, 2007, 258 Posts, 3892 Comments

Comment posted by Pat Sampson on August 28, 2007 at 11:02 PM

Barb,

Beautiful rich saturated colors. I would have thought it was a photograph of an oil painting. Great job.

Pat

Registered on May 19, 2007, 953 Posts, 15989 Comments

Comment posted by Bill Whitney on August 28, 2007 at 11:45 PM

Barb....FANTASTIC....you had a wonderful image in mind and made it happen.

Bill

Registered on May 31, 2006, 135 Posts, 1232 Comments

Comment posted by Jay Martin on August 29, 2007 at 12:04 AM

Wow! that's cool!

Registered on December 6, 2005, 200 Posts, 2209 Comments

Comment posted by renae sandberg on August 29, 2007 at 1:17 AM

OUTSTANDING. I love the technique and this is surely my favorite of the series. Wow, I just can't say enough.

Registered on December 29, 2004, 313 Posts, 2476 Comments

Comment posted by Nathan Buck on August 29, 2007 at 10:47 AM

Just beautiful Barb! A wonderful technique. I love the implied softness of the image. Very - VERY nice.

Nathan

Registered on November 1, 2003, 1101 Posts, 13589 Comments

Comment posted by Barb Hansen on August 29, 2007 at 10:51 AM

Thank You all so much.
Michael, I promise I will gladly explain how I created this image but right now I have to leave for a couple hours and don't have the time but I will later today.

Registered on May 16, 2005, 380 Posts, 5157 Comments

Comment posted by Charles Younger on August 29, 2007 at 11:44 AM

Whoa, that's an eye grabber. Very nice.

Registered on July 24, 2007, 82 Posts, 195 Comments

Comment posted by Bill Fach on August 29, 2007 at 6:26 PM

Barb: Broke my W

W-meter!!!! Stunningly beautiful image and presentation. Many tips o' the cap lassie! >=))>

Registered on November 1, 2003, 1805 Posts, 26981 Comments

Comment posted by Barb Hansen on August 29, 2007 at 7:38 PM

Michael I promised an explanation: sorry I got a little hung up today. First of all I have to Thank Maureen Pulignano, it is her wonderful work with her studio set-up that reminded me of some of the equipment I already owned and might be able to adabt. In order to try to control how and where to get the light I wanted, I used one of my light stands to hold and place the umbrella. The umbrella is used to direct, and soften the main light source which in this case would be my flash unit. I also used what is called a small soft box that fits over the face of the flash unit to further diffuse the light. Now for the light behind the upper flower I had to get inventive. I taped a small LED flashlight on a pole wedged firmly in the ground, and to cut down on the light I placed several layers of wax paper over the light acting as a diffuser and positioned just out of the frame but behind the flower and onto the bg. Now after all that I took some pics ...several actually, moving the umbrella into different positions to place the light. I got close to what I wanted in camera. I did however fine-tune this in Photoshop ( this is for the lighting on the bg) using Filter>Render>Lighting Effects> Omni. That darkened the outer areas of the bg. I did really visualize this days before I actually took any images. I wanted a sort of old fashioned portrait look and feel to this.

Registered on May 16, 2005, 380 Posts, 5157 Comments

Comment posted by Charlie Miller on August 29, 2007 at 8:00 PM

Barb, this is a wondrful portrait of a beautiful flower. Ya done good!

Registered on May 13, 2007, 205 Posts, 603 Comments

Comment posted by Ed Lowe on August 29, 2007 at 8:39 PM

In a word-awesome! Your attention to detail has produced your best of the outdoor studio series IMO. Beautiful light, subject and BG, Barb.

Registered on February 7, 2004, 414 Posts, 7115 Comments

Comment posted by Bernie Kasper on August 29, 2007 at 10:23 PM

That is sick Barb, in a good way, that is going to look awesome hanging on someones wall.

Registered on June 5, 2005, 251 Posts, 3734 Comments

Comment posted by Giuseppe Guadagno on August 30, 2007 at 5:24 AM

Beautiful ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

Beethoven's Gran Finale.

Registered on February 3, 2007, 827 Posts, 5052 Comments

Comment posted by Larry Lynch on August 30, 2007 at 7:14 AM

Beautifully done Barb. Nothing to be said other than "touchdown".

Registered on September 16, 2006, 773 Posts, 9940 Comments

Comment posted by John&Patty Benway on August 30, 2007 at 9:42 AM

I've been looking at this for quite a while Barb, trying to think of something to say. I'm still at a loss, so all I will say, It's the best I have ever seen, and that is from the hart.

Registered on May 12, 2006, 626 Posts, 8700 Comments

Comment posted by Michael Lowe on August 31, 2007 at 12:41 AM

This is just off the scale, Barb. rightfully deserves all the accolades it is getting.

Registered on February 11, 2004, 777 Posts, 5252 Comments

Comment posted by Maureen McKovich on September 1, 2007 at 1:32 AM

Barb, this is simply STUNNING! Congratulations on a spectacular image!

Registered on November 9, 2003, 221 Posts, 1628 Comments

Comment posted by Bill Chambers on September 3, 2007 at 12:30 PM

Hi Barb! This is WONDERFUL! Congratulations - very well deserving of the EP!

Registered on April 10, 2005, 753 Posts, 21216 Comments

Comment posted by Paul Wegemann on September 3, 2007 at 12:53 PM

This is a masterpiece. I am in awe. Amazing work here, Barb.

Registered on December 14, 2006, 58 Posts, 1888 Comments

Comment posted by Wayne Rhodus on September 3, 2007 at 2:59 PM

Outstanding Image!!! A simply magical expression of art! I can see that I've been away from the flora forum too long.

Congratulations Barb, this may be the most beautiful flower shot I've ever seen.

Registered on November 16, 2003, 157 Posts, 3326 Comments

Comment posted by Catherine Reilly on September 3, 2007 at 3:42 PM

How could I have missed to comment on THIS?! A thousand pardons...

It's simply EXQUISITE! Best flower portrait of all time that I've ever seen. Your work with the lighting really paid off big time. The detail is stunning. Hands down winner! Congratulations, Barb! And way to go for breaking Bill's meter! We're all in trouble 'til he rebuilds one!

Registered on August 16, 2006, 603 Posts, 9192 Comments

Comment posted by Larry Lynch on September 3, 2007 at 4:33 PM

Barb, congrats on your EP. Well deserved. Beautiful work.

Registered on September 16, 2006, 773 Posts, 9940 Comments

Comment posted by Mary Christopher S on September 4, 2007 at 12:33 AM

Barb,
I don't know how I missed this one. It is just spectacular! I love the BG it adds such warmth to the image itself. I love everything about it and Congratulations! Just a perfect image and well worth the extra work. The comp and the light is breathtaking!

Registered on May 21, 2007, 398 Posts, 2605 Comments

Comment posted by Reno DiTullio on September 4, 2007 at 1:10 AM

Absolutely gorgeous, Barb