Sunny Flowers

This was taken last summer but posting it today to remind me of warmer days. I've recently started using our back bedroom as my study which is lush because I now have a long desk with loads of room for my old and new computers plus a small area at the end to use for taking pics, instead of trying to squeeze everything into a little nook in our living room. But, it was so cold in my new study last night that my iPad wouldn't charge - never had that before and didn't even know it was a thing. Roll on summer!

P.S. Do you think this image would be better flipped so the flowers are facing towards the right?

[Dawn]

A lovely detailed shot Nick

[Ellen Bogenschutz]

A very different perspective for Sunflowers. Really lovely detail. Since we read left to right, it might be something to try...flipping it, I mean.

[Dianne]

Gorgeous shot. Maybe it could be flipped? Your new office sounds good apart from the cold!

[Jane Pittenger]

Yes, better left to right. I like the flowers looking back to times past

[Rick]

Cool capture.

[haskar]

I'd love to send you some heat. Great low key capture.

[Diana]

They are gorgeous and beautifully captured with a dark background. Stunning on black too and the idea of flipping them is a good one ;-)

How did you get the dark background Nick, I am still struggling.

[Issi Bannerman]

Lovely capture.

[Christine Louise]

Very striking image with the contrast in colours, great detail and POV

[Rob Z]

Marvellous lighting and detail

[Joan Robillard]

Goreous

[Susan Wakely]

I love the way they are but flipping them might add something extra as that is the way my eye would naturally go.

[Beverley]

Beautiful

[Phil Howcroft]

love the yellows nick

[Nick]

@Dawn @rickster549 @haskar @jamibann @365projectclmutlow @robz @joansmor @beverley365 @phil_howcroft Thank you all very much :)

[Nick]

@theredcamera @dide @jgpittenger @wakelys Thank you. I tried a flip and now can't decide which I prefer, lol!

[Nick]

@ludwigsdiana Thanks Diana. I use a few methods for darkening backgrounds. This one was done in Lightroom. Originally I was just trying to dull down some bright patches in the background. I did a subject mask and then inverted it so the flowers were hidden. I then played with adjusting the exposure and blacks and ended up quite dark with all background detail hidden because I like how it brought out the yellow. I duplicated and inverted the same mask and played with adjusting the flower until I got it how I liked it. I then took it into Photoshop to add a texture layer over the whole thing. To get the background dark in PS I would have done similar masking to separate the background. I probably would have used a dark fill layer clipped to the masked layer. Or taken it into Adobe Camera Raw and used a similar process to the one I used in LR. Hope this information helps. If you need any more info I can let you have my email address as I'd probably need more space for explaining.

[Diana]

@nickspicsnz Thanks so much for going to all that trouble and explaining it Nick! I think I get the idea, but am an absolute novice with things like this. I am sure I can work on it though ;-)

[Madeleine Pennock]

It is unusual to see the sunflowers photographed from behind, but that sort of adds more interest. I am not sure if flipping it to face the other way would improve the image; but I do think your choice is important. Nicely done!