I thought I would continue Peter’s thoughts from last week, by using different techniques to process a similar subject. All of these flowers were taken on a Lightpad. It was a challenge to take a step back and ask myself, “What do I want this image to look like when I finish?”, and then find the software that would give me the capability to create it. It was a lot of trial and error (and time), but I am please with the results.
This processing sampler should give you a sense of the capabilities of different plug-ins and what they could be used for.
Single Lilly Bloom
I wanted this flower to have a softer look, but not be completely abstracted. I processed this image with Alien Skin’s Snap Art 4. I used a preset that provided a fair amount of detail and warmed up the flower.
Papavar Blooms (thank you to bentehaarstad for helping me identify them)
I imagined this image to be a playful element in a bright sunny room. I choose Alien Skin’s Snapart 4 again, but used a crayon preset that still provided a fair amount of detail.
Papavar Blooms #2
I thought I would try a more painterly look with a similar image, so I used Dynamic Auto Painter. This is one plug-in where I don’t mind watching it work. Because it can’t really provide previews of what your image will look like with each technique, it does require a time investment to watch it run, figure out when you want to stop it, and then change directions if you are not please with the results.
Papavar Blooms #3
I really wanted this image to be a high-key simple photo that showcases the multiple layers of the petals. I used a combination of Nik’s Color Effects Pro and Topaz’s Simplify to achieve the effect below.
pamphotography 
Reblogged this on Click And Color.