I love tulip time. My bucket list includes going to Holland to see the tulip fields. In the meantime, I’ll make do with what I can find at the grocery store. I tried a few different techniques, some new and some my old standbys to create these images.
Technique 1: The cover image is a double exposure. I did this in-camera, but you can also take two identically composed frames and blend them in Photoshop. The first image was tack sharp on the main subject (the center tulip). The second frame was an entirely un-focused image.
Technique 2: Painterly effect. I processed this image in Alien Skin’s Snap Art 4 using one of the oil painting presets. I added a border in OnOne’s Perfect Effects.
Technique 3: Macro close-up. This is a simple image. Get close using a macro lens. Try not to make the stamen dead center. I made the mistake of trying to blow off the extra pollen that had fallen on the leaves. My face and lens ended up covered in it.
Technique 4: Tulip Abstract. This is one of those techniques that looks easier that it is. It took me awhile to find an angle and positioning of the flowers to accentuate the beautiful red lines. Start with the curve at the bottom of the tulip as the primary focal point in your composition, then work around it from there.
pamphotography 