Week One. One Four Challenge (March).

Back when I first started to blog, I used this daisy picture for one of my first photography challenges. I came across it recently and decided to make it my One Four Challenge photo for March. If you are unfamiliar with the challenge, which is hosted by Robyn at Captivate Me, you are missing out!

Basically, photographers of all levels are challenged to take one photo and edit it in four different ways over the month. Your edits can be subtle or dramatic. Your photo, your choice. This is week one for March.

My original iPhone phone was basic. Pretty enough and a surprisingly clean focus of the green fly. I was happy enough with it, for a phone picture. But, now…I can play with it some. So here goes.

For the first week, I was thinking about doing a black and white with selective color on the fly. That was not working out though. So, I decided to go dramatic. With Photoshop CS5, I clicked on the invert option (which is under the image tab and then in the adjustment options). In one click, it changed the photo to this artsy pink and blue version that you see below. I liked it so I went on to my next step, which was whatever came to mind at the time. (Can you tell that I had a very clear and precise plan?)

As much as I liked the little green fly, he didn’t really work in the inverted version. So, he had to go. I clone stamped him out but copying parts of the flower core over him. Poof! He was gone.

Then, I decided to crop the photo. Since I was heading down some artsy fartsy path, I figured, why not. I played with a few crops but decided this would be a crop that I would buy if it was a painting or post card. So bam! That was my deep, thought out reasoning.

After that, I was hungry and decided to stop. So, I just did some minor contrast and brightness adjustments and went off to make dinner, which had about the same amount of prior planning and detailed steps.

What did you like (or not like) about this edit? Feel free to offer suggestions. I am open to ideas and don’t get easily offended. If I did? Let’s just say some days would be very long and painful, and I would never learn. I like pleasant days and lots of learning, so bring on the tips and ideas:)

To see other One Four Challengers, search the tag ‘one four challenge’ in the reader. Also make sure you check out the host’s Week One post by clicking on the badge below.