Back in March 2020 I snapped some pics of a swath of
snowdrops. Finally this March I transformed one, using Photoshop and
Topaz. Since my original photo was at most mediocre, I began by
running the cropped image through Topaz Sharpen AI, but I didn't see
a great deal of difference. I especially wanted to bring out the
detail in the blossoms, so I used Precision Detail in Topaz Studio.
Then I went to Topaz Impressions to create a painterly effect and
finished with a Find Edges filter in Photoshop, toning it with a
cooling Photo Filter adjustment layer. I added a white border which
set off the image, but I still felt it wasn't finished.
For the final composition, I used a technique from one of my Photoshop Awake lessons. The entire image (without the Find Edges layer) was masked out and then selectively painted back in (on the mask) using watercolor brushes. Then the Find Edges layer (blend mode multiply) was put on top. Next I added some watercolor splatters around the edges. And to extend the edges of the image I cloned translucent sections onto the white border. The final touch was a soft border painted with a watercolor brush and blurred.
Working on a flower image in Photoshop is always a delight, and I did enjoy creating this.
