Judith Lesnaw
July 2026 - Coneflower
Original
Original 2
About the Image(s)
Last Thursday I visited the Calder Gardens in Philadelphia where an abandoned lot was transformed into a public garden. The staff planted native plants on a hill that was constructed on the grounds. As I looked up the hill into a pre-storm sky, I noticed several purple coneflowers on the hilltop. I photographed them with an iPhone 16 pro max; imported the image into Lightroom Classic, cropped, and then in Topaz AI upsized, sharpened and denoised. Back in LRC I made basic tonal adjustments. I also experimented with a more abstract version in NIK 8 colorefex. I would appreciate comments on both versions.
6 comments posted
I'm glad that you explained the context for the photo--the fact that an abandoned lot was transformed into a public garden. That helps to explain why you shot it as you did--to tell the story of the hill that was constructed to plant flowers on. So, as photojournalism, it's effective at communicating the story of the lot. In that way, I like the idea of shooting upwards. You are telling the story of life emerging from the abandoned lot. An interesting idea. I think I like the color one better because it communicates something new and life giving in a way that the other doesn't as much, in my view. Posted: 07/02/2026 21:53:39
I'm torn between the color version and the abstracts one but lean slightly toward the abstract. It adds a nice grunge feel that makes me think of a post apocalyptic scene. On the color one, I do find the small patch of dark blue sky distracting and would either lighten it up or clone it out. Posted: 07/06/2026 10:53:51
I really like that you took a low perspective to shoot these beautiful flowers. It gives a sense that they are reaching for the sky and the sun. I feel that if you had taken the shot at their level it would have just been another flower photo. I am also drawn to your abstract version. I like the toning in the ground and in the clouds while still maintaining some of the color in the flowers. Posted: 07/13/2026 02:36:15
I like the color image best, beautiful colors. This image tells the story of renewed life. I like the rocky, pitted soil on the bottom of the image and the cloudy sky above. The only picky comment I have is the grass blade the runs across the flower in the middle could be darkened or removed. Posted: 07/16/2026 20:35:32
I like the perspecitve you chose. It makes this more than just an ordinary picture of coneflowers. I am drawn to Original 2 as I like the "grunge" look it has. I think there may be be another image here as well. You might consider a vertical crop of just the center flower. Then remove the blade of grass that cuts across it. The vertical, for me, would add to the sense of looking up at this that starts with your perspective. And I think the flower isolated against the sky could be quite visually appealing. Posted: 07/17/2026 18:44:52
Of course, for me, I much prefer the color version. I like the perspective of looking up on the hill. Your color editing is good and I like Mike's suggestion of getting rid of the dark blue spot in the sky. I cropped it out as well a some extra grass on the side. I also felt that lightening up the soil and gravel foundation would also enhance the image. I also flipped the image horizontally to make the eye flow easier as the flowers now slant left to right. Your thoughts on cropping and lightening? Posted: 07/18/2026 19:54:23