2015 HD Deep Dive 7

This is the original.

Nathan

It looks natural to me, Nathan, except for the green color of the stem and bg, which looks looks somewhat unnatural (but it even looks a little "minty" green in the original). Going back and forth between the two versions, I prefer the "dehazed" version except for the bg green color which draws attention. I like the comp including the yellow leaves at the bottom and the pof/dof management.  

Nathan, I like the original better. The FG green is a little too strong for me in the "dehaze" one.

Nathan, I occasionally use the dehaze tool. Taking it to the right like this too far gives a definite color shift. My thoughts are to use it, if at all, very gingerly. Adobe touts it as this great new tool, but it is very easy to go over the top with it, either adding haze or reducing it. I think a good indication of how far you want to go is to keep a close eye on the color shifts. Speaking to your image specifically, the softness is one of the good features of this image. However, if you wanted to dehaze just the center of the flower, that might be worth trying. BUT— if it ain't broke, don't fix it!

Nathan: I do prefer the unmanipulated original. The stronger green in the FG and the more defined yellow petals pulled my eye even in the thumbnail. I agree with Phil regarding the dehaze filter. It can be very useful and is certainly innovative but IMO too easy to overuse. >=))>

Thanks for the honest thoughts everyone!  I certainly appreciate them!

Nathan

A very interesting perspective, Nathan, which works best for me in the original version ( I prefer the less vibrant colour ).  The comp gives a sense of real depth with a dynamic play in the fg which I am growing to appreciate.

It still looks natural as the vital center of the Osteospermum is often so beautiful. I love the selective focus but I like less the petals of the second flower that does not seem to add anything at the image, for me of course.

I prefer the original without the "dehaze" filter, Nathan.  While it looks natural enough with the filter, the bright blue-green band is just too much for my taste.