Crocus and repost

Hi Barb,

Very nice exposure with subtle details preserved in the bright areas of the image. Looks pretty good and I like how you used Lens Effects for the blurred parts of the BG................................Jim

Wow, beautiful subtle colors in these crocus Barb. Ditto on the nice job with the lens effect blurring on the bottom. 

Barb, the crocuses are lovely. Your selective blurring was a good idea, but you picked up some artifact with it around the base of the front crocus and the partial crocus on the right (the white halo). also, between the grass blade and the stem of the crocus is a spot which might should have been blurred.

Thank you for your comment, Phil.  I always get a halo like that when I blur. I've tried different methods of blurring, but the I always get the halo.  I don't know what to do about it.  Maybe clone it out? I agree about the space between the grass blade and the crocus.  I forgot to blur it.
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Barb, clone it out is an option, but tedious and prone to error, especially on a wide halo. Hopefully, you are using Photoshop. Here is how you eliminate haloing after a blur:

1. Select the subject (the crocuses and the leaf)
2. Use the refine edge tool to bring the subject to a separate layer. You now have the subject as the top layer with a transparent background.
3. Hold down the CTRL key and click on the top layer in the layers panel. This selects the subject on all layers
4. Click on the bottom layer and invert the selection. You now have everything but the subject selected on the bottom layer.
5. Apply your blur filter. There will be no edge halo. The added bonus now is that you can edit each layer separately (blurring, sharpening, hue, saturation, etc.).
6. When you are finished, flatten and save.

​Phil Hodgkins

Thanks for the suggestions, Phil.  I use PS Elements 13 and I think that has what I need to do what you suggested.

Here is a repost using the method suggested by Phil and also incorporating his suggestion to blur the area between the grass blade and the stem of the flower.  I think it's a definite improvement.

Hi  Barb  The repost is even  better  you captured  beautiful  color and light  to  present these delightful crocuses


Albert Darmo
Canada

This captures the effect of a crowd of crocuses beautifully, Barb.  I hadn't really noticed any problem with the original - the delightful jostling of the petals is what caught my eye so strongly.

Your repost rocks. Phil has a great eye. I hadn't even noticed his observations untill comparing the two images.