Cathy
There were three main steps in the pictures shown. The first was to get
the original image as good as possible. Position of camera, focal
length of lens, control of light etc etc.
The second was to 'clean up' the image. Trim of picture, remove
imperfections on flowers and leaves, correct colour balance and
contrast, brightness etc. I likened this process to a portrait. If a
guy has a transcient blemish - such as a cut whilst shaving - then I
would remove it making a more flattering portrait, be it man or flower.
Thirdly, as you correctly surmise, the second, and more noticeably the
third, of the pictures I showed had been manipulated further to give
more interest in the image. As such, they were more suitable for
hanging as they were not just 'in your face' pictures but had restful
subtleties to give more interest and lasting appeal. There are an
infinite number of styles you can produce to suit your artistic taste.
Do you like the style of Seurat, Rembrandt, Turner - even Picasso ?!
Or, maybe, just a charcoal sketch? Programmes such as Photoshop can
lead you all these ways and a million more.
Whether you stop at stage one, two or three will depend upon your
requirement for the image and, to some extent, your increasing abilities.
Hope this helps.
Have fun.
Ian
England - getting ready for the next frrrreeze, starting tonight.