Photographing Flowers: Flower Edge Effects in Photoshop

Playing with layer order, blending modes and opacities, and edge effects in Photoshop can turn your flower photos into works of art.

Blending modes such as Multiply, Screen and Lighten in differing opacities have been used to achieve the effects on the following pictures. Edges are enhanced using Filter/Artistic/Poster Edges and Filter/Blur/Smart Blur.

The pink-orange rose image, above, was duplicated, stretched and enlarged to form the background. A duplicate of the original smaller size was dragged to the top of the Layers Palette, and the Poster Edges and Smart Blur edges were applied. Then Blending Modes in the Layers Palette were added to nearly every layer, and opacity of each layer was adjusted.

A sea of translucent daffodils. Poster Edges were applied to several layers and Smart Blur edges to the top layer.

Ballerina roses are enhanced using Poster Edges, then stretched into more layers, with added inverted Smart Blur edges on the top layer.

To get this sort of effect, follow the instructions outlined below:

Open a picture in Photoshop. Unlock the layer by clicking on the "Background" in the layers palette. Rename "original" in New Layer Properties box

Duplicate the original layer CTRL+J. Use the Blending Mode drop down in the Layers Palette and choose Multiply.

Adjust the Opacity to 60% in the Layers Palette.

Duplicate this layer CTRL+J. Go to Filter/Artistic/Poster Edges.

I used these settings: Edge Thickness=1, Edge Intensity=1, Posterization=2. Click OK to apply.

Set the Blending Mode of this layer to Screen and the opacity to 60%.

Go to Free Transform CTRL+T. This will set a bounding box around your picture. You may want to zoom out to give yourself more room. Now use the corners to stretch this layer much larger than the original layer. You can move the layer around by using the Move Arrow in your Tools Palette until you have the layer where you want it. Now hit Enter to apply the Free Transform.

Set the blending mode to Lighten and the opacity to 100%.

Duplicate the last layer CTRL+J. Set the Blending Mode to Screen and the opacity to 45%.

Duplicate the last layer CTRL+J. Keep the same settings.

Duplicate the last layer CTRL+J. Go toFilter/Blur/Smart Blur.
I used these settings: Radius=3, Threshold=25, Quality=High, Mode=Edge Only

Invert this layer by going to Image/Adjustment/Invert

Your picture should look something like this. If you want more or less edges, go to CTRL+L Levels and slide the slider left or right for the effect you want.

Change the Blend Mode of this top layer to Multiply with an opacity of about 20-25%. You can add another layer on the bottom and fill it with black (ALT+Backspace) if it adds to the effect.