Soft Focus

[ShaneS]

While experimenting with up close filters and getting frustrated during my attempts to figure out depth of field I captured this shot. I like the lines in this composition and am presenting two versions, one with a more traditional edit where I find that the lack of DOF a bit troublesome/confusing.



The same edit with grain added. When I added the grain it was a revelation to me and a bit of an 'aha' moment where I thought that it improved upon the image. Or, did the grain just mask the existing imperfections?



So, two questions, do you have a preference for one of the images? If so, why?

Secondly, a more general question that I posed to Karm in a different thread? When is the use of grain or texture effective and why? I realize that this question is really a matter of personal preference and/or artistic choice but would love to hear both sides...

[KHarmon]

I prefer the first one myself. I like them both but the sharper focus and lack of grain in the first one makes the unique lines in the leaves easier to follow for me.