Same for me...second one is really nice!! how did you get this effect? Eleanor
Eleanor, I essentially do this one of three ways. I take two images and sandwich them, creating a composite. One image in focus, the other out of focus to taste (experiment), each about half the exposure. The second way is to create a duplicate image and apply Gausian blur and adjust to taste. I conciously take one or two overexposed images if I feel the subject warrants it. It works with properly exposed images, but it is harder to do and becomes subject to artifacts and banding if manipulated too much. The third way is do a double or triple exposure, essentially doing the same as in first technique. You have to experiment and it works best avoiding black or white areas of sky and using overcast lighting with soft or no shadows. I include two samples. Note one is a simple in-camera double exposure, which is a more subtle look. You can increase the out of focus exposure if you want a more pronounced softness. And the second is composite of a double and straight shot, which exaggerates the effects. I like the dreamy look. You can do the same with Gausian blur. And you can correct the colours if you wish.
BTW, had a look at your site, some intertesting work there. I like the Painted trees series. I have some examples on my site as well. Will have to check out your site more.
JMR -
http://lusalight.smugmug.com/
