We need softness in the world. When you go to sleep at night, do you lay your head on a brick?

– Adrienne Posey

For this week’s challenge, our guest host, Bren, wants us to show how we soften our images. Bren is a master of this, and now we can learn how it works. ” You don’t have to stick to flowers, landscapes and architecture are also ideal subjects. By lowering the clarity and creating softness in those areas frames the subject in an image, be it a tree, path, bridge, even a door or house or just a dreamy looking image.”

I decided to try some different subjects, starting with a flower and finishing with a seascape.

My first try was a Nasturtium plant close-up –

Then some fluffiness against a rough wall – I guess the bee was collecting building material for his home.

My red camellia is in flower now. I love what the softening did in this image – it made the ”unreal” look of this flower more tempting and strikingly beautiful. The white camellia is in flower as well, but the softness did not work as well as in this one.

The blue colour of the chikory flower is unsurpassed, according to me.

A gallery from my forest walks and Hovdala Castle. Colourful tapestries and soft trees mimicking the clouds.

Golden beech leaves among the larch trees. A picture I was to throw away – until Bren’s challenge saved it for me!

The last tree standing. I made the layers of twigs, grass, forest and sky soft/clear in those sections.

Another gently woven tapestry with field, forest and sky. The colours really appealed to me, and the skies were great that day.

I didn’t believe this technique would work quite that well with a seascape – but I just had to try.

Thank you, Amy, for last week’s wonderful challenge with so many interesting interpretations! And thank you, Bren, for letting us play and learn – I hope you all had as much fun as I had. Now we are looking forward to seeing your responses to this week’s challenge! Please remember to link to Bren’s original post and use the Lens-Artists tag.

Next week it will be me, Ann-Christine/Leya who is your host. See you then!

For more information on joining the challenge each week, check here.