ok, here i took a picture which is pretty awfull, i experimented with my lens.
Here it is after i edited it.
here is the workflow
Both pictures are on my flickr and can be downloaded.
Ctrl<>J copies the background
New Layer, Fill with white, Opacity 43%
Eraser brush, 14%, fairly large and soft. Erase the flower in the middle and a bit on the edge of the flower as well
Copy the white layer (layer 2)
This will put more haze onto it
Copy layer two, and again eraser brush, 14% soft and large brush
Go around the outside of the yellow flower and a bit of the right flower, leaving the edge intact.
Now
Shift<>Cntrl<>Alt<>E, will combine all layers without destroying all the other layers.
Filter/ Texture/ Texturizer, Chose Canvas. Scaling 60, Relief 4
Ctrl<>J , Copies the layer
Use the burn tool to darken around the edge of the flower a bit, as it is a bit to soft.
Mid tones, exposure 12%. Bring the opacity of the layer down a bit. I used 56%
Use the dodge tool, very large around 30%, Range midtones.
Ctrl<>J, copies layer….
Use the sponge tool on Saturate, soft brush and go over some of the patels to bring them out a bit, since it is a soft pic to begin with.
I also went a bit over the soft green of the leaves.
Now, the whole picture looks a bit boring and to soft
Move layer 1 to the top, and set blending mode to overlay.
You can play with the opacity to your liking.
I put mine to 73%.
Well, it looks pretty good actually.
This was just a fast job, as to give you an idea how to tackle it.
instead of the texture filter in photoshop, you can use a texture of your own as well, but that is another story i guess alltogether.
This was a soft picture to begin with. If you have a darker picture, you just have to play with the opacity and blending modes of the white layers.
Below is the picture of Photoshop with all its layers
