Living-room flowers as an old-master still life

How it was made

1. 1

   Found the bouquet

   AI-selected the arrangement and vase, then cropped to a 4:5 portrait.

   2 tool calls

   1. Selected “subject” with AI· 26.1% of the photo

      select_with_ai · target subject

   2. Cropped the photo· to 3024 x 3780

      crop · height 3780 · left 0 · top 252 · width 3024
2. 2

   Built the old-master base

   Darkened everything but the flowers, fixed the yellow indoor cast on the flowers only, added contrast and petal color, and an off-center vignette like window light.

   7 tool calls

   1. Refined the selection

      modify_selection · channel Bouquet · op feather · output BouquetSoft · px 4

   2. Refined the selection

      modify_selection · channel BouquetSoft · op invert · output Backdrop

   3. Adjusted the color and light· Old-master dark

      add_adjustment · gamma 0.8 · mask Backdrop · out high 34 · type levels

   4. Adjusted the color and light· Neutral flowers

      add_adjustment · from kelvin 6500 · mask BouquetSoft · to kelvin 5100 · type color_temperature

   5. Adjusted the color and light· Flower contrast

      add_adjustment · mask BouquetSoft · points 5 points · type curves

   6. Adjusted the color and light· Petal color

      add_adjustment · mask BouquetSoft · type vibrance · vibrance 22

   7. Added an effect· Window light

      add_effect · center x 0.42 · center y 0.45 · gamma 1.6 · radius 1.45 · softness 1 · type vignette
3. 3

   Fixed the mask edge

   The AI mask left wall patches around the leaves. Tightening didn't fix it, so the shadow was pulled into the arrangement with a wide, soft edge.

   10 tool calls

   1. Refined the selection

      modify_selection · channel Bouquet · op contract · output BouquetTight · px 7

   2. Refined the selection

      modify_selection · channel BouquetTight · op feather · px 3

   3. Refined the selection

      modify_selection · channel BouquetTight · op invert · output Backdrop2

   4. Removed an adjustment

      manage_filters · op delete

   5. Adjusted the color and light· Old-master dark

      add_adjustment · gamma 0.8 · mask Backdrop2 · out high 34 · type levels

   6. Refined the selection

      modify_selection · channel Bouquet · op contract · output Core · px 60

   7. Refined the selection

      modify_selection · channel Core · op feather · px 45

   8. Refined the selection

      modify_selection · channel Core · op invert · output Backdrop3

   9. Removed an adjustment

      manage_filters · op delete

   10. Adjusted the color and light· Old-master dark

       add_adjustment · gamma 0.8 · mask Backdrop3 · out high 30 · type levels
4. 4

   Cleaned the whites

   A small magenta nudge in the petal highlights so the white roses read warm cream, not green.

   1 tool call

   1. Adjusted the color and light· Petal tint

      add_adjustment · magenta green -6 · mask BouquetSoft · range highlights · type color_balance
5. 5

   Two layers of darkness

   A gentle dim close to the bouquet and a strong fade further out, so the leaves came back without losing the dark frame.

   4 tool calls

   1. Refined the selection

      modify_selection · channel Bouquet · op expand · output Halo · px 120

   2. Refined the selection

      modify_selection · channel Halo · op feather · px 260

   3. Refined the selection

      modify_selection · channel Halo · op invert · output Far

   4. Adjusted the color and light· Far fade

      add_adjustment · gamma 0.8 · mask Far · out high 60 · out low 8 · type levels
6. 6

   More table, softer light

   A tabletop selection hollowed out under the vase and was dropped. A wider, softer light pool brought the cabinet top's wood grain back instead.

   9 tool calls

   1. Selected “object” with AI· 30.0% of the photo

      select_with_ai · box 0,1900,3024,3300 · target object

   2. Refined the selection

      modify_selection · channel Table · op contract · output TableCore · px 150

   3. Refined the selection

      modify_selection · channel Bouquet · op expand · output Halo2 · px 150

   4. Refined the selection

      modify_selection · channel TableCore · op contract · px 120

   5. Refined the selection

      modify_selection · channel Halo2 · op feather · px 450

   6. Refined the selection

      modify_selection · channel TableCore · op feather · px 350

   7. Refined the selection

      modify_selection · channel Halo2 · op invert · output Far2

   8. Removed an adjustment

      manage_filters · op delete

   9. Adjusted the color and light· Far fade

      add_adjustment · gamma 0.8 · mask Far2 · out high 55 · out low 8 · type levels

33 steps in one conversation with Claude.