WATER
by Bear_Music

Comment:

Originally posted by roz: i'd really like to know how you got this fantastic look .. plug-in/filter ? .. wot ? ..:)

The first level of it is in the RAW processing, where in the saturation field I amp *up* saturation, and take *out* clarity by moving that slider way left; vibrance is left in the middle. -80, 0, +88 are the settings. This looks like junk. Amp up contrast in RAW processor but watch for artifacts. Balance the image unnaturally flat with recovery and fill. Watch for artifacts.

Export that piece of junk (horrible looking image, truly) to CS3, then make a copy of the base layer and open Topaz Detail; Use "creative detail accent" as a starting point, use the tone sliders to work the colors where you want them, use brightness slider as needed, and process.

Dupe THAT layer and open Topaz Simplify: use the "image crispedge" setting, then dial in simplify size of around 6 or 8, and set "edge type" to "color line" and "edge strength" to around 6 or 8. Play with saturation and saturation boost to suit.

Sharpen the whole thing aggressively with adamus sharpening.

The workflow basically is to produce a soft, fuzzy, malleable, flat image in ACR then use Topaz to bring back edges and simplify masses...

Leap to the Sun
by tome

Comment:
OOOO-la! Brilliantly captured.

Sunshine & Dirt
by Kelli

Comment:
Oh dear; the picture has intense, big-eye charm, but haven't you sort of negated it with the strange, plasticy surface the filter is laying on things? Still, it's good to experiment. You kept the untouched original, right? (wink)

8-oct 2010 anything goes. sad
by roz

Comment:
Sorry to hear of the (inevitable) passing, Roz. The image, however, is memorable. There is an almost awful poignance in Katee's pose, the placement of her paw *just so*, and a determined resignation in Sasha's affect. That Ali is in shadow, and wearing shades, that she is merging into the background of this scene, speaks it all.

Oct 11 - Mighty chocolate pie
by hajeka

Comment:
Looks like more of a cake than a pie, but delicious regardless :-)

-ONIONS-
by sfalice

Comment:
This is peculiar, Very old-modern-school looking; reeks of 1930's or something. You're a fun dame to follow...

reD cAR
by daisydavid

Comment:
Yes, it's red. And pink. Unquestionably a "she". She's sexy, dontcha' think? Wink.

cloud-maker
by sceneit

Comment:
For me, this one's a bit less successful than the bridge shot, but there's an appealing tactile quality to it.

Bridge
by sceneit

Comment:
That's a real nice piece of work; very Hopperesque, to me.

Idealized
by apergament

Comment:
Greetings from Critique Club

I pretty well understand what you were after here, the sense of misty, otherworldly enchantment of a pasture in the early light. I applaud your ingenuity in experimenting with the filter. And the image definitely meets the challenge, "Country Life".

The image as a whole, however, falls a little flat. Literally. There's no sense of luminosity, and what mostly works well with misty scenes is that sense of inner luminosity, that eerie, glowing light. So it was a good experiment, but in the end it didn't transcend, as it were.

Some other reasons why:

1: the composition is pretty static; one of the nice things about mist pictures is that they encourage a journey, visually, into the mist usually, and the very, very strong foreground anchoring of the horse precludes such a journey, there's no BG glow or light to pulse us deeper.

2: it's unfortunate that the horse's back is tangent to the fence line; crouching just a bit to make the shot would have solved this.

So, overall it's a pleasing shot but in the end it's nothing more than that, no wow factor, no sense of involvement or mystery.

R.

ETA: FWIW, I happen to have a mist shot with softness and sharpness, mist and luminosity, foreground and depth, all integrated reasonably well, if you wish to look: it's #4 in my portfolio. I have almost never pulled off a really nice mist shot, it is hard.