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You're So Vane
You're So Vane
LizArtDesign


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Reflections Without Mirrors IV (Advanced Editing VII)
Camera: Canon PowerShot A610
Location: Meadowlark Gardens, Vienna, VA
Date: Feb 9, 2008
Aperture: f4.1
ISO: 100
Shutter: 1/500
Date Uploaded: Feb 9, 2008

This is my first submission after being introduced to the site through Terry (clubjuggle). We attended a photo expo together at Meadowlark Gardens and took a few shots for the "Reflections" challenge between lectures. This weathervane is on a gazebo overlooking the main pond at the Gardens.

I'm still shooting with a point-and-shoot, and using Photoshop 5.5. That said...

PP
-Open
-Crop
-Curves
-Magic wand to select sky; then Smart Blur to reduce noise (Thanks, Clubjuggle, for the suggestion!)
-Duplicate layer; Multiply, opacity slider to 25% (to darken sky and give a little more contrast)
-Add layer mask on the top layer; select window area and fill with black to mask
- Burn highlights on weathervane and reflection in bottom layer
- On bottom layer, slect sky area in window and smart blur to remove noise
- Clone out a few spots in the glass
- Flatten
- Sharpen
- Border
- Resize for DP Challenge

Thanks!

Statistics
Place: 110 out of 188
Avg (all users): 5.4757
Avg (commenters): 6.5000
Avg (participants): 5.3293
Avg (non-participants): 5.5922
Views since voting: 698
Views during voting: 297
Votes: 185
Comments: 4
Favorites: 0


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AuthorThread
02/21/2008 05:25:58 PM
Greetings from the Critique Club!

Hey Liz, welcome to DPC :)

I gave this image a 4 during voting, and, um... This is embarrassing. I marked it down by at least a point for bad spelling. And now I looked up 'vane' in a dictionary, and, ah, um, I see... I'm sorry!!! Probably would've been a 6 had I looked at it for a bit longer, and had I known what a weather vane is... lol I apologise.

As for the image - good focus, very nice and simple. The reflection is really good, and the subject is interesting. And the composition is great - very nice use of the rule of thirds!

Postprocesssing-wise, I think you've done a really good job. One thing I'd recommend playing with (just in general, as well as for this image) are soft light layers - if you use a low opacity soft brush, you can gently paint on all sorts of bits of light and shadow, it tends to make light in photos more interesting.

Anyway, great score for your first challenge! And I look forward to seeing what else you submit :)

Jelena
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/18/2008 03:05:35 AM
Perfect picture for the title. Rather difficult to make the skylights and cedar shakes harmonious but the limited colour palette seems to make it work; indeed the overall composition and framing make this sit quite well. (Thanks for sharing processing, and keep up the great work with the point and shoot).
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
02/12/2008 10:48:39 AM
Seems like this 'horizon' could be tilted to the right to level it up a bit... I really like the composition.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/11/2008 09:43:12 AM
Perfectly apt title!
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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