Ok, I'll take the plunge (MC3)

divamum

Gahhhhh.............. So totally out of my depth. :huh:yikes:noob:hide

Struggling, to say the least!

Here's what I've come up with so far. I feel like I'm grasping at straws but... worth pursuing?

This was the best of the full moon shots I grabbed last week (yes, it really was that orange- was amazing!) and yesterday when I saw a friend's cat it occurred to me his eyes were almost the same colour. (Of course, none of the shots of him had BOTH eyes open, so I had to PS his right eye from a different shot making this complicated right from the get-go. Cats are really NOT cooperative subjects!!!!)

I'm hoping I can get a better star trail shot at some point this week - this is a first attempt at that which just isn't very good. And even that's complicated because we have oodles of light spill around here (plus I can't really leave the camera unattended plus it's been COLD!)
Whinewhinewhinepoormewhinewhine :tough:rofl:rofl

Anyway, thoughts? Work on this, or toss it and start from scratch? I can't even decide at this point whether to mask out his ears and leave just his face in the moon, or fade him more or make him more present or let him be more catlike an less opaque or....

Like I said at the top gaahhhhhhh.....:huh:rofl Help me out of my misery!

Velvet-Art

divamum wrote:

Gahhhhh.............. So totally out of my depth. yikeshide

Struggling, to say the %

Here's what I've come up with so far. I feel like I'm grasping at straws but... worth pursuing?

This was the best of the full moon shots I grabbed last week (yes, it really was that orange- was amazing!) and yesterday when I saw a friend's cat it occurred to me his eyes were almost the same colour. (Of course, none of the shots of him had BOTH eyes open, so I had to PS his right eye from a different shot making this complicated right from the get-go. Cats are really NOT cooperative subjects!!!!)

I'm hoping I can get a better star trail shot at some point this week - this is a first attempt at that which just isn't very good. And even that's complicated because we have oodles of light spill around here (plus I can't really leave the camera unattended plus it's been COLD!)
Whinewhinewhinepoormewhinewhine :toughrofl

Anyway, thoughts? Work on this, or toss it and start from scratch? I can't even decide at this point whether to mask out his ears and leave just his face in the moon, or fade him more or make him more present or let him be more catlike an less opaque or....

Like I said at the top gaahhhhhhh.....rofl Help me out of my misery!

I like the shot, but the lack of ears on the cat kinda freaks me out a bit.

I do love the color of the moon though, that is a lovely shot. Maybe you could add in some longer star trails from another shoot?

Congrats on getting through to the Mega Challenge.

Tim

Flyinggina

That is really creative!! (( expect no less!)

I think you need to do more work on it - maybe show less fur and more moon. It needs some punch despite the lovely colors. The picture overall looks a bit muddy, on my monitor at least. And there is a sort of flare at the top left that distracts.

The idea of getting star trails is good and may be possible with good weather coming and the absence of the bright moon. Or maybe adding an interesting horizon at the bottom Viewers need a context to realize they are looking at the moon (and not just a glass globe with a kitty face squished in it, for instance) in order to fully appreciate and enjoy the concept.

I really like where this is going.

Virginia

PS I just had a brainstorm - for a foreground you might add the cat bathed in (fake) moonlight looking up at the cat face in the moon.

See what a fun idea you have?

divamum

Velvet-Art wrote:

I like the shot, but the lack of ears on the cat kinda freaks me out a bit.

I do love the color of the moon though, that is a lovely shot. Maybe you could add in some longer star trails from another shoot?

Congrats on getting through to the Mega Challenge.

Tim

It's clear right now so if tonight doesn't cloud over, I'll brave the elements and have another crack at some trails. I just wish I could set it and leave it but, while our suburban neighbourhood is pretty safe by city standards I do NOT think I can just walk away and trust that it would be there in teh morning. Ah well - put on the parka! Brrrrrrr.... :oogle

divamum

Flyinggina wrote:

That is really creative!! (( expect no less!)

I think you need to do more work on it - maybe show less fur and more moon. It needs some punch despite the lovely colors. The picture overall looks a bit muddy, on my monitor at least. And there is a sort of flare at the top left that distracts.

The idea of getting star trails is good and may be possible with good weather coming and the absence of the bright moon. Or maybe adding an interesting horizon at the bottom Viewers need a context to realize they are looking at the moon (and not just a glass globe with a kitty face squished in it, for instance) in order to fully appreciate and enjoy the concept.

I really like where this is going.

Virginia

PS I just had a brainstorm - for a foreground you might add the cat bathed in (fake) moonlight looking up at the cat face in the moon.

See what a fun idea you have?

That flare is actually an low opacity ear

I like your PS idea - i just have to see if I can get any more pix of Fritz (he's not ours. He's also quite shy so it was amazing he stuck around for pictures as long as he did last night!). None of the ones I' got last night were full body shots, so we'll see.... ::muses::

I'll see if I can get any more star trails this week - somehow i feel that's the key to the whole thing (I may be completely wrong, of course, but heck - at least I'll have learned how to shoot star trails by the time it's all over. Or how to catch pneumonia )

Thanks folks - not sure if this one will play out in the end, but it's all I've got at the moment so I may as well see how far it goes!

divamum

Ughhhh... like clockwork the clouds rolled in at nightfall - not a chance for any more stars. But I was in Must. Shoot.Something. mode, so I did this instead.

Thoughts? I'm feeling very inept this round :cry


"After Lights Out"

Llywellyn

That's how I felt the last night of the full moon. I went out and looked up at a solid wall of clouds. :cry

I love the story of your second concept much better (but we all know I'm a sucker for story shots ). The nearly blown-out corner of the book pulls too much attention away from her face for me. I know some similar images were created in contests past, so I would browse the predecessors to ensure your take on the idea presents something new to really wow the judges.

For your first idea, take a gander at Zanotti's "brick" post over in the People foum. I think something like that could make the moon look really creepy-cool.

Best of luck!

richtersl

I like your second take much better. The cat in the moon was just OK but here you have a nice story line and good material to work with. I agree with Kerry's comment about the blown out corner of the book. I think the lighting on your daughter's face is quite nice. Another thought is to get a shot of her asleep...I'll let your creative mind do the rest. rofl

sweet caroline

I prefer the second shot. I've found my daughter's in that position on so many nights. Although I don't like them up past bedtime, there's something really sweet about having an avid reader. I also think the shot was nicely executed. The cat/moon looked like you were trying too hard and not quite getting there. It has potential, and you should definitely keep trying new and creative things, but your current area of strength seems to be in capturing people.

I was a little relieved that I didn't qualify for the mega challenge. But I did develop some cool ideas to try (now at my leisure since I don't have that deadline), and it pushed me to get out there a few nights ago and attempt a night shoot. I knew I'd be completely out of my league trying a landscape or moon shot, so I was prepared to go the people route.

Caroline

Karrie McD

The first shot is very cool but I have to "vote" for the 2nd shot. I like the realness of it.

divamum

Thanks everybody! I kinda like the 2nd idea too, although I thought it was perhaps a bit banal for this. That said, maybe perhaps better to do "simple" with at least minor competence than "complicated and over-my-head" really badly.... :D

Oh, and Linda - the shoot began with some "sleeping" shots:



I like the idea, but wasn't sold on the lighting/execution and couldn't figure out how to fix it

Back to the under-the-covers: I went and read up on LAB adjustment, so I think I got that bright patch at least toned down a little. Is this any better?

1.


And a couple of other treatments for it

2.



3.

richtersl

For lighting -- think along the lines of "low key". You've achieved that in #1 with regard to the lighing on your daughter. Don't care for the treatment in #2. I'd stay with straight color or the B&W.

You did get the bright patch toned down, but now I find myself looking at the white circle instead. Oy!

How about reshooting that one so the light is not facing the camera lens?

divamum

White circle as in the flashlight, or as in the circle of light under it?

And yeah, getting her to hold the pose so I knew where the flashlight was going to be and could situate the actual flash accordingly was the hard part...

richtersl

White circle, as in the flashlight itself.

Karrie McD

I like number 1. I like the color better than the black and white.

pyroPrints.com

2 is great

Grly

Another vote for #2 here. Great job!

JAG

I feel your stuggle as I stuggle with this theme too! I like the either 2 or 3 of the girl with the flashlight.

divamum

Thanks everybody. I'm hoping to try a reshoot of this later in the week and may have one more completely different idea to try (if the weather behaves on Friday) but at least y'all don't think this one is a complete waste of time. I know I'm not in the running for the prize against all these folks so that's not my concern, I just don't want to be out there as the "embarrassment" entry who got in by accident!!!!

Pass the wall, will you Joyce? :bash

Karrie McD

divamum wrote:

I just don't want to be out there as the "embarrassment" entry who got in by accident!!!!

That was me on MC2....it wasn't that bad... I just blocked it from my mind...

You'll do great... you always have wonderful work!!!

Flyinggina

divamum wrote:

I know I'm not in the running for the prize against all these folks so that's not my concern, I just don't want to be out there as the "embarrassment" entry who got in by accident!!!!

+1

I like both of your ideas a lot. I hope you will play with the kitty in the moon photo, even if not for this challenge.

Of the reading in bed one, #2 for me. I think you might want to try darkening the flashlight/page just a tad more so that the eye is drawn first to the face. Or do another take and reposition the flashlight so you don't have a bright round circle grabbing the eye first. Or enter it as is. Sometimes we over think these things! The photo radiates a homey, warm and fuzzy feel of childhood. Hard to argue with that.

Virginia

Tango

divamum wrote:

2.

this works with me but i am just one opinion....

divamum

"Stealth Reading: The Reshoot"

Still not 100% sold on this idea (I like it, but it still seems so... so... prosaic and banal for a MC), but i figured I'd better pursue this in case my idea for Friday night is rained/snowed/logistic-ed out of existence or simply doesn't work at all.

Here are three more variations on a theme - what do y'all think?

1.


2.


3a



3b


4a


4b

sherstone

#1 is my favorite of the last group... but needs some more "pop"??? (something anyway):D

Velvet-Art

#1 is the one for me too, the only niggle I have is the bright spot on the top of the right page, my eye keeps getting drawn to it.

For a bit of "pop", try usm 15%, 180radius, 0 on the others.

Tim

MikeK

OK, I'll be different. I like #2, it conveys more to me. The pages in #1 being that amount out of focus bothers me. Perhaps its because you can't see her face and thus there is nothing to 'focus' on myself. And the spot at top right from the real light source. In #2 the pages are out of focus, but it OK with me because her face is the primary focal point. I like the concept, keep with it!

richtersl

OMG!!! #1!!!!! Just crop the photo from the top to get rid of that bright spot.

I also agree about it needing a bit more "pop" though. Tim's USM suggestion was a good one. You can also try a USM setting of 20/50/0 to see how that works. More information on that and other ways to add some pop can be found here: http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/contrast-enhancement.shtml

divamum

Thanks guys. I realise now that I uploaded the wrong copy of #1 - I think that's the unedited, unprocessed file Which of course explains the flat look and the light ring at the top of the page! Talk about

Anyway, here are two different treatments of #1. Thoughts?





Btw, there is NO chance of a reshoot on this (I'd love the circle of light to be only on one page, for instnace). This shot required me to be straddling the child, both of us under the blanket and poor little thing got bumped by the camera a few times in the process - I've definitely used up her patience for this!!!!! She was a real trooper, I have to give it to her

Velvet-Art

divamum wrote:

Defo this one.

Tim

richtersl

Flyinggina

Me too. I like the color version best. This is a wonderful shot that really captures childhood. A keeper for sure, whether you enter it or not.

Still longing for the cat in the moon though. I can just hear my kitties purring "I told you so.....!!"


Virginia