#20--Time for a Little Catnap

slpollett

I took these yesterday but hadn't had a chance to look at them until today. I probably won't enter these (unless I get desperate at the last minute) since I noticed someone else working on the same idea, but I still like a little bit of c&c. I've never been happy with my b&w conversions (these included), so any advice you want to share would be appreciated.

I really wanted to catch my other cat sleeping (she has better markings than this one), but Cotton was the only 'cooperative' kitty to nap in a nicely lit area this weekend.

1. Relaxed


2.


Thanks,
Sherry

JAG

awww...number one is a cute pose! Our cat will lay like that sometimes. As for the image itself... a little bit of a vinette and maybe some more head room to the left would make for a stronger image.

pyroPrints.com

1 is best

Tylwydd

Agree with Pyro : #1 works the best !

slpollett

Thank you JAG, Pyro, & Tylwydd for the comments & suggestions.

I'm embarrassed to say that I don't know how to add a vignette. (At least I know what a vignette IS...I just don't know how to do it.) I have found a couple of tutorials to watch so I can hopefully figure out how to give it a try. I think these challenges are designed to get us to learn something new anyway!! I do have another idea to try if I get a chance this week (and if my daughter is a willing model for me). It looks like there might be a bunch of cute kitty cat entries this time, so I'd really like to get something different if I can (even though I totally love all the kitty pics).

Thanks again,
Sherry

richtersl

Vignettes
Just download one of the vignette actions on the list on this page:

http://www.atncentral.com/download.htm#frames_mattes

This should help.

And I agree that the #1 kitty pic works the best.

Tentacion

Like the tones on 1, but love the expression on 2.

slpollett

Thanks Linda for the link and thanks Tentacion for the comment.

I have a couple of other shots from the same 'cat nap' that are just slightly different from the two I posted. One of them has more room left of the kitty's head, so I can try JAG's suggestion. I didn't use that one the first time because arm of the chair is wood and it was a distraction to me. If I can use that link and figure out how to get that vignette added to darken that area, it might just work out!

Stay tuned....

Sherry

jeffmeyers

Yeah, #1 is pretty relaxed alright! I like it.

jeffmeyers

Well, you can also just paint around the cat with a black brush set at zero hardness and 5% opacity until you get what you like.

300m

cute shots. remids me of my two that do those poses

slpollett

jeffmeyers wrote:

Well, you can also just paint around the cat with a black brush set at zero hardness and 5% opacity until you get what you like.

Hey...thanks!! I had actually tried to do just that earlier but I used 25% hardness and 50% opacity. I didn't like how it turned out, so I appreciate the suggestion to use 0 & 5.

Thanks also to 300m for the comment.

Here's the pic using Jeff's suggestion:


I'm not sure I went far enough?? The first one I tried was definitely too much. It's below.



I guess I need to get somewhere in the middle? I know I need to keep working on this.

Here's the other shot I had from this group.
Using Jeff's suggested settings for the brush:



As always, I surely do appreciate everyone's c&c.

Sherry

The Curious Camel

cute cat. I like the first pose originally but I think you need more of a vignette around her/him.

300m

Sherry the latter one is better. You can also control how this looks by doing it on a layer by itself, as you should. Then change the opacity of that layer and lower to taste

pyry

slpollett wrote:

Hey...thanks!! I had actually tried to do just that earlier but I used 25% hardness and 50% opacity. I didn't like how it turned out, so I appreciate the suggestion to use 0 & 5.

The first with a vignette would be my choice, but you're using way too small a brush. I would try a higher opacity (20-30 sorta and work from there, keep hardness at zero), and then select a brush that's twice wider than the vignette needed. Paint on the edge of the image so that half of the black fill falls outside - this way you get a smooth gradient where you need it with just a touch or two.

And do the brushing onto its own layer of course.

travelways

I like #1 too and I was also thinking about darkening a little the background around the cat to make her
head/expression more in focus.

* Thank you Linda for the useful link - I only knew how to do those vignettes in LR
(This is because I don't like them, however sometimes they can be useful)