*challenge 24 - happysnappers
happysnapper
Registered Users Posts: 224 Major grins
happysnapper
Registered Users Posts: 224 Major grins
Comments
This is very cool. I love these rolls of hay. I'm not sure where they do this. I think I've only seen the rectangular bales around here. Anyway, it's a neat landscape.
Susan Appel Photography My Blog
help?
I actually like the first one. I think the high contrast color in the foreground is unusual and sort of "surreal" looking. It feels to me more stylized than just another hay field.
Here's an idea for the sky, if you're interested.
Nice work though!
Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
still learning...
No such thing as dummies!!
Here's how I did it. Email me if it's unclear. (There are multiple ways to do this, but I do it this way because I think it's most versatile and allows you to redo it altogether very easily if you don like the results.)
#1 Make an new empty layer.
#2 Switch to "quick mask" mode (press "q")
#3 Select the gradient tool ("g")
#4 Then, set the colors to default by pressing "d", i.e., black and foreground color, white as background color.
#4 Then, using the gradient tool, draw a gradient fade that was basically begins about half way between the horizon and the top of the sky. The line that you draw should be perpendicular to the horizon line--so that the resulting pink "fade" overlapps the horizon at the same angle as the horizon.
#5 Switch back to regular mode ("q") again, which causes the pink masked area to become the active selection.
#6 Click on the background color swatch on the tool palette, to pick a new background color. (I picked the dark blue color that is at the very top of resulting sky.)
#7 Then, just hit COMMAND+delete (mac) or CTRL+backspace (PC) to fill in the selection you have made with the color you have just selected.
#8 Since it overlapped the horizon, now you just need to use the eraser tool ("e") with a feathered brush to carefully erase away the parts of the new blue faded sky that overlap anything below the horizon line. This is the somewhat tedious part. Don't be afraid to use UNDO often.
#9 You can repeat the above steps until you get a sky that suits your taste. I had to try 3 or 4 times to get the fade just right.
#10 Once, you're happy with your results, just Merge the top layer (sky) with the bottom layer (original image) and save!
Hope this helps and isn't just more confusing!
thanks wxwax!
Yvette
did you get it into the challenge? what time is it over in NY at the moment? did you beat the deadline?
Kate
http://www.headintheclouds.smugmug.com/
www.headinthecloudsphotography.blogspot.com
Canon EOS 30D
Sigma 10-20
Canon 75-300 f4-5.6
Canon 18-55
Canon 50 f1.8
Canon 430EX
OK, I really should know this, and you have been very explicit in your directions. I copied this out, think it might be very useful for me. As usual a couple of terms could completely "undo" me. One of them being hit the "undo".
Where is the undo?
Also, how to YOU "merge"?
I have never heard of the undo, and I have never figured out the merge, paste, blend, etc. where they are and how to do it. I spent several hours last night working on a shot, it was the blending part that totally undid me, excuse the term.
(I think there could be a profit in a book of terms, as generally used by more experienced PS users. And I have lots of books, they assume I know these basics, I guess)
What I was trying to do last night was "paste", blend or whatever, different shades of a raw file. I got a dark and a light version on my screen, my book takes me to layer styles to blending options. Then it has me work with an arrow, I could not get it to work, and I could not find anything in another book. I had the light RAW image, and I had the darker one, I could not get them together. I had better luck just working with one RAW image and trying to get it to look better.
But I know I am going to really need this sometime.
Can you help another idiot?
ginger (Oh, not that anyone else is an idiot, but I really kind of got into this over my head without the basics.)
And Ginger, here you go
(I assume you're using Photoshop...if not, then I can't be much help...)
UNDO: There are two ways to "undo" something you've done. #1 Go up to "Edit>Undo..." This will reverse whatever the LAST thing you did was. #2 is to use the History palette ("Window>History") This keeps a running log of whatever you do in PS. However, depending on your preferences, it doesn't go on forever--it may only store the last 20 things you did for instance. The nice thing about this is that you can actually go back 5 or 6 or 15 steps if you need to. (beware though, if you are using a tool like eraser tool, every time you "click" with your mouse is a new entry into the history palette. So if you're clicking away with that tool, you will use up your 20 slots real quick. You can look under "history" in the PS help files for more info.)
MERGE: Here's a basic explanation of the idea of merging layers.
For what you're trying to do with blending two different exposures, this is a pretty good little tutorial on that.
hope this helps a bit! And NO, you're not an idiot!
And thanks for the compliment. There is a lot of good stuff being done right now, IMHO. Including, and especially, Yvette's haystack. I have been trying to remember, but I could swear that when I lived in the Piedmont (middle, upper) area of South Carolina, the haystacks were rolled like that. I kind of remember thinking of photographing them. I really like this photo of them, Yvette's, shows off the scale and yet is a landscape. (Nice sky, too.:D )
ginger
I know what you mean about those haystacks. They always seem so "old world" to me. Very photogenic.
(As an aside, Ginger, when I first saw your landscape shot that you entered, I immediately KNEW you were from South Carolina. I've been to Charleston a couple of times. And those bayou's are unmistakable!)
I did manage to get it in the challenge Kate.. thanks for all your advise re: at work yesterday...
I love these haystack rolls too, they are a clear reminder that summer is upon us here in Australia (even if the weather does't indicate its summer!!)
Yvette
I'm not posting this photo because it's the greatest -- just wanted to show you that Northern California has these roles of hay also. I was surprised to see this last May... had never seen hay rolled up like this. An apology if this message and photo don't come across appropriately--am new to internet forums. -beth
Welcome to dgrin... its great to have you here...
Thanks for posting your photo of the hay stack, its good to see what the 'simple things in life' look like from different parts of the world.
You can post your photos in threads that have already been started (once you get to look around a bit more, you'll see that its done alot)...
You'll get the hang of dgrin in no time.... I look forward to seeing some more of your images.
Cheers
Yvette