Angel (rated PG)

[jetrim]

I know this has been done to death, but I thought I'd take a crack at it while I had the free time. This is a composite of parts of 3 images, 2 have been posted on PR before. Is it working, or "not really"?

[draymorton]

Totally working. I have no idea how you did it, but it's fantastic.

[Anbesol]

I like the composition. There is a lot of artifacts and rough tonal graduations - which is probably just the compressed web image. The wings should be entirely opaque, I dont like seeing through the right wing. I think the soft edge masking could be more well done around the hair as well, particularly the clumps of white in her hair. I'd also like to see some more of the hair detail, as it looks just like a black chunk of hair. Right now the wings don't look like they are actually part of her body, it does look cut and pasted there. The sky also looks rather muted, I assume the sky is another layer and if so - I would increase the contrast a ton, and make the light beaming from the top a lot more glowing and bright.

[Greg McCary]

I think it is a good idea but I think maybe including her feet would have helped, or maybe that would have killed the illusion of flying. I also think you should fix the umm...Tan line.

[jetrim]

OK, taking everyone's comments under advisement, we'll try this again (sorry Greg, shoes were cut in half in the original, and I can't recall any prior depictions of angels in black stiletto's anyway) a little darker and more moody.

[draymorton]

Cool edit, but I like the sky and the jacob's ladder far better in the first. Other changes are good.

[Frog]

I like the edit better. The tan line(do angels wear short?) and her hair bothered me in the first and the absence of the tan line and the hair with better detail looks much better.
I wouldn't know where to begin for something like this.

[Greg McCary]

I agree the hair and tan line are much better but also agree with Dray the sky, mood and lighting works better in the first. Looks like a cross between Stairway to Heaven and Houses of the Holy.

[Anbesol]

Wow! Much better! I like the edit very much!

Could you try it with a hot white-bright sky too, maybe a glowing gold halo to top it all off ;).

Did you take the picture of the wings? What were they from?

*edit - also, could you post another one with less compression, possibly larger - there is a lot of artifacts and grain in there that sort of kills the look of the sky.

[tayl0124]

The wings look un-naturally high to me. (Like they could be natural anyways.)

[jetrim]

Anbesol,
The sky... the sky comes from a photo in the "late road home" thread in viewfinder. It IS grainy. it was taken with the S-2 at 70mph by sticking the camera out the window over my shoulder on my way home one night.

I have another pose of this subject laying down, facing the camera but looking down. That one may be a better candidate for the bright white - a "guardian angel" sort of thing.

The wings came from an Ibis (and were placed 2/3 up the back, so they're probably un-naturally low Shawn). Here's the original:

[jetrim]

Could you try it with a hot white-bright sky too, maybe a glowing gold halo to top it all off ;).

I think the heels are killing the effect...

[Didache]

I much prefer edit 2 which I think is wonderfully creative - more akin to digital art than photography per se (and I personally have no prejudice against that at all!)

I always look forward to your new images - you never know what you're going to get!

Cheers
Mike

[jetrim]

I much prefer edit 2 which I think is wonderfully creative - more akin to digital art than photography per se (and I personally have no prejudice against that at all!)

I do believe this falls squarely under "digital art" as each of the original images have had massive manipulations performed on them. (and I don't have any prejudice one way or the other, either)

I always look forward to your new images - you never know what you're going to get!

Cheers
Mike

Not sure if that's a compliment or not, but I'll try to stay optimistic :lol:
I've actually been wrestling with this question a lot lately. My lighting instructor has been a pro fashion/advertising shooter since the mid Sixties, and he is emphatic about survival being wholly dependent on developing a "personal style". I'm not sure I've found mine yet

[readingr]

Nice work, and `I particularly like that middle image looking into the light. Could be a good one for a Sympathy card.

Roger R.

[icicle]

You have some mad skills in photoshop.
I like the second and last one the best.

[xystren]

I think the heels are killing the effect...

Perhaps as an angel, but if you change direction to a succubus, you might have something.

[Anbesol]

Good Call! Definitely a good idea.

[jetrim]

That's an idea xystren, but I've only ever seen them illustrated with bat/dragon wings - the white is contradictory for sure!

[GB1]

Jet,

Chiming in here .. I think your work is quite creative and I would encourage you to continue it. I think the photograph can be only one aspect of the final image, and this proves it. There's post processing clean, creative additions, idea, .. and so on.

That said, I like the shot, but feel that her tan lines sort of bring it back down to Earth. I see that you basically eliminated them in the next post, but there is way too much distortion / visual evidence of digital work for my tastes .. it looks smeared/blurred and there are a lot of artifacts in the bright areas of the clouds. Can't have that ... as the catwoman used to say, it needs to be purr-fect, or at least very close to it. I would also drop the contrast because it's making the shot look a tad cartoonish.

The final post you did has potential -it sort of reminds me of a post or mural on a kid's room wall, minus the nudity of course (!). But there's too much contrast and she looks like it was copied and pasted into another shot. I am sure that others may disagree, but I think it can't be that obvious.

Anyway - despite the criticisms, I think they're very creative and a nice diversion from normal images.

G

[livin4lax09]

very cool, i like that second edit a lot. Surrealism is awesome.

[Himasoils]

Medication Aide Exam
generic levitra online Like many medications on the market, Levitra is associated with rare but serious side effects that cannot be ignored. http://noadweb.com/ - purchase levitra

[daq7]

I really love the marine feeling of the first, but the schematic quality of the second is really cool too.