So I was thinking about what I wanted to do for this week's theme... and as much as I wanted to attempt star trails my car is currently broken AND it has been overcast skies every night :(. So I though I would superimpose a photo of the moon (taken about a week and a half ago) on a new picture of my eye and put in some stars. Out of this I learned that photoshop hates me .. haha. While creating the "stars" out of noise on a new layer; photoshop refused to keep my changes when I flattened the image. Finally I ended up painting the stars in with the paintbrush and hoping it turned out. This is my final product... not crazy with it, but not sure how to improve it either.
I should add that I was trying to achieve the feeling of a reflection of the night sky in someone view it.... any advice/comments would be appreciated!
I know nothing about Photoshop, so please take my suggestions with a grain of salt, but maybe a closer crop to put more emphasis on the eye? And also, maybe do a selective color on the eye (depending on the eye color) to make the move and stars "pop".
I downloaded this image from the 'net, it isn't mine. Looking at it, it looks like using the pupil for the reflection of the moon might be ideal. Also, it appears that the entire reflection is softened slightly. It doesn't appear as clear and crisp as the rest of the eye. I don't use Photoshop, so I don't know all the terms, but I imagine there must be a softening mode, a way to blend the sumperimposed image onto the original, things like that to make the moon a bit softer and without perfectly clean edges. I think what doesn't look right in yours, is it just looks like something sitting on top of the eye. It does make sense that the reflection of the moon would be in the pupil instead of the iris. I think the little star dots look good.
If this is the crop you wanted vs a closer one....I would leave a little more space at the top of the frame. Your eyelashes are almost touching the top of the frame and that is distracting, at least to me.
I feel like a smaller depth of field might help so that your eyeball is sharp, but your skin under your eye, eyebrow, etc. are blurred. Will help direct where you want your viewer to focus. As is, I find myself looking all around because everything is so crisp.
@mej2011@mikehamm@shadesofgrey@mabelkitty so attempted to edit this photo again this afternoon/evening. Once I cropped closer on the eye it kind of morphed on me and became a Peter Pan shot (my brain is a little odd.. I've learned to just go with it). Still not entirely happy but if you want to see what I did and let me know what you think I'm attaching a link to my flickr (since I can only post one photo a day on here). http://www.flickr.com/photos/eking1989/6859415615/in/photostream
ended up posting the new edit for today (I know its kind of cheating but I really can't think of what to shoot today and I spent waaaaaayyyy too long editing this one)
Couldn't figure out a way to make the moon feel "softer" without loosing the fact that is was a moon.
@eking2007 - pretty decent. Not sure the selective colorization was needed, but I think the reflection works better in the pupil. I wonder, if it were moved to the lower right "corner" of the pupil instead of upper left corner if it wouldn't work even better. Yeah I know, corners in a round object. LOL. And move your little cross star to upper left corner. Did you have to do some cloning as there appears to be something that doesn't look quite right in the upper left iris? I like this closer crop partly due to that you have a pretty eye.
@mikehamm I actually started out with the moon in the lower left "corner" of the pupil... it looked... odd, but that being said the star wasn't in there yet and therefore the star might have provided the counter balance needed. Yeah I needed to clone in some of iris on the left "corner" by the moon because the reflection of the light (used to actually light my eye) was in it... so that might be why it doesn't quite look right. Thank you! I personally think my eyes are my best feature! :)
Too me, I think this is just too fake and dodgy. Having the moon and a star reflected in your iris is kinda ordinary. How can you improve it? Uninstall Photoshop.
@bobfoto I understand your opinion about it appearing fake... but you don't have to be rude about it. Nobody is forcing you to answer these posts... so I recommend that you don't say anything if you can't give CONSTRUCTIVE criticism
Ok so by CONSTRUCTIVE, that means "something nice and sugary that reinforces what you are trying to achieve"?
I have looked at your profile pic which is this shot without much processing and this shot is superior to what you are trying to attempt here. You have great colour in your eye and your close-up shot, but turning it black and white, and then adding some selective colour and then adding a moon and then adding a star has meant you have turned a photograph in to a image.
This is no longer a shot taken by a photographer but now a shot manipulated by a graphic designer.
I apologise but if you didn't want my honest opinion, then don't ask me in a PUBLIC forum.
I like it and think it is creative. It is obvious to me that you were trying to have some fun with PS and I hope you did. PS has some amazingly fun features. I think the detail in your eyelashes and the overall composition is nice as well.
@bobfoto that was a much better critique... I don't mind getting a bad critique... but "delete photoshop" does not give me any room to improve or try again. All you had to say the first time is that the shot without the editing would have been better or basically anything you said in your second critique... do you get what I am saying
@heatherwilsonaz thank you... and that was my goal as I have done very little besides basic editing (white balance, contrast, etc) in photoshop
@eking2007 - I agree. Sorry Elizabeth. I am not a fan of photoshop and I prefer my photography as raw as it gets. There are so many fine artists on this site that will help you in your original question. I think you have made improvements in the changes just in this thread. Your final version (to date) is better then what you started with.
I will say that your eye in your profile pic is captivating.
@bobfoto thanks for your critique and I respect and understand your view on photoshop. Believe me I wish I could but sooc on all my photos. Just wanted to try something different. Thanks for your input!
@bobfoto I am so new to 365 Project and just have a small camera so I am not an expert. However while reading the comments and looking at the photo my thoughts were "when does it stop being a photo" You answered my question.
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/eking1989/6859415615/in/photostream
Couldn't figure out a way to make the moon feel "softer" without loosing the fact that is was a moon.
I like this edit MUCH better! The eye color makes the moon & stars stand out more.
I have looked at your profile pic which is this shot without much processing and this shot is superior to what you are trying to attempt here. You have great colour in your eye and your close-up shot, but turning it black and white, and then adding some selective colour and then adding a moon and then adding a star has meant you have turned a photograph in to a image.
This is no longer a shot taken by a photographer but now a shot manipulated by a graphic designer.
I apologise but if you didn't want my honest opinion, then don't ask me in a PUBLIC forum.
@heatherwilsonaz thank you... and that was my goal as I have done very little besides basic editing (white balance, contrast, etc) in photoshop
I will say that your eye in your profile pic is captivating.