Our PS lesson today focused again on layer masks and how to use the gradient too to soften the merging of two images. Junko and I used totally different base images for the work but the tool was quite handy in each case. Here you can see I merged the main owl figure with one of him (or her or her pal - can't tell for sure) flying away. I tried to line them up so that the eye line takes us from the main owl to the one flying. Obviously not taken in Chicago, but from July when on Beaver Island.
I love the owl portrait -- so fabulous -- and I like how you desaturated the area around the flying owl like it's a dream-thought bubble! This has been a very interesting lesson and I see the possibilities. I'd really like to practice this one again with other photos.
PS I just planted two Amaryllis, remembering how much fun we had last year growing ours! I shall start photographing them soon......made me think of you.
Well done. I almost missed the owl flying away I was so taken with studying the details of the one resting on the branch. I think that I would better understand what you have done by seeing a before image.
@randystreat Thanks, Kathy. It was basically just the two images, one of the owl that is now the main one, and an equally sized image of the owl flying away. I basically shrunk the one flying away to fit into the upper corner and softened all the edges once I'd make away what I didn't want from the flying owl image.
@jgpittenger That's so exciting! @jyokota and I are about 30% through it. I think you will catch up (the lessons we've done I suspect will be pretty introductory for you so you'll go through them more quickly). Maybe we could figure out a way to zoom, share screen now and then as we work on what we've been learning with our own images. There has to be a way to do this that wouldn't overwhelm us technically. Included Junko on this. We can switch to email if we think it something we want to do. We were just saying tonight we are total slugs -- this would be fun!
@jgpittenger@taffy -- yay! A fun group practice. Taffy and I have found that the course itself is taught in a way that is really straightforward. It would be ideal if we watched it all the way through each time and then tried to follow along but we can;'t help ourselves so we try to follow along the first time through and end up pausing and repeating and pausing and repeating. I think it would drive everyone crazy if we tried to do that part as a group. But what would be GREAT practice is if we pace ourselves at similar rate, and then do practice sessions together. When you listen to Matt explain it, you realize what kind of photos you need to find from your own files to practice on and then try to do the steps from what you remember. That's what I find I need much more practice on and motivation to do it would increase if I had appointments with friends to do it. YAY! This will be fun!
PS I just planted two Amaryllis, remembering how much fun we had last year growing ours! I shall start photographing them soon......made me think of you.