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Posted on 10/08/08 6:05:57 PM |
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mguyer
Incisive Incisor Posts: 799 Reply  |
Depth of Field
I "cheated" on the the depth of field by blurring the duplicate top layer and using a mask of bring the rider and horse back into focus. Comments please.  |
Posted on 10/08/08 6:11:04 PM |
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Emad
* Posts: 11 Reply  |
Depth of Field
Good Job, I would darken the white shirts and spots in the BackGround
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Posted on 10/08/08 6:56:59 PM |
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Deborah Morley
Makeover Magician Posts: 1319 Reply  |
Re: Depth of Field
That is a great photo Marty, I really hope the horse threw him. Maybe blur the ground a little where it changes colour? |
Posted on 11/08/08 00:42:13 AM |
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mguyer
Incisive Incisor Posts: 799 Reply |
Re: Depth of Field
thanks for the input. I darkened the background and lightened the horse and rider.  |
Posted on 11/08/08 06:16:55 AM |
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vibeke
Kreative Kiwi Posts: 2166 Reply  |
Re: Depth of Field
A bit too much I think. Also try motion blur instead. |
Posted on 11/08/08 07:26:56 AM |
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Nick Curtain
Model Master Posts: 1768 Reply  |
Re: Depth of Field
Hi Marty Firstly, this is a cracking image with bags of interest and the horse and rider are very well positioned. In my opinion your first attempt was better than the later version. Creating depth of field would not necessarily alter exposure, so I would disagree that the background needs to be much darker. That said, it does help to distinguish the horse more clearly, so perhaps a lesser amount would work well. There is a danger that darkening the background will show up any weaknesses in the masking process. If you are looking for honest comment, then I would say that there are signs of masking and an example is by the tail, where there is a line of sharp focus showing the background detail. Also, if you are looking to create the effect that a 2.8 or faster lens would give you, then the plane of focus will apply equally to the foreground earth. This is not an easy subject because of the amount of detail in the horse hair, but if I was to approach this then:- - Extract the horse from its background and place him on a new layer. Try using the extract filter as a starting point and then clean up as appropriate. If extract struggles, then it's back to the good old pen and feathered selection. - Apply lens blur to a copy of the background layer and add a layer mask. Pick a soft edge brush and centre it on the rear hoof. The diameter should be just big enough to represent the plane of focus. Paint across the mask to reveal the sharp image below. Because the lens blur will have 'bled' the edges of the horse, you will need to cover these, so increase the size of the horse marginally using free transform. Hold Alt / Shift to constrain proportions from the centre. See how the horse blends and tidy up with a mask if needed. Finally, Vibeke's suggestion of motion blur is sound. I would try copying the resized horse layer and applying blur in the direction the horse's head / hoofs would be moving. Used selectively by masking can add great movement. I hope this helps Nick |
Posted on 11/08/08 3:31:01 PM |
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mguyer
Incisive Incisor Posts: 799 Reply |
Re: Depth of Field
thanks for all the input. |