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Posted on 18/10/12 10:43:49 PM |
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joeysala
Perfect Palmist Posts: 604 Reply  |
Re: Challenge 424: Royalty free photo
Royal stretch-limo mini-van  _________________ "Imagination, not invention, is the supreme master of art........" Joseph Conrad |
Posted on 19/10/12 08:12:41 AM |
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Steve Caplin
Administrator Posts: 7052 Reply  |
Re: Challenge 424: Royalty free photo
A very clever entry from Jeepy began this week's proceedings, with a play on words that works both in English and in French: the break-up of politicians François Hollande and Segolene Royal, combining to match the Royal Dutch theme. Not just a great idea, but a clever image - although I wonder how she can be sitting in order to wave out of the front window like that. A neatly extended car from Garfield72, complete with crest, flag and a grinning bunch of royals inside. Again, though, how could they sit like that in a car? And shouldn't they have a chauffeur? A complex piece from Sjef, with the Queen Mother surrounded by her grandchildren while other members of her family drive around in the background. I like the open-top version of the car! Not sure about the people lurking in the bushes, though, who seem both too big and too brightly lit. Great lights! A splendid carriage from sciteach, with plenty of gold filigree work and a nicely padded interior. I like the extras, like the gold wheels and the carriage lamps - and what a good choice of background image! The front wheel seems to be floating, though: move the shadow a little to the right? An animation from James shows the car extending backwards in stages, before being driven off - then back on again, in its original form. I like the subtle movements of the new driver: perhaps a touch of radial blur on the wheels when the car's moving? A different car entirely from Jota120, recoloured to look like ours (but I think the red tinted front window is a tint too far). I've always disliked both stretch limos and hummers, and to see them combined in a single vehicle seems to me the peak of vulgarity. A funny solution from tomiloi, with the carriage mounted on top of the original car - with a step ladder to get up there. The chauffeur is a good touch, as is the new background. But watch that rather dodgy mix of perspectives! I was both intrigued and baffled by tooquilos' still image, showing the car with a custom paint job in front of a rickety fence, bizarrely next to a statue of Anne Frank... until I saw the animated version, which makes it clear it's the queen's tour of notable Dutch objects. Clever! But did you run out of suitable backgrounds? A remarkable image from brewell, with the Dutch royals (where on earth did you find them in that pose?) imprisoned in a newly-made Popemobile, in front of the pontiff himself. Great shadows, a very fine effect - brilliant! I like Frank's combination of the extended car (actually, now a bus) with the red carpet leading into their palace - or, rather, leading to a side gate. A slightly small car compared to the large chauffeur, but I like his insolent slouch against the lamp post. Are there just too many seats, do you think? Don't they warrant a little more leg room? A great image from Deborah Morley, with the royals neatly inserted into the minimally extended car. Of course, it's the pose of the driver and, above all, the reflections that really make this one work so well. Splendid! Just add a little more decoration to the car and it will be perfect. A bit of fun from Mariner - do they really all wear orange T-shirts, do you think? A very neatly cut out water stream, and a splendid Dutch number plate! Great extra touches, like the open rear door and the dog - very good stuff. A different car entirely from Marlcliff, but there's no mistaking the royal at the wheel. Who are those curiously jaundiced people behind her, though? And where did the original car go? A well-extended car from joeysala, and the royals look great posing in front of it. A good placement of the crest on the side, too. But you do need to watch your perspective: the angle of view of the car doesn't match the background at all, which makes the car seem to be leaning towards us. I've drawn out the vanishing lines to show this. The vanishing lines from the car are shown in yellow on the left, those from the building are shown in green on the right. The two horizons they produce are shown in pink: 
You can see the problem - the two horizon lines are very much at odds with each other, which produces the awkward feeling. |
Posted on 19/10/12 09:07:33 AM |
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Mariner
Renaissance Mariner Posts: 3126 Reply  |
Challenge 424: Royalty free photo
Oops, upload failed. (deleted). |
Posted on 19/10/12 09:08:59 AM |
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Mariner
Renaissance Mariner Posts: 3126 Reply |
Challenge 424: Royalty free photo
Yes, at the Olympic Games 2012 
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Posted on 19/10/12 09:50:10 AM |
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brewell
Pixel Pentagrammarian Posts: 752 Reply  |
Re: Challenge 424: Royalty free photo
At the Olympics again. I made mirror images of their hands and with a tiny bit of liquify on their faces, their joy turns into terror.  _________________ Is it necessary? Does it work? |
Posted on 19/10/12 12:39:43 PM |
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Jeepy
Modeleur Mystique Posts: 174 Reply  |
Re: Challenge 424: Royalty free photo
Steve Caplin wrote : although I wonder how she can be sitting in order to wave out of the front window like that. Nothing surprises me with Madame Royal 
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Posted on 19/10/12 2:57:58 PM |
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Jota120
Ingenious Inventor Posts: 2615 Reply  |
Re: Challenge 424: Royalty free photo
Thanks again Steve, though sorry could not submit another entry with more detail. Yes I was wondering about the pink/red window after posting! I get surprised when I see the huge Hummers in Mall parking lots in US! They are great in war zones for which they were designed, but for shopping? Each to there own.... Trevor |
Posted on 21/10/12 00:57:58 AM |
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joeysala
Perfect Palmist Posts: 604 Reply |
Re: Challenge 424: Royalty free photo
Steve, you said: "the angle of view of the car doesn't match the background at all, which makes the car seem to be leaning towards us....I've drawn out the vanishing lines to show this." I knew that, and tried everything - EXCEPT the perspective, DUH - to correct it, then finally gave up. Here's the revised version. Better???  _________________ "Imagination, not invention, is the supreme master of art........" Joseph Conrad |
Posted on 21/10/12 03:55:44 AM |
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Sjef
Flying Dutchman Posts: 571 Reply  |
Re: Challenge 424: Royalty free photo
Hi Anna toouilos, I like your funny video. It's certainly not situated in our flat lowlands, but I whish we'd have this kind of living space. Nice car! Thanks Steve for your lesson in perspective (again). A great reminder. |
Posted on 21/10/12 11:14:30 AM |
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tooquilos
Wizard of Oz Posts: 2905 Reply  |
Re: Challenge 424: Royalty free photo
Thank you Steve and Sjef  _________________ Dorothy: "there's no place like home!" |
Posted on 22/10/12 08:50:45 AM |
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Steve Caplin
Administrator Posts: 7052 Reply |
Re: Challenge 424: Royalty free photo
Joey, There's still a problem. Look at the top of the car: we can just see the roof, which means our eyeline is very slightly higher than that. But when you look at the perspective of the background check out those pedestrians over on the right: their eyeline is our eyeline. That's where the horizon needs to be. The only solution, using this pair of images, would be to move the car right down so that the roof sits on this horizon line. If you can post your original background (I couldn't find it with Google) then I can show you what I mean. |
Posted on 23/10/12 01:14:24 AM |
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joeysala
Perfect Palmist Posts: 604 Reply |
Re: Challenge 424: Royalty free photo
Yes, a problem. Looks to me like the front of the van is about to take flight, or something. Ver frustrating. Here's the picture.  _________________ "Imagination, not invention, is the supreme master of art........" Joseph Conrad |
Posted on 23/10/12 08:08:02 AM |
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Steve Caplin
Administrator Posts: 7052 Reply |
Re: Challenge 424: Royalty free photo
Joey, It's all a matter of getting the eye lines to line up. It's a tricky choice of background for this car. But here's one way of getting it to work:  |
Posted on 23/10/12 08:16:42 AM |
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joeysala
Perfect Palmist Posts: 604 Reply |
Re: Challenge 424: Royalty free photo
I see. Thanks for this. I think I'll definately pay more attentiuon to background choices! _________________ "Imagination, not invention, is the supreme master of art........" Joseph Conrad |
Posted on 24/10/12 06:56:19 AM |
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Sjef
Flying Dutchman Posts: 571 Reply |
Re: Challenge 424: Royalty free photo
I'll never forget it now, Steve. It's the eyes! In this case there was originally too little ground. Thank you, I did read it in your books, but now it's 'burned in' to my mind. |
Posted on 24/10/12 07:39:31 AM |
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Steve Caplin
Administrator Posts: 7052 Reply |
Re: Challenge 424: Royalty free photo
It's such a simple trick, and it's obvious when you see it. But if you get it wrong it can make a whole montage look uncomfortable. Sometimes, of course, the photographer might be crouching, or sitting down, or leaning out of a window, and that would change the angle of view. But in this case, because we're looking flat across the top of the car, it's clear that the photographer (me, as it happens) was standing and holding the camera at regular eye level. |
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