How to Cheat in Photoshop

» Forum Index » The Friday Challenge » Topic: Challenge 547: The Marseille Mirror

Posted on 16/03/15 12:53:05 PM

GKB
Magical Montagist
Posts: 4005

Reply

Re: Challenge 547: The Marseille Mirror

This rather makes me think of the saying "The impossible we do immediately; miracles take a little longer".

_________________
If at first you don't succeed then skydiving is not for you.

Posted on 16/03/15 4:20:04 PM

srawland
Pixel Perfectionist
Posts: 885

Reply

Re: Challenge 547: The Marseille Mirror

DavidMac wrote:

james wrote:
David. An over hasty observation, I was confused by the expanse of white above the reflected buildings. It didn't occur to me that the roadways might also reflect.

Yes all that off white in the reflection is roadway. In Steve's picture, because he has exposed for under the canopy, the roadways are burned out and have become featureless clipped white. This works OK on the ground but is very bizarre in the reflection.

I can confess immediately that the reflections in my picture are completely wrong - especially at the rear. I have cheated. In reality the mirror would be reflecting lower down on the buildings in the background than I have done. Simply flipping the background on itself along the mirror's outer edge, as I have done, gives an obvious symmetry that says "mirror" to the viewer - but it is technically completely incorrect.

The real situation is thus:

NERDY SPOILER ALERT!! !! !! !! May be injurious to peace of mind.

Untitled by davidmac1943, on Flickr

The building at the mirrors edge is reflected at a quite different height on the building to the direct sightline. Not only this but the direct view of the buildings at the mirrors edge is from below looking up and the reflection at the same edge is a view from above looking down. This is, of course, most obvious on the van in foreground whose reflected view is very much from above.

What's more, this shift of viewpoint and parallax is a constantly changing relationship depending on the distance of both the background and the photographer from the mirror's edge!!

Not putting you off am I .... ?

I put me off ........

Thank you, David for your explanation. I must admit when I first saw what was to be our challenge this week my first thought was "You b@#$%^d!" I did go out and look for images of the sculpture to see how the reflections looked and I knew your portrayal was off, but I couldn't say why. Now I know. Thank you again for posting this. It's of immense help.

_________________
I'm still learning.

Posted on 17/03/15 00:08:23 AM

Jota120
Ingenious Inventor
Posts: 2615

Reply

Re: Challenge 547: The Marseille Mirror

The question came up whether this was "parallel or inclined to the ground". My mind was thinking at the same time if the mirror was flat, concave or convex. Now i seem to have got carried away, especially with the reflections!! Oops, if have time may try a "more on brief" entry later, as others have been able to do, but I might drift again

Posted on 17/03/15 06:10:53 AM

tooquilos
Wizard of Oz
Posts: 2898

Reply

Re: Challenge 547: The Marseille Mirror

What an amazing mind you must have David! Ive tried to understand the physics behind it but just cant get my head around it. Ive even tried replicating the scene with a small mirror here at home. So Ive added to your diagram to demonstrate where I’m at - at the moment

_________________
Wicked Witch of the West:I'll get you, my pretty!
And your little dog, too!

Posted on 17/03/15 10:26:36 AM

GKB
Magical Montagist
Posts: 4005

Reply

Re: Challenge 547: The Marseille Mirror

tooquilos wrote:
What an amazing mind you must have David! Ive tried to understand the physics behind it but just cant get my head around it. Ive even tried replicating the scene with a small mirror here at home. So Ive added to your diagram to demonstrate where I’m at - at the moment

_________________

Posted on 17/03/15 1:06:26 PM

josephine harvatt
Gag Gadgeteer
Posts: 2603

Reply

Re: Challenge 547: The Marseille Mirror

Hahahahahahaha!
That gave me a much needed laugh this morning

_________________
I'm not really bad - I just draw that way

Posted on 17/03/15 3:39:37 PM

DavidMac
Director of Photoshop
Posts: 5675

Reply

Re: Challenge 547: The Marseille Mirror

tooquilos wrote:
So Ive added to your diagram to demonstrate where I’m at - at the moment

LOL!!

_________________
The subtlety and conviction of any Photoshop effect is invariably inversely proportional to the number of knobs on it .......

Posted on 17/03/15 3:55:50 PM

srawland
Pixel Perfectionist
Posts: 885

Reply

Re: Challenge 547: The Marseille Mirror

Once David posted this I do understand the physics of it but, I'm right up there beside you banging my head.

_________________
I'm still learning.

Posted on 17/03/15 7:06:20 PM

james
Surreal Spoofer
Posts: 1194

Reply

Re: Challenge 547: The Marseille Mirror

I submit this at the risk of being accused of plagiarism, in truth it's all my own nonsense.

Posted on 18/03/15 04:29:39 AM

srawland
Pixel Perfectionist
Posts: 885

Reply

Re: Challenge 547: The Marseille Mirror

I have made an attempt which even David's man on a galloping horse would know wasn't real. I couldn't figure out how not to make the fins inflate along with the rest of the fish. And that's the least of the defects here. I can only hope I get points for trying.

_________________
I'm still learning.

Posted on 18/03/15 04:33:00 AM

srawland
Pixel Perfectionist
Posts: 885

Reply

Re: Challenge 547: The Marseille Mirror

To partially redeem myself here is just the fish. Like a stole made out of the skins of martens, there are two fish here. Also, I must be getting old because this model looks like a child to me.

The latest in Haute Couture: The monkfish stole

_________________
I'm still learning.

Posted on 18/03/15 10:54:14 AM

DavidMac
Director of Photoshop
Posts: 5675

Reply

Re: Challenge 547: The Marseille Mirror

james wrote:
I submit this at the risk of being accused of plagiarism, in truth it's all my own nonsense.

Since any literal minded solution for this challenge has, by definition, to at least resemble any other, plagiarism is not plagiarism - it's unavoidable inevitable similarity. In fact the more similar the images the higher the chance of us maybe being somewhere vaguely on the right track.

What I find interesting ( spelt r - e - a - s - s - u - r - i - n - g) is that you have made exactly the same mistake (or deliberate cheat

) at the mirror's edge as I have.

_________________
The subtlety and conviction of any Photoshop effect is invariably inversely proportional to the number of knobs on it .......

Posted on 18/03/15 10:59:39 AM

DavidMac
Director of Photoshop
Posts: 5675

Reply

Re: Challenge 547: The Marseille Mirror

srawland wrote:
The latest in Haute Couture: The monkfish stole

Great idea. In the best tradition of Fox stoles shouldn't it be gripping its tail in it's mouth?

When I was a little boy my great aunt Edith had one of those. It scared the wits out of me ..........

_________________
The subtlety and conviction of any Photoshop effect is invariably inversely proportional to the number of knobs on it .......

Posted on 18/03/15 9:13:19 PM

Ant Snell
Specular Specialist
Posts: 566

Reply