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Posted on 22/07/05 08:35:34 AM
Steve Caplin
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[Poll] Contest 55: Free the gargoyles
Maiden's provided us with some interesting images this week, and it seems to me there's a great Challenge here. Your task: to take her gargoyles and release them into the wild. The catch: you must use at least one of her other images as your backdrop. She's even given you a clipping path for the gargoyles!

I know this is the second week in a row I've based a Friday Challenge on readers' entries, so here's a quick poll…



Poll: [Poll] Contest 55: Free the gargoyles

Isn't it great the way Steve responds to readers and customizes Challenges based on their submissions 100.00%
Steve's really lost the plot, he can't even come up with his own ideas any more 0.00%
Total amount of votes: 13


Posted on 22/07/05 09:55:25 AM
maiden
Golden Gif Gagster
Posts: 471

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Re: [Poll] Contest 55: Free the gargoyles
I don't think the burden of supplying photos for Challenges should rest solely upon your shoulders, Steve.

David is a fantastic photographer, as I'm sure several others of our membership are. It's only fair that we should all contribute to the pool of stock photography.
For those who don't have a website to host their photos there are several free options like Photobucket etc. but I'm sure I could temporarily host a few reasonable sized image for people if they ask me nicely

We should also have a Digital Photography Corner for people to show a few select 'snaps' for us to give feedback and advice upon, a sort of Digital Doctor's Surgery.

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Posted on 22/07/05 10:44:48 AM
trinityofone
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Re: [Poll] Contest 55: Free the gargoyles
I'm not sure fantastic is the word I'd use to describe my pictures but feel free to browse the (small) collection I have on Flickr. If there's something of use, let me know!



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Posted on 22/07/05 1:09:29 PM
trinityofone
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Re: [Poll] Contest 55: Free the gargoyles
Just doing a bit of occupational therapy (ref: skiving), probably not the best image but here it is anyway.





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Posted on 22/07/05 3:02:49 PM
mj
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Re: [Poll] Contest 55: Free the gargoyles
At 03:55:25 AM 22/07/05, maiden wrote:
I don't think the burden of supplying photos for Challenges should rest solely upon your shoulders, Steve.

David is a fantastic photographer, as I'm sure several others of our membership are. It's only fair that we should all contribute to the pool of stock photography.
For those who don't have a website to host their photos there are several free options like Photobucket etc. but I'm sure I could temporarily host a few reasonable sized image for people if they ask me nicely

We should also have a Digital Photography Corner for people to show a few select 'snaps' for us to give feedback and advice upon, a sort of Digital Doctor's Surgery.


You are absolutly correct Maiden, I have some photos at photobucket. Mabe not the best in the world but nonetheless they are available for use.

http://photobucket.com/albums/v478/MJLee/

I do request that any photo with a person in it NOT be used.


Check back often as I will post some of the older photos as I get time.


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Posted on 22/07/05 4:07:13 PM
mj
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Re: [Poll] Contest 55: Free the gargoyles
I have posted photo in album "Photos for Cheat" use any or all. Have fun.

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Posted on 22/07/05 4:19:04 PM
Steve Caplin
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Re: [Poll] Contest 55: Free the gargoyles
Great pics, MJ! We'll have to see if we can finish that house for you before the real thing is completed…

Posted on 22/07/05 4:53:19 PM
mj
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Re: [Poll] Contest 55: Free the gargoyles
Great Steve, I would love to see how it will look when completed. That would be fantastic challenge.
Thanks for the complement.

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Posted on 22/07/05 10:26:21 PM
trinityofone
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Re: [Poll] Contest 55: Free the gargoyles
As I suspected, the last effort was a little lame. Here's a (hopefully) better version!





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Posted on 23/07/05 08:49:35 AM
Atomicfog
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Re: [Poll] Contest 55: Free the gargoyles


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Posted on 23/07/05 09:12:45 AM
maiden
Golden Gif Gagster
Posts: 471

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Re: [Poll] Contest 55: Free the gargoyles
Atomic, nice image but did you realise that the barrel picture also contains a clipping path so that you could move the location of the barrels if you so wish, there also a clipping path on the other gargoyle picture if anybody wanted to include him too

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Posted on 23/07/05 3:35:44 PM
mj
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Re: [Poll] Contest 55: Free the gargoyles
Waiting for the tide.




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Posted on 23/07/05 5:58:48 PM
NW Rain
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Posts: 37

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Re: [Poll] Contest 55: Free the gargoyles




Posted on 23/07/05 9:05:40 PM
Atomicfog
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Posts: 238

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Re: [Poll] Contest 55: Free the gargoyles
Added a few small changes.






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Posted on 24/07/05 9:30:03 PM
uk2usadaz
Designer Dynamo
Posts: 70

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Re: [Poll] Contest 55: Free the gargoyles
Here's mine, thanks Maiden for the great photos.



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Posted on 27/07/05 5:43:29 PM
BobbyJo
Image Imaginator
Posts: 250

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Re: [Poll] Contest 55: Free the gargoyles
Ha Ha - excellent stuff I haven't been able to do it yet because my PC needed a rebuild after a ........ disaster but I'll have a try.

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Posted on 29/07/05 08:50:35 AM
Steve Caplin
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Posts: 6838

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Re: [Poll] Contest 55: Free the gargoyles
A great (and all too rare) entry from David Asch kicks things off this week, with a great placement of our gargoyles into the doorway. The second version is much improved: opening the hatch out over the stonework really helps the sense of perspective, the shading across the hatch is perfect, the guy inside is now leaning out of the window, and the shadow's now on the correct side of the sitting gargoyle. My only reservation here is that the hatch and the gargoyle are lit from the left, when the drainpipe shadow clearly shows the sun to be on the right. Could have flipped all the layers except the background!

Typically moody stuff from Atomicfog, with - as ever - more shadow than image. But there's a great relationship between the two gargoyles here - they seem to have just walked out of an argument, which is a great accomplishment for two lumps of carved granite. Bit of a shadow issue again with the guy on the floor - he's lit from the right, everything else from the left - and I'm not sure the strong shadows should cover the sky as well! But a fine, evocative piece.

As far as photorealism goes, I think MJ has got it spot on this week. The angles, the shading and the positioning are all perfect: I particularly like those extra touches, such as the shadows of the two gargoyles inside the boat. If I were to be picky (and you know I can't resist), I'd have added a touch of shading beneath the leaning arm of the front gargoyle, but this is really such a minor point it's barely worth mentioning. Fantastic work, MJ, this is one of your best yet.

Great to see NW Rain back after a bit of a break - and a really good montage job. The shadow of the large gargoyle not only looks convincing, it's also from exactly the right angle to match the lighting on the guy himself - well done there. I'd have shifted the section on the wall to the right by half a dozen pixels, to accentuate the fact that the sign sticks out from the wall. It's a simple technique, and one that can make a real difference. Here's a before and after:

The guy on the floor's shadow is a little awkward, but it's hard to pinpoint exactly why. Too soft around the edges, perhaps? But overall, it's great to see you've put so much thought into the shading.

There are always tricky decisions to make when you bust an image out of a frame, and one of the most important is: what do you do with the shadow? My preferred technique would be either to leave it on the image only, or on the image and the frame (but offset on the frame to give it some depth). uk2usadaz has run his shadow onto the background, which for me breaks the visual convention of the frame: what's he sitting on? Is he in the same plane as the frame? Is he leaning against it? Too many choices to make! I like the fogging technique around the edges, it brings an aged photograph feel to the image that's really striking. Blurring out the background shot was also a great technique here, it gives a real sense of distance.

Thanks, Becky, for providing the images!

Posted on 29/07/05 2:57:23 PM
NW Rain
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Posts: 37

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Re: [Poll] Contest 55: Free the gargoyles
Great to see NW Rain back after a bit of a break - I'd have shifted the section on the wall to the right by half a dozen pixels, to accentuate the fact that the sign sticks out from the wall. It's a simple technique, and one that can make a real difference. Here's a before and after:


Thanks, Becky, for providing the images!


Happy to say my mom has had successful surgery and seems to be doing much better. Hopefully that means I will have more time to spend on the challenges. Yes, I see what you mean about off-setting the shadow below the frame. Your version is much better.

I agree, thank you Becky for allowing use of your images!



Posted on 29/07/05 3:17:39 PM
eventer
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Re: [Poll] Contest 55: Free the gargoyles
The gargoyles are great.
Horses are taking up way too much time and energy at the moment for me to do more than enjoy reading through the forum.

New camera is clicking away at all the horse shows, if horse pics are of any use to anyone I will put some online somewhere.
Morag

Posted on 29/07/05 3:21:19 PM
Steve Caplin
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Posts: 6838

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Re: [Poll] Contest 55: Free the gargoyles
Yes, please! Let's get some equine involvement here!
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