| » Forum Index » The Friday Challenge » Topic: Contest 84: Flood the city |
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Posted on 18/02/06 9:58:57 PM |
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Silver Fox
* Posts: 9 Reply |
Re: Contest 84: Flood the city
Okay, I hadn't quite reached the water section of the book yet, but I skipped ahead so I could take a shot at it...  |
Posted on 18/02/06 10:49:08 PM |
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Lexus
Persistent Pixellator Posts: 623 Reply  |
Re: Contest 84: Flood the city
Wow, after taking a break from Photoshop to play computer games (69 Hours this week!  ) i have lost my touch, lots of new people sending in great work! Im slipping a bit behind here!
Great Work Guys! _________________ 3 Radio Visit http://www.3-radio.co.uk and listen! You will love it! |
Posted on 19/02/06 09:48:55 AM |
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maiden
Golden Gif Gagster Posts: 471 Reply  |
Re: Contest 84: Flood the city
Crikey there are some extremely talented entries this week. I'm still working on mine but I'll be hard pushed to match what we have so far. Keep up the great work everybody, soon Steve's army of Photomontagers will be ready to take on the world and probably flood it! 
_________________ mad as a badger and twice as furry |
Posted on 19/02/06 1:09:10 PM |
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Eggbox
Ovoid Opportunist Posts: 797 Reply  |
Re: Contest 84: Flood the city
After all the mayhem a hopeful search for survivors .....  |
Posted on 19/02/06 3:46:20 PM |
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Dek_101
Apocalyptic Artisan Posts: 175 Reply  |
Contest 84: Flood the city
Here goes .....  |
Posted on 19/02/06 3:47:02 PM |
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paul 2005
Guest Reply |
Re: Contest 84: Flood the city
Just a short comment but one I feel strongly about. I think too many people that post their challenge pictures should not be here. It's like Carol Vorderman sitting in on a junior school math competition and winning all the prizes. I know we are not competing against each other, just trying to better our own previous works, but it puts MY work to shame so much so that I don't feel like taking part often. I thought the book and this form are to help people learn new photoshop skills and improve existing skills, but many people here seem to have skills almost equal to Steve's. Occasional "exceptional" work is good, but week in week out? Yes so OK you are brilliant at Photoshop. I know Steve is unbiased and he notices each person's achievement in its own right and praises them for it. Sorry for the above, but it's been playing on my mind 
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Posted on 19/02/06 4:17:13 PM |
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pauline
Centenary Challenger Posts: 213 Reply  |
Re: Contest 84: Flood the city
Paul 2005 don't let it get you down. Post! I think seeing work better than my own is an inspiration to try all that much harder to achieve what I see. I agree that there are some exceptional entries here and I'm sure not at that level yet, but use it as a learning tool. I haven't finished mine, and will probably only do the water and reflections. I think it's wonderful to see what other possibilities are also available. If you only look at work that is on your level, you won't see ways to improve. I've seen your work and there certainly isn't anything wrong with it. I've only entered 3 challenges so far but I find everyone on here to be very friendly and certainly they don't criticize. Steve does it in such a way to show you where you need to improve but certainly never makes you feel offended by his comments. Please post and don't feel intimidated. As you've already said we aren't competing with anyone but ourselves and our quest for improvement. _________________ Pauline |
Posted on 19/02/06 4:53:00 PM |
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maiden
Golden Gif Gagster Posts: 471 Reply |
Re: Contest 84: Flood the city
Paul I agree with Pauline on this one, while there are some exceptional artists here and I too feel that although I know how to montage to a high standard that it's the taking part that is more important than the praise and glory of it. My efforts so far in this particular challenge are looking poor in comparison but I would like to think that at least I'm still practicing and not just sitting back feeling that I'm too good to enter this or that challenge. It's lovely to see so many entries and to such a high a standard, it is truly inspirational and pushes me on to do something better than a quick entry without any thought. But don't pull yourself down Paul, we have all seen your work and it's anything but poor. I try to find fresh angles to photomontage rather than just completing a technical excercise, my thing is to add a joke or gag which takes it out of the ordinary, occassionally when the humour pool has run dry I fall back upon my skills. So don't think of this as a technical excercise but as a personal challenge to find different ways to express your own art - because there are several examples of people who have succeeded more on a style rather than technical brilliance Henri Cartier Bresson springs to mind who's earlier photography wasn't technically spot on but his style was simply beyond this world with his ability to put himself at the right place at the right time to take what he described as the "Decisive Moment" _________________ mad as a badger and twice as furry |
Posted on 19/02/06 5:25:59 PM |
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Lexus
Persistent Pixellator Posts: 623 Reply |
Re: Contest 84: Flood the city
I agree with Paul, I dont even bother to enter as I know people will make my picture look totally crap. _________________ 3 Radio Visit http://www.3-radio.co.uk and listen! You will love it! |
Posted on 19/02/06 5:35:59 PM |
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mr.pbody
*** Posts: 138 Reply  |
Re: Contest 84: Flood the city
hi paul, i read your post in the challenge section and wanted to respond. i hear what you are saying, but i would like to encourage you to think about this in a different way. the only contest going on is with our-selves...not with others. think about this forum this way: -1/3rd is you fleshing out "your" ideas and trying to capture/convey them onto the screen. -1/3rd is being able to socialize/participate with others. -1/3rd is having "others" help you with your questions, either about what you see or what you are trying to do. as an athelete and a musician, i never "better" myself by playing with others that are "less" skilled than myself...i only get better by practice and playing with "others" that are more talented than myself and who push me to become better. and likewise, i see it as one of my responsabilities to play with "others" that are not as talented as myself, to help them with their own development, and encourage them to become better, that is one of the reasons why i teach music. now, are some of my pics not good enough to be posted? that is a matter of interpatation. what about the idea? what about the technique? what about the fun? yes, fun! start somewhere, even if it's at square one...and start to improve from there. don't try to tackle a monster, beat up on a mosquito first! lol! what i mean by that is try to confidently get "one" thing right. like with this weeks challenge, you could just paint in blue color for the water, okay? yes, it doesn't look anything like water but what about the perspective lines? before i go and make some water i am first going to have to figure out how high the water is and how that plays out throughout the city. why is everyone keeping their water levels so low? because the higher it goes the tougher it is to figure out where that stuff should be! lol! perspective is something that every artist should have somewhat of a handle on because that is something that we as human beings take for granted. we might not be able to "know" where the water should go, but we sure as heck know when it looks bad! our eyes tell us, "that doesn't look right ray!" just an example. diving in and trying is the only way you are going to improve. you need help. post the question in the forums. start small and work your way up. you can do it!  |
Posted on 19/02/06 5:41:08 PM |
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maiden
Golden Gif Gagster Posts: 471 Reply |
Re: Contest 84: Flood the city
I would hope we are not all here to judge someones efforts as being simply "crap" - I certainly would never say that about anybody else's work, it's true we are all at different levels and that is shown more by this challenge than any other - however whilst there might be some very spectacular photomontages in this particular challenge that doesn't always apply to all the challenges. It's fine if your thing is creating background art for video etc. but that doesn't means that your skills are complete - only complete in one discipline - and photomonaging is about being skilled in a variety of disciplines. I would hope that people entered the challenges more as a challenge to themself than as a competition. We've had debates about the Challenges becoming too competative but it's only a matter of changing your mind about how you view any Challenge. If you view it as a competition then that's what it will become, if you view it as a test of how much you have read Steve's book and how much you can improvise within your own skill-base then it will become a learning excersie - which is the way that I view it as. Let's not get tied down with who is best at such-and-such and concentrate on doing the best that you can and from that and the excellent critical feedback from Steve you can learn and expand your skills. If people are starting to be put off from entring challenges then the point of the challenges is lost because the aim is to allow everybody irrespective of skill level to enter and get hints and tips on how to improve their work. here's my entry anyway 
Not as spectacular as some entries and without my usual dose of unusual maiden humour but I'm pleased with the result anyway and it's all photoshop created water not photographed water. _________________ mad as a badger and twice as furry |
Posted on 19/02/06 5:50:36 PM |
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chris
Photo Parodist Posts: 138 Reply  |
Re: Contest 84: Flood the city
Paul/lexus I know how youm feel it can be a little intimadating when you see the quality of some peoples entries. But to be fair to them i think if you trace back through previous challenges you'll see that some of them were gifted than there skills now have you beleive. And its the very fact that they have taken part in these challenges that has aloud the skills to blossom. And not only that but I know there have been occasions when I have seen works by both of you and thought wow how have they done that. And above all this should be about fun and your own goals not how you compare to others. I honestly dont think theres a member on this forum that I dont feel I have learnt something from, because even if nots theres skills I learn from then its ideas and interpretation and thats why this forum is so insperational. Oh and Paul you have a title and Steve doesn't just dish them out willy nilly so its clear you have talent, so have a little faith in your abilities, confidence is one thing I think most people feel this site gives them. Maiden glad to see your back in the frey, you've kinda been in and out recently and I have missed your contributions. |
Posted on 19/02/06 6:02:00 PM |
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maiden
Golden Gif Gagster Posts: 471 Reply |
Re: Contest 84: Flood the city
I've missed taking part, chris, and it's not for the lack of desire that I have missed the last couple of challenges it's more down to time restrictions and deep deep tiredness. I can fit in some time every now and again and when struck with inspiration but really I need another holiday, stat! I've also been very busy taking and printing photographs of my work's managers during my recent NVQ presentation - I'm suppose to be a safe and sensible driver now, haha -
In doing this I hope to further myself as some of comedy montages of the desk inspectors are getting recognition and hopefully if I can shoehorn myself in there I would hope that they will take me off driving and into the Advertising Dept. - keeping my fingers crossed - _________________ mad as a badger and twice as furry |
Posted on 19/02/06 6:05:25 PM |
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chris
Photo Parodist Posts: 138 Reply |
Re: Contest 84: Flood the city
I'll keep my fingers crossed for you Maiden hope it goes well. Although if your get a postion using Photoshop all day I hope this site won't then become.........well a busmans holiday!! |
Posted on 19/02/06 6:18:41 PM |
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maiden
Golden Gif Gagster Posts: 471 Reply |
Re: Contest 84: Flood the city
haha "badum tisch" as we say on www.b3ta.com Definition: "Badum tisch" the sound of a drum being played after a cheesy pun is made often seen on cheesy American chat shows. _________________ mad as a badger and twice as furry |
Posted on 19/02/06 6:36:46 PM |
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chris
Photo Parodist Posts: 138 Reply |
Re: Contest 84: Flood the city
at least it wasn't a tolling bell and howling wind sound effects! |
Posted on 19/02/06 6:50:54 PM |
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Dek_101
Apocalyptic Artisan Posts: 175 Reply |
Re: Contest 84: Flood the city
 .. I must say I'm a little dissapointed that anyone in the forum should feel the way Paul does .. I don't think anyone on this forum has posted any work that they should feel ashamed of, quite the opposite .. even some of the simplest entries make me stop and think sometimes "How'd they do that?!!!"
I can appreciate that some of the entries on here can appear a little intimidating at first but if I see work on here that I feel looks a lot better than my own, I have to overcome my initial embarrassment and try using them as inspiration rather than as obstacles. I don't think anyone is here to show off, we are all here to learn from each other and get a little encouragement along the way. I think that is also worth bearing in mind that whilst we are all here to learn, some people have been working with photoshop a whole lot longer than the rest of us. That being said I'm sure even Steve is still learning new tricks with photoshop and I'm pretty sure that, along with the rest of us, he takes always something away from the Friday challenges too. 
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Posted on 19/02/06 7:07:02 PM |
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mguyer
Incisive Incisor Posts: 799 Reply  |
Re: Contest 84: Flood the city
Hang in there Paul. I am not anywhere near the level of some of our participants but I still keep at it. |
Posted on 19/02/06 10:37:31 PM |
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Tom
Texture Technologist Posts: 401 Reply  |
Re: Contest 84: Flood the city
Sorry to read Paul's disturbing post. I will say that I have been using PS for a little more than a year. Seems like I have just scratched the surface. On a regular basis I pick up something new. These challenges are a way to try things that are new or practice an effect that I haven't done to often. Large version here. 
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Posted on 19/02/06 11:42:41 PM |
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Eggbox
Ovoid Opportunist Posts: 797 Reply |
Re: Contest 84: Flood the city
I would like to echo a few of the sentiments expressed here. I do sympathise with Paul's thoughts because I lurked on this site for weeks looking at some amazing weekly contributions not believing such skills could begin to be mine too. I bought the book and began to learn and to be helped by those same contributors. Recently there have been two sets of closed eyed to open. If you've noticed ... I don't open eyes..yet but one day I will and until then I find a work around. I find the challenge offers me a continuing creative outlet which had diminished since my retirement. There are many pictures I look and wonder at how such an image was achieved. Those who have succeeded in producing a stunning visual effect offer me a way of looking at my own work. Fridays bring a challenge but its only a challenge to me. When I see the pictures offered each week I compare them with mine and each time I am able to learn something. For me Steve's comments are the icing on the cake. One day I'll be as good as a lot of you are now but then you will be further on still. So however good/fantastic/creative/technically proficient you are keep posting 'cos I want to learn from and be inpired by you. Ted |
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