60 hour post processing challenge - #628 - Winners Announced

[RichardC]

Closed for entries. Results later.

 

[Brodhall]

Not an Entry

View attachment 869176

Once you have the masks, it's party time!

Edit: I had a lot of fun making this image and I hope everyone enjoys it, but I don’t think it retains enough of the content or character of the original image to be in the challenge. So just for the giggles, then.

Anyone fancy giving me walk through on making these images, creating masks in Photoshop?

 

[RichardC]

Ooooh - nearly had a tie for first place - that really would have messed things up for the next round.

Focus, rightly has mostly been on the rather indignant looking chap on the right with the cute eyes. Makes perfect sense to me, but it's a close crop and doesn't look so great if over enthusiastically sharpened. His eyes benefit from not being rendered too dark - I appreciate it's a balance because of the contrast with the lighter fur on his nose.

Great compositing from @WhidbeyLVR - unfortunately the log in the foreground was blurred just enough to avoid winning. I'm sure he'll be gutted. Liked the shot in the mini. Are you one of the Whidbey Cruzers Lyle?

None of the monochromes caught my eye as much as the colour versions.

Anyway, someone needs the honour of hosting the next challenge, so here's my 1-2-3:

3rd - @Robert Davidson
2nd - @todd phillips (colour version)
1st place and host of the next challenge is @relic

 

[RichardC]

Anyone fancy giving me walk through on making these images, creating masks in Photoshop?

Now I know what kind of masks he was referring to!

There was me thinking he was off to do some 'partying' in his 'cruzer' that required a 'mask'. The mind boggles.

 

[RichardC]

Anyone fancy giving me walk through on making these images, creating masks in Photoshop?

There are umpteen different approaches dependent upon the nature of your subject, what you are attempting to separate your subject from and where you are hoping to place your cut-out image. There are always at least three ways of doing anything in PS anyway

Why not post a thread with two pictures along the lines of 'Challenge: can anyone show me how they would cut out 'x' and merge it convincingly with 'y'?

No one way will necessarily be the best way, but you would get some ideas which you could develop yourself.

 

[WhidbeyLVR]

Great compositing from @WhidbeyLVR - unfortunately the log in the foreground was blurred just enough to avoid winning. I'm sure he'll be gutted. Liked the shot in the mini. Are you one of the Whidbey Cruzers Lyle?

I’m devastated. I pondered that blur for hours!

I’m not one of the Cruzers, but I know where they traditionally (pre-pandemic) hang out for pizza on Fridays.

 

[WhidbeyLVR]

Anyone fancy giving me walk through on making these images, creating masks in Photoshop?

As Richard said, there are many ways to go about it. There are also many online tutorials and videos on creating and using layer masks in PS. I use Gimp instead of PS, so the details are different, even if the concepts are similar.

In this particular case, I made a freehand selection around the meerkat, then used the wand select tool to subtract cardboard from the selection. The resulting selection was converted to a layer mask, and touch ups were painted onto the mask using brush, smear, and blur tools — basically, I hand-painted the furry edges of the mask, using black to hide and white to reveal the layer.

 

[Brodhall]

As Richard said, there are many ways to go about it. There are also many online tutorials and videos on creating and using layer masks in PS. I use Gimp instead of PS, so the details are different, even if the concepts are similar.

In this particular case, I made a freehand selection around the meerkat, then used the wand select tool to subtract cardboard from the selection. The resulting selection was converted to a layer mask, and touch ups were painted onto the mask using brush, smear, and blur tools — basically, I hand-painted the furry edges of the mask, using black to hide and white to reveal the layer.

I will just have to sit down and do the grind :-D

 

[relic]

Ooooh - nearly had a tie for first place - that really would have messed things up for the next round.

Focus, rightly has mostly been on the rather indignant looking chap on the right with the cute eyes. Makes perfect sense to me, but it's a close crop and doesn't look so great if over enthusiastically sharpened. His eyes benefit from not being rendered too dark - I appreciate it's a balance because of the contrast with the lighter fur on his nose.

Great compositing from @WhidbeyLVR - unfortunately the log in the foreground was blurred just enough to avoid winning. I'm sure he'll be gutted. Liked the shot in the mini. Are you one of the Whidbey Cruzers Lyle?

None of the monochromes caught my eye as much as the colour versions.

Anyway, someone needs the honour of hosting the next challenge, so here's my 1-2-3:

3rd - @Robert Davidson
2nd - @todd phillips (colour version)
1st place and host of the next challenge is @relic

Thank you very much, Richard-- that was a surprise. New challenge is here: https://www.mu-43.com/threads/60-hour-post-processing-challenge-629.110411/
That is as good as I could find I think.