Challenge #49

[Grant...@adobeforums.com]

The images for the 49th Challenge are now up. Thanks to a very interesting
image supplied by Mark Reibman we are now off and running in the 49th
challenge. I suspect there are many that have seen this on but it sure
doesn't lessen it value it is a great image and I am sure you will all have
a grand time with it. Just think this is our second nude oooooheeeeeee
aren't we the risqué group. The only rule for this one is make is that Mark
is the only one that can submit a pre-done version ... if he wants.

http://home.cogeco.ca/~challenge/Challenges.html

Present and Past Challenges will remain Until tomorrow at 7:00 pm the then
the Present will be Past and new images will be posted.

* Important notice to all the new people in this forum. This is not a
close shop you are all invited to submit an image. If you don't think you
are good enough this is your first mistake, I think most have found that
working on the Challenge has improved their personal level. So young and
old, hot shots and cool dudes now is you time to post.
--
Grant

Home Pages http://home.cogeco.ca/~grant.dixon/index.htm

Challenge Pages: http://home.cogeco.ca/~challenge/

*********************************************************

Creativity is so delicate a flower that praise tends to make it bloom, while
discouragement often nips it in the bud. Any of us will put out more and
better ideas if our efforts are appreciated.

Alexander Osborn (1888 - 1966)

*********************************************************

[Jodi...@adobeforums.com]

oo la la !

[Marty_...@adobeforums.com]

Bet this one will create losts of Posts! '
Marty

[Jodi...@adobeforums.com]

Anyone notice how the page transition brightens her right back to life ?

[Terri_...@adobeforums.com]

Yeah, and I think she's cold.

[Lorace...@adobeforums.com]

How on earth can you all get your pictures done and in so fast?

You're wonderful. I just found it.

LOL

Lorace

[Mark_R...@adobeforums.com]

Wow, I was looking at James Hutchinson's Gallery and I saw the hula girl in his challenge gallery. Otherwise I might not have known. My brother and his wife are really going to get a kick out of seeing what you guys are doing to their favorite table lamp as they are currently in Hawaii.

[byron_gale]

Mark,

We watched the "Pearl Harbor" movie, a week or so ago, and I think I spotted
one of these lamps.

It was on the bar where Ben Afleck (sp?) went to get drunk after he got to
Hawaii and found his pal and gal involved.

It may not have been identical, but it was definitely in the same "spirit".
;-)

Byron

[jh...@adobeforums.com]

Mark. I appreaciate the fact you stopped my gallery. I hope you found
something you liked. I also would like any feedback from a seasoned
photographer. Thanks.

--
Have A Nice Day, :-)
James Hutchinson
http://www.pbase.com/myeyesview

[jh...@adobeforums.com]

Jodi, I see you have Bert's process down pat. That is the best image (in
the challenge) I have seen since I started participating in this forum.
A big GOLD star for you!

[Jodi...@adobeforums.com]

Well Thank You James, those are very kind and encouraging words for me...I appreciate it..really :) Thanks

[Chris_...@adobeforums.com]

I'm not sure which one james is talking about but either one is very good.

CR

[Mark_R...@adobeforums.com]

James,

I've always liked the work you show in your galleries but my dial up has made it quite agonizing to view more than a few photos in a gallery. I think that the dial up in this area is unusually slow. I got DSL today and it's been party time for me!

I'm definitely not a seasoned photographer (you probably know more than me) but I'll leave some comments in your gallery if something comes up.

[jh...@adobeforums.com]

The mermaid image. If you were lucky enough to have caught Bert doing
his bit on Tech TV you could more readily appreciate what Jodi has
accomplished here. I have tried it but to no avail.

[jh...@adobeforums.com]

Thanks Mark.

[Nan...@adobeforums.com]

Grant,

I sent to CavesofIce, thanks.

Nancy

[Terri_...@adobeforums.com]

Well, you did it to perfection as far as I am concerned. I don't think it gets better than that.

[Terri_...@adobeforums.com]

Beth C. Wow!!! How did you make her skin so realistic? She's Beautiful!

[be...@adobeforums.com]

Thanks Terri. Ever since we did the Indian challenge . . .I've tried to figure out how to make a skin tone. I tried loads of ways but just couldn't get it to look right. In the meantime, I've been working with some of the other tools and through trying this time discovered it takes a lot of different tools to do it (at least for me). It is all trial and error. Basically I started with changing the lighting by using adjustments 'curves', and hue-colour to get a basic tone - dodge and burn - lighting effects and shading with paint brush. Yep. I used loads of tools. LOL

beth

[be...@adobeforums.com]

Bob - I tried to figure out the title of the second book too! I got the first one . . . hehehhe
Very Funny

[Terri_...@adobeforums.com]

Beth...it says "Sexual Mores in Polynesia" by Dixon. Oh, that's funny. I imagine Jodi hasn't notice what the first book is yet. I hadn't caught that until I saw your post. Bob, you are too clever by half.

[Jodi...@adobeforums.com]

Ah geeze Terri, i was hoping nobady had noticed that ...now ya went and spilled the beans ! That's OK ;) ...'lots' of Frye's around...I'm sure Bob didn't intend for this....I mean, that title...hmmm

[be...@adobeforums.com]

Ya Terri there are some funny ones! Stanley's is funny and at first I looked over Linda's pix scanning it quickly looking for 'the lady' -saw the shadows and laughed when I read 'exploited women' - very cool.

Jodi's mermaid pix is fabulous too.

Oh Terri - I see you got your pix up too! I like the overall colour scheme and the footprints are a great touch.

[Terri_...@adobeforums.com]

Sorry, Jodi for spilling beans. I was afraid you'd be the last to notice it. At least, you didn't get the Sexual Mores one. I also didn't see the lady at first in Linda. Then when I saw the shadow...I was like oh, I see. It's a very well thought out piece in my opinion. Oh, and I like the mermaid by Jodi. I see you got a water gradient in. Ha Ha.

[Bob_E....@adobeforums.com]

Those titles? A coincidence, I'm sure. Yeah, that's it -- a coincidence.
Bob Warren

[Grant...@adobeforums.com]

I was shocked at Spade's revelation. Up to this point I was very confident
that my past writings, so long out of print, had been completely forgotten.
I was told that the last on had been burned in a general book burning
ceremony in Tibet. I did spend 10 years of very hard work researching the
project and once I am retired I will return to see if the carnal habits of
the Polynesians has changed.

Grant - who loves it when the truth doesn't get in the way of a good story.

[Nan...@adobeforums.com]

Grant,

I sent to CavesOfIce, thank you.

Nancy

[L...@adobeforums.com]

Jody:

I like the way you did the #2 image. How did you get that background and reflective effect? Did you use a special plug-in or did you create it with PS filters?

Linda

[Jodi...@adobeforums.com]

Hi Linda, the backgound is just painted and then I added the 'blizzard' filter and lowered the opacity. It's a filter that puts itself on it's own layer above the image when applied so it's easy to edit....I wish all the filters were this way but I guess we can't have it all.

[Jodi...@adobeforums.com]

Linda, in Photoshop it's an action..under'image effects' i think. I do have full Photoshop....I use both programs. It just depends on what i'm doing as to which program i open. My Elements 1 is tweeked up to where it is not recognizable. I can get most everything out of it that i need. I do want CS...but way too buggy for me to even consider at the moment...I know there are plenty of people using it with probs but the balance is pretty even on the other side of the play field. Besides, i can't make all my counterfeit money with CS ;)

[L...@adobeforums.com]

Jody:

I think you are probably more of a freehand artist than I am so I'm sure much of what you create reflects that talent. I don't see Blizzard in my PSCS Filters. Maybe it's an Elements feature. We do have something called Wind in PSCS. Anyway you have learned some nice skills with these effects.

Have you ever considered upgrading to the full version of Photoshop? The new Creative Suite is so nice.

[L...@adobeforums.com]

Jodi: :)

[Ray]

Btw, I just tried with Canadian currency (20$ bills) and the same message appears... :)

Ray
(try out version of CS is expiring on Tuesday)

[Jodi...@adobeforums.com]

Ray, i can't bother with downloading the try-out. it would take about 7 hours on my dial -up and there is no way I would bother since slow downloads usually lead to corrupted files. So, how do you like it ? The upgrades are kind of cool aren't they. Bert monroy showed us some on Tech Tv...they finally put photomerge into the program...ah ah.

[Ray]

Color match is one option that looks cool (the ability to match the color of one picture with the
ones of a second seperate one) and would be nice to have, especially for Photomerged pictures.

Filters gallery is cool as well, but it's very slow on my friend's PC (nasty boy, I didn't install
CS on my own, I did it on his computer!!). He has a faster machine (1.6Ghz, mine is a 1.5Ghz), so I
feel it would be even slower on my current one. But it doesn't work with all filters (artistic
brush and a few other groups).

Shadow and Highlights adjustments are handy as well, but I rarely have to adjust an entire picture
(I've used home made brush to do so).

Will I get it? I don't think so, not soon anyway. There are several issues I'd like to see fix
before I buy it. I will wait when CS.0.1 update comes out (or will be it 8.0.1 ??)

One interesting option is to buy the Creative Suite with Illustrator + Photoshop + In Design. But
it's a bit expensive.

[Jodi...@adobeforums.com]

'a bit expensive'...ya, just a bit ;) You are a nasty little birthday boy aren't you ? ;) Afraid CS was going to crash your system ? ha ha ...I don't blame you :)...as long as the subject in question was 'willing'...right ?

[L...@adobeforums.com]

The crashing the system thing... must be windows? I don't think we are seeing it on the Mac side.

[L...@adobeforums.com]

That's too bad. It's been a very nice upgrade on my system.

[Jodi...@adobeforums.com]

Seems that the bugs are all PC related...but not all PC's...just certain processors.

[Ray]

It's not exactly the crashing of the system thing I was affraid of (although I read from a few
individuals to whom this happened), but the fact that here were hear a lot of people who have
installed the tryout and are having problems with the full version afterwards. Since he's never
gonna use Photoshop (or Elements), I thought it was safe to test on his system!

[Grant...@adobeforums.com]

Jodi

My lips are sealed.

G.

[L...@adobeforums.com]

Robert: You crack me up!!! Laughing out loud and about to fall out of my chair... That is so funny. Good job too. :)

Patty: Now that's unique! :)

Nancy: I like the first one you did.

[Jodi...@adobeforums.com]

yes I know

[Jodi...@adobeforums.com]

Linda, had to see what you were laughing at..OMG ! YES....that is toooo good ! Hmmm, Grant, our books are right next to each other...ya suppose the spade man thinks we got something going on ? Who told !

[Patti_A...@adobeforums.com]

Linda, do you recognize her? I'm wondering if folks know the face, cause that's the only part I did not create or clone (used a layer mask). I'm not tellin' yet who she is, I want to see if Bob Warren can guess...<hee hee>

Once I had the statue metamorphasized (sp?) I decided to see if I could make her back into a statue. Definitely a learning experience, but a lot of fun!

Patti

[L...@adobeforums.com]

Oh yes... whoops I just read that you want to keep it a secret. I deleted the name.

[Bob_E....@adobeforums.com]

Patti --
Could it be a young Jane Fonda? Reminds me of how she looked in publicity stills for 'Barbarella'.
Bob Warren

[Patti_A...@adobeforums.com]

* ***Loud buzzer**** Sorry, that's not it, Bob. Think newer movies. ;)

I was really only kidding when I said I was waiting for you to guess! I thought you would wait until you do your weekly recognitions. :)

Anyone else want to guess whose face I put on my morphed statuette?

Patti

[L...@adobeforums.com]

Now that you've asked, I say Meg Ryan!

[Chuck_...@adobeforums.com]

Patti: it looks a little like Cameron Diaz....

[L...@adobeforums.com]

Yeaaaaaaa!!!

[Patti_A...@adobeforums.com]

Linda wins! It's Meg Ryan (You've Got Mail, Sleepless in Seattle, Kate & Leopold). When I was trying to find a face to use, I decided on Meg Ryan because she had a small face like the lamp figurine. I found a pic where the tilt of her head was just about perfect.

Whose Cameron Diaz? :)

Patti

[Grant...@adobeforums.com]

<Patti_A...@adobeforums.com> wrote in message
news:2ccf4...@webx.la2eafNXanI...

Whose Cameron Diaz? :)

Patti

Oh bite your tongue we are talking eye candy here.

g.

[Grant...@adobeforums.com]

Patti

I have that Eye Candy and while expensive I can afford that one.

g.

[Patti_A...@adobeforums.com]

OK Grant. Gee, and I thought "eye candy" was an Elements add-on. ;)

Patti

[Bob_E....@adobeforums.com]

Patti --
I can recognize Meg Ryan now -- the outfit would actually fit one of her less well-known roles, playing several characters in 'Joe Versus the Volcano', a cult classic at our house.
Bob Warren

[Lorace...@adobeforums.com]

QUESTION:

Grant, is there a way to get back to our old Challenges? I seem to be able to see only the current and the prior challenge. Is there an Archive that I'm missing?

Thanks.

Lorace

[Lorace...@adobeforums.com]

Patti, I won't say because you want Bob to guess, but I do know who it is - and I just say this: she's beautiful and you did a fabulous job.

Lorace

ps - when I say I know - I mean, I'm reasonably certain. lol

[Grant...@adobeforums.com]

Lorace

The only archive is on my hard drive.

g.

[L...@adobeforums.com]

Thank you Bob. You are very kind. :)

[Bob_E....@adobeforums.com]

The lamp-base hula-dancer added some spice, excited
some controversy and inspired more than one fantasy
this week. An interesting batch of images from all.

ANDY T: The matched pair of images provides some
great contrasts -- I like the monochrome version in
#1 best -- the applied filter (paint-daubs?) works
well with the subject matter.

ANNE T: The background in #1 reminds me of
bark-cloth patterns from Micronesia -- an nice
complement to your color variations on the leis.
Where is the flower field in #2? -- I remember
commercial flower-seed fields near Lompoc, CA that
looked somewhat similar.

BETH C: Very sensual image -- I love the cloth
texture in the new skirt.

CHRIS R: A very simple and powerful image -- is that
the 'sunset' effect in the background?

IRENE K: I love the pointelist effect you achieve
here -- the background gradient is a great choice --
and the skin coloration reminds me of some Renoir
paintings.

JAMES H: Neat animation in #1 and I like the collage
in #2.

JODI F: A pair of stunners this week. The
transformation into a mermaid in #1 is great -- I
like the way you handled the light, the bubbles and
the schools of fish in the underwater scene. The mist
over the water in #2 is nicely done & the distorted
reflection is great.

JEURGEN D: Looks like our Hawaiian is visiting the
Lesser Antilles -- is that the cutout filter? I like
the way you matched the color of the statue, the
shading of the background and the frame on this one.

LINDA K: Oooh and also Ahhhh! Terrific composition.
I love those old Victorian tombstones and you've
intergrated it nicely. The frame is a great choice,
too.

LORACE G: You outdid yourself this week -- very nice
use of multiple images, overlays and background.

NANCY S: Very nice contrast of color in #1 and #2 --
the water background is a nice match to the image. I
see we get another look at a truck grill this week --
I love the chrome on those older vehicles and you've
got the reflection of the dancers just right.

PATTI A: Now that we've got the identity issue
resolved, folks can focus on how well you did the
hair, skin texture and flowers -- neat!

ROBERT J: I like the way you integrated the dancer
with the palms in #1 -- did you use posterization on
the main picture? Love the muumuu humor in #2.

ROBIN S: The bamboo is a good background choice for
this one -- I like the different colors for the
flowers.

STANLEY U: Love those friendly natives!

TERRI F: Interesting set of images this week. The
Mars rover and the Cruz Bay shop caught my eye. I
like your facial modifications in #2 and the statuary
in #4, but I have to go with the hurricane in #3 as
my favorite.

WENDY W: Nice take on an advertising theme -- a lot
of cool touches (like reflections and low opacity
background insertions) in this image.

Bob Warren
<http://www.rewarren.com/challenge/chl49.htm>

[be...@adobeforums.com]

Thanks Bob.
I agree 'an interesting batch of images' from everyone.
The magnifier was a nice added touch in your close-up of the books. :)

[Chris_...@adobeforums.com]

Bob,
Thanks. I was shooting for a sunset feel with a simple radial gradient layer as the background, the dancer was the result of a magic eraser incident that turned out to be salvagable.

CR

[Wendy_E_...@adobeforums.com]

Bob,

I always enjoy reading your reviews .... :)

Wendy

[Jodi...@adobeforums.com]

Bob, again , thank You. your books were definietly the highlight of the challenge for me....LMAO

[Juer...@adobeforums.com]

Bob,

Thank you. Yes, it is the cutout filter. I've used it in other entries and
always like it. The girl is visiting the US Virgin Islands.

Juergen

[jh...@adobeforums.com]

Thanks Bob. As always your images were creative and well done.

--
Have A Nice Day, :-)
James Hutchinson
http://www.pbase.com/myeyesview

[Grant...@adobeforums.com]

You are working on a sequel are you not ... or has moving to the states
clipped roots.

G

[Bob_E....@adobeforums.com]

Jodi --
I had a lot of fun with the books -- I'm glad you all were such good sports.
Bob Warren

[Grant...@adobeforums.com]

Bob

Did any one notice that the three books, all by experts in their chosen
field, were written by Canadians? While people scoff at our long hard
winters it does give us time to broaden our research and hone our
techniques.

Grant

[Jodi...@adobeforums.com]

hone my techniques of 'My Early Sins ' ?

[jh...@adobeforums.com]

That should make My Latest Sins by Jodi a must read.

[Terri_...@adobeforums.com]

Bob. Thank you. As always, you have turned in some great entries. I love the fact that no detail is too small and overlooked in your pieces. I always notice your use of light, shadow, and subtle details. I think my favorite might be the close up with the magnifying glass. I really liked how you thought to distort the image and photo paper reflected through the glass.

Terri

[Jodi...@adobeforums.com]

I don't know..i just don't know.

[Bob_E....@adobeforums.com]

Thanks everyone for the kind words -- I'm blushing over here.
Bob Warren

[Grant...@adobeforums.com]

Jodi

Actually the earth is an oblate spheroid. But that a side we all love you,
you are our bud' .

Grant

[Jodi...@adobeforums.com]

Mark, I don't know, I just don't know. As a matter of fact, I don't know much of anything. I do know that the earth is round and consisit primarily of wet stuff. I do know that you guys are my saviors.

[Mark_R...@adobeforums.com]

hone my techniques of 'My Early Sins ' ?

Jodi,

I think he was referring to your writting techniques...but maybe not.

[Lorace...@adobeforums.com]

Thank you, Bob. I loved this gal to work with and I used Ed Wurster's tutorial to create much of the effect.

I appreciate your comment and have to agree with you on all of them. This group is unbelievably talented.

Lorace

[Ire...@adobeforums.com]

Thanks Bob! I love your closeup.

Irene K

[Robert...@adobeforums.com]

Bob,

It's very close to a posterization but it was a lot more complex. I can't
give an exact sequence of steps since I played around until I saw something
I liked and didn't write down what I did. Working with just the hula
dancer, I started with a contrast reduction mask to even out the tonality. I
took the result of that and made additional layers which I applied various
filters starting with emboss and adjusting the layer blending modes and
opacity until I dropped out enough tones and got the abstract look I wanted.
The background was much more strait forward. I did a dry brush and cutout.

For all those that liked my 2nd entry, I'm glad you enjoyed it. My sense of
humor is sometimes a bit oblique -- I wasn't sure whether others would find
it as humorous as I had intended it to be.

Bob

[Marty_...@adobeforums.com]

GRANT, Did I goof? I thought I sent my 49th image in yesterday but lately who knows??? I'll send it again just in case.
Also, Grant, I cannot get Stanley U.'s 49 image to show up and I can't even copy his thumbnail....hmmm
Marty

[Marty_...@adobeforums.com]

LORACE, Maybe not in such perfect order, but I do have all of the images from most of the challenges. I am missing the images from challenge #s 13, 15, 16, 17, & 18. (Was having problems with my computer at that time)
I might have unknowingly missed a few images but hope not.
If you are looking for a particular image let me know:
Approximately what challenge # ..... whose image .... and perhaps a hint as to what it looked like. I'd be glad to scrounge around and try to find it for you.
Marty

[Grant...@adobeforums.com]

Marty

I am sure you sent that image but I do not have it in my collection so more
than likely I goofed. It is now up. Sorry!

g.

[jh...@adobeforums.com]

Marty, Marty, Marty-That is one hot momma you created.

[Stanley]

Maybe either Grant's computer or Grant himself is frozen. . If it
still not working for you, email me at the address show (decode it)
and I'll send them direct to you

Email address: stanri at cox dot net

On Fri, 16 Jan 2004 10:37:54 -0800, Marty_...@adobeforums.com
wrote:

[byron_gale]

Marty,

I like the bright colors!

Byron

[Anne_Tw...@adobeforums.com]

I'm a bit slow to respond, but I've only just discovered the Forums (with thanks to Dick Smith). In #1 I used one of the fill patterns on the disk that came with Al Ward's "Photoshop Elements 2 Special Effects."
The ranunculus fields in #2 are in Carlsbad, CA, a gorgeous sight!