I photographed the woman in Original 1 and 2 at a production number aboard a cruise ship. When I took Original 1 I knew immediately I would have a beam of light coming out of her hand. I took Original 2 because I saw that the actress’s hair obscured her face in the earlier photo. During the post processing in Photoshop, I flipped the actress horizontally and used Layer Masking and Clone Stamping to remove the hair from her face.
A well-placed beam of light can contribute mystery, magic, and mayhem to an ordinary photo. The tutorial I used for the light beam can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8PpbgU-BQQ. I chose the picture of the osprey I had taken in Florida a week before the cruise to be the recipient of the power of light because of the talons. Unfortunately, I didn't get to see the osprey get its prey because there were trees to my left that obscured the snatch.
In the original composite, the woman still had a red dress. When I darkened the original composite with the Curves Adjustment Layer, the red dress seemed out of place. After I selected the dress with the Quick Selection tool, the Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer easily changed the hue and lowered the saturation to get the black dress.
I tried to find the folder where I keep the picture of the Greek/Roman amphitheater, but its whereabouts remain a secret. The stage is part of an amphitheater I've used before, and I'll probably stumble upon it when I'm not looking for it.
This round’s discussion is now closed! 8 comments posted
Bev Caine
(Groups 24 & 48 & 58)
Visiting from 48 & 80
This is a super image and the work you put into it was well rewarded. Congrats not only on the work and result but the imagination that created it. Posted: 05/03/2020 08:23:51
Steve Estill
Very well executed, (although in UK she'd be fined for harming a protected species!!)
A fun compilation which you've done masterfully. The changing of the head on the actress was done expertly. Changing the colour of her dress was a good idea too.
Well done. Posted: 05/05/2020 15:10:32
Jan Handman
Very cool image Alan. The light beam is great. You did a fine job of fixing the woman's hair problem, and changing her dress color was a good call. The only thing that's a bit distracting, to me, is the foreground stonework. I might have cropped off that part, but I know from previous comments of yours that you prefer to keep a more standard dimension ratio. The hills and stage area make a nice backdrop, keeping things clean and undistracting. The osprey capture is great. Nicely post-processed composite! Posted: 05/10/2020 10:43:41
Alan Kaplan
(Group 54)
Thank you for your observations. My art history background introduced me to the Golden Rectangle and perhaps embedded it into my psyche. It appears in architecture as far back as the hay day of the Greeks. In any case you're right, I do prefer more standard dimensions along the lines of the Golden Rectangle. I kept the wall of the amphitheater (after removing the seats that surrounded the stage) because I wanted to add depth by having the wall cover part of the woman. I felt it starts the eye's journey from foreground to background. There's an image incubating now that includes the whole amphitheater including walls at the entrance. We'll see how it goes. Posted: 05/10/2020 12:36:45
Candy Childrey
Alan, you detailed work always brings you to an excellent final image. Good job with the hair and changing the color of the dress. It was a good choice to change the angle of the osprey. The light beam adds a strong element to the image, and creates the power of the girl vs bird that makes the image work. Good job! Posted: 05/18/2020 13:20:24
Alan Kaplan
(Group 54)
Thank you. Posted: 05/18/2020 14:11:50
Helen Sweet
This amuses me. I love that she has superpowers over the osprey which seems stunned by her ray. Thank you for your resource. The replaced head was well composited, and I agree that the red dress would have dominated, taking the eye away from the focal point: her strong, outstretched arm and the leading line to her victim. The amphitheater would have been nice, but the diamond shaped tiles are also classic. Posted: 05/22/2020 00:15:07
Alan Kaplan
(Group 54)
Thank you for your feedback. The amphitheater may make an appearance in the future. I'm working on it. Posted: 05/22/2020 06:46:55
