This was processed in PS using much trial and error to get something that matched my idea. It was taken on my smartphone. Did a lot of work with the usual tools to remove bad line mergers. Then selected only the door and a bit of floor leading up to it. Used clarity, luminance, brightness adjustments to make the door glow a bit. Probably put a high pass filter on it too. Put a blue sky with white clouds and a vee of geese behind it. Then added a starburst behind the crow using Luminar. Still not quite right. Then used PS sky replacement using a starry night sky.
Ah! But the interesting story is how the door came to be. A friend has a museum/restaurant/music room. This doorway is between the music room and the green room for the musicians. It was a big empty space. A very large door was found. It originally had glass window pane on the top half. But our friend thought that it would be way more fun to see people’s feet rather than heads, so he turned it upside down. He had two glass lenses (like one would use as a peephole), one 3” in diameter, the other 5” in diameter. My husband made the wooden rings that hold the lenses in place. Our friend added the crow to the transom; nice little touch. He hasn’t seen this yet; hope he likes it.
7 comments posted
Joan Showers
Wow, this is so original and wonderfully done. You have really inspired me with your art. A brilliant idea to put a starry sky behind the door and add the starburst. I'm not sure what the white bit is at the top. Is it a light? I know the point of the starburst is to emanate from the light, but I almost find the light distracting. Could you still have a starburst without the light?
So clever. Great work! Posted: 09/03/2023 11:26:23
Connie Reinhart
The owner of the door wants to somehow shine a light on the crow. That's why the starburst was put there. But I agree that it is a bit much. Posted: 09/18/2023 14:16:14
Carole Kropscot
The original door was already an interesting door that would've qualified for this month's assigned subject. But now, wow, you made it into a whole image that is especially interesting! When I first saw the photo, I thought of a science fiction book cover or the old Twilight Zone tv shows. Spooky but intriguing. Made me want to know the story, and you gave us the story!
I do see one white area that distracts my eye from the door. If this were my photo, I'd remove that white area at the left below the stars. Posted: 09/15/2023 14:29:20
Connie Reinhart
I originally put one of my own blue sky/white cloud images behind the door. If you look through the bottom window of the door you will see some geese flying. It was pretty, but not what I was looking for. So I downloaded replacement skies for Photo Shop and chose this nice starry sky. What I didn't realize is the sky replacement tool treated the sky like a gradient, fading it out towards the bottom. So I just darkened the blue sky. Posted: 09/18/2023 14:21:07
Ally Green
That is an interesting door and story to go with it! Fascinating that the original version is an actual door for the musicians to pass through. Your imagination to turn this into a fantasy door (to me) is wonderful conjuring up an magical element to it. Agree with the others about the light at the top. Posted: 09/15/2023 17:28:42
Connie Reinhart
Some images just beg to be played with. This was one. The title is "Door to the Stars". That was because of the sky. But in retrospect, it is also the door between the music room and the musicians. Posted: 09/18/2023 14:23:45
Lee Ann Stamm
Hi Connie: My eyes just couldn't believe this was a big door. It looked like a cabinet, which also would have been an interesting door. Once I had my head together and looked at the original closely, I thought wow, I'd really like to know your quirky friend. Then I thought WOW. Look at all the work you did to bring us a magical, mystical fantasy door in the heavens. The way you lightened the upper door and added the starburst is very nice. Perhaps a fix for the bright light is to dull it down some and lighten the crow. Right now the crow just looks like a dark spot. If he was lightened then the light would serve the purpose of highlighting him. The difference in the sky from the top to the bottom seems like too much contrast and color difference. Perhaps darkening the bottom some would help. Otherwise, I commend you on your imagination and skill in transforming this door into this image. Posted: 09/18/2023 14:58:55
