Bruce Harley  


Illicit Affair by Bruce Harley

October 2024 - Illicit Affair

October 2024 - Bruce Harley

Original

October 2024 - Bruce Harley

Original 2

October 2024 - Bruce Harley

Original 3

About the Image(s)

Images : cape from the Edinburgh Museum

Girl from the Edinburgh Festival (actress)

Man from same as above.

Background from a part of old Town Edinburgh



Process

New base layer ??“ background
Copy background to above.
Copy layers of man girl and cape to above
Work with layers to select and blend the figures into the background.
Edit light, colours, and contrast to get a good bell shaped levels curve and separation between foreground and background.
Flatten and convert to BW in Photoshop ??“ increasing blacks and whites and contrast to max without causing pixel breakdown and patterns forming.
Dodge and burn foreground and figures to get 3D effect
Add mist with Photoshop to get atmosphere.
Finalise image and save.


This round’s discussion is now closed!
5 comments posted




Kirsti Näntö-Salonen   Kirsti Näntö-Salonen
Hi Bruce, for some reason, "Casablanca" was my first association, although neither the era nor the place match. The image does feel like a still from a film, with the man frozen in mid-step down the stairs, and the woman looking directly at the camera with that enigmatic expression. There is such a strong atmosphere that it feels that if I blink I can see them move on in the story. Your lights and shadows are masterful.
- Have you used here that Kelby method that you mentioned in your comment to Alan? I looked it up, and it looks like a lovely tool. Thank you for introducing it!   Posted: 10/13/2024 21:40:58



Alan Kaplan   Alan Kaplan
The look in the woman's eyes seems to show the affair is, for her, not illicit. The blending is quite effective, but I would prefer a little more detail in the background. Maybe the blur emphasizes that the affair is, indeed, illicit. The whole image is quite effective. Just out of curiosity, why is the woman's neck so long in the composite?   Posted: 10/17/2024 14:33:06



Matt Conti   Matt Conti
Wow, what a scandalous scene and terrific transformation!
Hi Bruce, just the new guy here and truly enjoyed seeing what you created with such disparate photos.
You really brought out the woman's eyes and her look with the hair coming down makes the image for me. The background is classic and very fitting. Your use of the focus / out-of-focus really brings in the viewer. As Alan suggested, it might be interesting to see more detail of that terrific background and the john on the stairs. I noticed how you made his step look natural, a nice detail.
So well done, thank you for submitting it and letting me comment.
  Posted: 10/20/2024 13:26:25



Maria Mazo   Maria Mazo
Hi Bruce, You've mastered this composition, creating a very engaging image. Placing the girl in the foreground makes her the center of attention, which is beautifully balanced with the masculine figure in the background. The light treatment is just exquisite.

  Posted: 10/26/2024 07:46:47



Bruce Harley   Bruce Harley
Thank you all for your kind and helpful comments.
This particular image has done well in international competitions.
Regarding Alan's question about the girl's neck length. As this is a type of fantasy composite I intentionally lengthen the girl's neck to create attention.interest,from the viewer.
Its harking back to the "match stick men" created by LOWRY the famous artist, where he had a signature style of the unusual.
"Lowry painted scenes of life in the industrial districts of North West England in the mid-20th century. He developed a distinctive style of painting and is best known for his urban landscapes peopled with human figures, often referred to as "matchstick men".
Composites allow us the create the unusual, not seen in any other groups within the PSA. Its a unique form of photography that we in this group are gifted with, and we are able to step outside the norms of photography and create somethingf special.   Posted: 10/26/2024 13:45:54