paint it pink

Trying some things with photoshop and I wonder what your thoughts are about it,
so what do you think?

Thank you Gareth, you haven't look at it in full view yet *click* on it
I'm wandering what it would do if I would print it A3 size.

I was hoping the flower on the left would be enough out of the focus point to make it a feature rather then an attention getter, it seems I might have judge that wrongly.

Yeah it's so subjective sometimes, 50% loves it and the other 50% would have done it completely different.
At least it keeps thing interesting that way

Because you didn't wrote a comment on the effect but the typical photo comment.
I thought the photo was to bland on his own so use some effects.
Since it's rather subtle in this one I really like it.

One other photo that went through the same processes, look at the eye to see what I mean.
Once again you can click on it.

Did you have some fractal filter applied, on both pictures ?
When enlarged to 100% the same whirls effect is visible just beside the flower leafs and stem as seen in the eye of the snake. The flower picture gets a bit dreamy that way, which I like. The snake I find a bit distracting. I haven't got an idea how it would look printed big, though.

I am one of the 20 ones , who say:
I like !

Good advice about clicking. It made it

stefan that snake is so so cool great image and crop is it one of yours

James

Thank you all.

Yes Martin It goes down the line of fractal filter but isn't one though.
It's.... actually a smoothing filter but you can add edge algorithms to it which give it that twirl. You can also put that off and set to smoothing low and then it's a great way to clean up skins. Haven't really tried it yet that way, will give it a go and upload the results.

The snake is a bit distracting indeed but it shows the effect better.

Thank you Aki, still need to make that fire photo, sorry!

James that snake isn't mine, shot it in the zoo.
It's a rattly snake I believe, don't know more about it

Tried it on some skin, have put it on a bit too thick though but it shows at least what it does or do you find it quite al right like this?
Added a better version I think, it's the middle one and the last one is the old one.
You can click on them to make them bigger.

[IMG]http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk244/Anvh/_IGP4824.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk244/Anvh/_IGP4824smooth2.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk244/Anvh/_IGP4824smooth.jpg[/IMG]

Edit: add middle photo

For skin I think it looks to artificial. For use on flower shots (soft focus effect)
it could work. To achieve a dreamy kind of look.

Martin I thought you might say that so was already busy with a better one since the effect was too great.
The newer one is the middle one, your verdict please.

edit: typo

Second attempt is better, though I wonder I if the old fashioned Gaussian blur, selectively applied to a mask doesn't do a better job. For this kind of pictures, that is. And softening the skin of a guy isn't really my thing, I admit.

me neither Martin but for some strange reason I don't have a photo of a middle age woman.
Only got girls from 16 to 22 which hardly have anything to clean up and have some of 65+ woman and well to make their skin smooth just look very strange, since they are old they don't need to have a perfect skin.

Gaussian blur would also blur the finer details away as you can see in the second the skin even looks a bit sharper.
I'm sure you can do it without the filter but now that I've more feel for it it's a 10 second job.

Maybe the use of this filter in conjunction with a layer- mask to fine tune the final look would be the best way to use it. I think that would give you a good alternative for Gaussian blur. Maybe ??

edit:2 typo's

Martin, I would I use a layer mask to fine tine the result, you mean only picking the skin?

Used a younger model this time, specially for you.
Smoothed it as above but also sharpened it and used a layer mask to only show the sharpening.
Do you mean it something like this, Martin?

Here are the results.




I don't think you can say that it looks unnatural

ps. When I look back at these photos I wander if I should do more of these...
It was a pleasure to shoot them but don't know if I can make a living out of them if I would follow a course and go professional.
Any solid advice on this matter?

Well ....I think it is a bit to smooth. (but thats is also a matter of personal taste.)

About the advice part. Going Pro in The Netherlands is very,very difficult.
Specially in the already crowded business. Following a photographic course is never bad, but .....If a pro career is what you want try it part-time first, being someones assistant and don't burn any bridges behind you.Uncertain economic times, you know......