I'm using Photoshop, but you can get most of the stuff done in other software as well (Photoshop is quite expensive, that's why I'm using the old CS that I bought in 2004). Before that I used Corel PhotoPaint, which was o.k. I bought Photoshop only because of the RAW converter at the time. Don't use it meanwhile but once you get hooked on Photoshop there is no easy way back

Ok, since you don't mind, here's what I see in the second one:
[IMG]http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t5/Prieni/gtisIMGP0008.jpg[/IMG]
I think it looks very dreamy and so I used a blurred layer underneath a normal layer with layer mode soft light to get the dreamy glows. Also it does serve as a bit of a curve adjustment. It also increases the saturation a bit.
Hope you like what I saw in your picture.

Prieni

There's an idea, I have to find a bicycle in frozen water and can kill two birds with one shutter action...

Prieni

I hope you don't mind me working on your first one (if you do, just say so and I will delete it again):
[IMG]http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t5/Prieni/gtisIMGP0007a.jpg[/IMG]
I've lightened the foreground a bit and darkened the clouds. A little S-curve adjustment, unsharp mask with big radius, low intensity and unsharp mask again with 0.6 radius and a bit stronger applied.

Perhaps a bit over the top but goes to show what you can do (and if you do that on the original the result will be a bit better).

The second one has great light. Shame that the sky is blown a bit (i.e. too bright). If you crop the sky out almost completely it looks sublime and the longer I look at it the more I like it...

Prieni

First frozen water (just when the weather is warming up again) and now bicycles. But hey, he had to come up with two themes in short succession. It could have been worse, he could have chosen caravans

No, more seriously, Martin, good themes. I don't think I have any bicycle shots in my archives that are worth submitting (if I have anything at all). And the frozen water is a bit elusive at the moment. I have something in the freezer as a backup plan but there is some time and maybe the weather is turning colder before the end of the competition period.

Prieni

If you compare the two versions the latter one certainly does look more natural. On it's own the first version doesn't look too bad, though you are right with the greens and their radioactive look.

Could it be that the many Canon pictures we look at over the time (not to speak of high-saturation TV series like CSI) slowly corrupt our good taste?

Some posters over on depressing reviews did say that they crank up saturation when submitting to the PPG. Apparently it does help to survive the peer review. (I haven't adjusted the saturation for my submissions but manipulated gamma and contrast in SilkyPix, resulting sometimes in (as you put it) radioactive colours so that I have to reduce saturation a bit).

Maybe it is just us getting old...

I better end on this happy note
Prieni

You could perhaps have phrased it a bit more diplomatic, but I think you are right on the money (pun intended).

Prieni

Thanks Richard,

I was just over on depressing reviews and the thread there when I got your response.

So I hope that my price from their competition is upgradeable to PRO version (I already have two licenses of 3.0).

Cheers,
Prieni

Now that has me completely confused. It seems that the new Silkypix 4 is called the PRO version now and only available in Japanese at the moment. Fine.
"The 3.0 version had a different user base than the PRO version..." : There hasn't been a pro version so far, or has it?

All I can read into this is that there will be a higher price for SP4...

BTW: I was told by a member of this forum that I made the 2. place in Shortcut's photo contest. Haven't heard from them, though... The announcement must have been made shortly before the WEB site troubles started.

Prieni

I think it's great and I thought of a dream before reading that it is supposed to be a dream. I like the eery lighting on the boy/fruitbowl/cat. Would be a great shot without the moon as well (but I guess that the moon is required).

Good luck with the retake!

Prieni

Thanks for the link, Spider, hadn't watched it for a while. It really is hilarious!

Prieni