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Shapeshifting (She turns into smoke)
2nd PlaceShapeshifting (She turns into smoke)
Alex_Petrini


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Superpowers II (Expert Editing)
Collection: Artworks
Camera: Nikon D7000
Lens: Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G
Location: My house
Date: May 24, 2012
Galleries: Portraiture, Digital Art
Date Uploaded: May 24, 2012

 I have to say that I like this image a lot. Finished editing at 3.30 (Italian time). I also wanted to turn some parts of the face into smoke but I was too tired and this processing is way too long. I hope it can do well since I'm very satisfied :)

Yeah, very cool!

As I had written when I submitted the image, I like it very much. I didn't expect a ribbon, especially considering the not very high score, so I'm twice happy this morning :)

The model is my niece, the same I used in my 'leap day' entry. She's perfect for a red ribbon!

I know there are some minor imperfections in the final image but I was very tired, it was late at night... I swear, I gave my best!

gcoulson asked me how I created this image: the portrait has been shot under natural light coming from a window. For the smoke I used some sheets of paper: I burnt them so I got the smoke I shot using an external flash from the left. The smoke went upwards and I took the photo against a black cardboard.

I chose the sharpest smoke images (I mean, the ones with a well defined shape) and enhanced them using curves to have only the smoke under a completely black background. Afterwards I pasted the smoke on the girl image using the screen blending mode.

I searched for the best smoke shapes to simulate hands and arm bones. I pasted several smoke shapes (even little ones) and then modified them using the warp tool. As soon as I created another section I masked the real arm. Then I added some more generic smoke (without a well defined edge) and I pasted it under the bones to create a more realistic effect. At the end I added an adjustment layer with a gradient map. I changed the blending mode to soft light and lowered the opacity. That's all :)

Statistics
Place: 2 out of 48
Avg (all users): 6.7907
Avg (commenters): 7.8889
Avg (participants): 7.1333
Avg (non-participants): 6.6869
Views since voting: 4412
Views during voting: 369
Votes: 129
Comments: 30
Favorites: 3 (view)

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AuthorThread
 06/06/2012 10:05:09 PM
Congrats Alessandro :) You just keep going and dont know where you get the energy from
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/06/2012 10:55:14 AM
Originally posted by gcoulson:
Any chance of a "how-to" on this one? Very interested to know how you generated the hand from smoke!


For sure. I will edit the image details in half an hour. If you need some information more, you can send me a PM :)
 06/06/2012 10:53:32 AM
Any chance of a "how-to" on this one? Very interested to know how you generated the hand from smoke!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/03/2012 09:43:49 PM
Congrats on the red ribbon, Alessandro. Lovely work. (Lovely model, too.)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/03/2012 03:25:00 AM
Nice smoke on this Alex, congrats on the Red Ribbon
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/01/2012 09:44:04 AM
Very cool!! Congrats on the red!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/01/2012 09:20:08 AM
Alessandro, we know you ALWAYS do your best! Congrats on the Red with a really great work! Go Long Shots! (-:
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/01/2012 08:40:16 AM
Congrats on your ribbon! Wonderful image.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/01/2012 07:52:35 AM
Congrats on the Red for this well done image!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/01/2012 07:26:40 AM
Well done Congrats on your ribbon.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/01/2012 07:25:02 AM
Well done, nice finish!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/01/2012 07:10:21 AM
Congrats on the ribbon.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/01/2012 04:10:35 AM
Originally posted by Tommy_Mac:
Congrats on the Red Alessandro!!...very cool image!! You need to start actually sleeping at some point though! :-p


Should I? Christophe never sleeps - maybe it's his secret :)
 06/01/2012 04:02:55 AM
Congrats on the Red Alessandro!!...very cool image!! You need to start actually sleeping at some point though! :-p
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/01/2012 03:56:23 AM
Big congrats man! Awesome image!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/31/2012 10:08:38 PM
Lovely model and great effect, Alessandro!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/31/2012 10:00:20 PM
Congrats Alessandro, your entry was my highest vote. Great idea, and very well done with the bones shapes! Your hard work definitely shows.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/31/2012 09:39:30 PM
Very cool, Alessandro! Congrats
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/31/2012 08:41:20 PM
Congratulations! Awesome processing. Glad to see this in the top 3!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/31/2012 08:15:54 PM
Congrats on your ribbon!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
05/31/2012 05:52:14 PM
Lovely job.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/29/2012 07:52:07 PM
Nice execution on this! 8!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/28/2012 12:06:53 AM
You make it look so simple! Nice image
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/27/2012 01:54:53 PM
Very beautiful and it is well done!!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/27/2012 08:09:44 AM
fun! fun! fun!
I just wish the title didn't 'explain' the shot for me.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/26/2012 07:44:18 AM
Top 3
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/25/2012 10:48:11 AM
Voted earlier coming back to comment.

Her expression is a mixture of pleasant surprise and pride. It makes me think that she has had the ability but had to train to master it...and this is the moment where it successfully works the first time. Thus the pride and pleasant surprise. The effect of her turning into mist/smoke is way cool...it is a very neat effect. The composition is well done but there is one thing about the action that strikes me as a little odd. Is she is in the act of turning into smoke or is she 'reforming' into corporeal form? The expression and the point of where she 'tapers' off into smoke send conflicting signals. If she was turning into smoke then I think she would taper off into thin wisps on the fingers. But here in the composition she is tapering off into thinner wisps just above the elbow and that kinda makes me think she is turning back into her corporeal form. Still well done and methinks it will be in the top 20%.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/25/2012 07:19:26 AM
This is great and is one of my highest scored images. The model looks a tad...bored? But maybe she turns to smoke all the time! Haha, still the effect here is nicely done and looks really cool.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/25/2012 06:25:08 AM
I like this, but the title hurts it. even something like "smokin'" might've made it edgier. Still, in my case the title does not take away from the image. rawr 0.o
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/24/2012 11:06:32 PM
She'd be kicked out of most restaurants and bars. :P

Awesome job! 10
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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