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The Secret Kiss...it's there...just look closely.
The Secret Kiss...it's there...just look closely.
Puckzzz


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Still Life With Motion (Advanced Editing V)
Camera: Pentax K10D
Lens: Pentax FA 28-80mm 3.5-5.6 AF - Silver
Location: Veghel, Holland
Date: Sep 18, 2007
Aperture: F3.5 manual
ISO: 100
Shutter: 1/125
Galleries: Abstract, Still Life
Date Uploaded: Sep 18, 2007

 smoke from two incense sticks (my studio never smelled better :-P )

I love how the orange smoke looks like a woman with her eyes closed kissing someone.

first of all it was very hard to get the lighting, camera settings and focus right to get the bg black and the smoke lit. but I got it in the end with a brolly on my right side pointing up to the ceiling, and another flash to the left of the table also pointing up, aluminiumfoil on the table. don't know if that made any difference it was mainly to catch the ashes of the sticks.


lots of PP:
convert RAW after some adjustments in RAW editing to JPG
open>crop
levels
noiseware
duplicate layer
replace color to get the bg all black
burning
dodging
make new layer > color mode
get orange paintbrush on 65% start brushing the left smoke, highlighting the face in the smoke
play around with hue & saturation on layers
resize
flatten image
noiseware again
sharpen edges
add border
save for web

I think those were all the steps...

not sure how it'll do.
I'm hoping a 6. depends wehter people see the face or not I think.


Postchallenge:

I realise now it is not a still life.
but i like it anyway :)

Statistics
Place: 66 out of 99
Avg (all users): 5.3523
Avg (commenters): 5.6154
Avg (participants): 5.0612
Avg (non-participants): 5.4646
Views since voting: 1028
Views during voting: 734
Votes: 176
Comments: 16
Favorites: 0

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AuthorThread
 Comments Made During the Challenge
09/30/2007 05:08:31 PM
Crazy amazing!!!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/30/2007 01:01:07 PM
still life???
 09/29/2007 04:43:15 PM
Looks like colored smoke? Please put some notes on this so I can know what it is after the challenge is over. Understated, but colorful. I like it.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/28/2007 08:49:02 PM
Very pretty, but not a shot of anything still.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/28/2007 06:16:16 PM
It's just my take but motion life is different than still life with motion. The smoke is motionless in this photo but so is every other subject ever captured with a camera so I can't accept that as meeting the still part and since smoke is never still in reality it doesn't convey stillness either. Just my opinion.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/28/2007 01:36:43 PM
subtle, nice shot - 9
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/27/2007 11:45:53 AM
Nice tonal range here and the smoke is nice and detailed, I have seen this type of thing before and it doesnt work for me, I do however like it here, its a nice composition.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/27/2007 07:39:40 AM
I think I see it, but I'm not sure. How did you get the tubular smoke?
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/26/2007 11:46:09 PM
DNMC (I can see "the secret kiss", but I don't see still life here. Maybe i'm wrong, of course)
 09/26/2007 03:30:35 PM
Okay, I see the kiss...but where is the still life?
I adore this photo, it is awesome, but it's all motion and no still.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/26/2007 06:49:27 AM
I'll take your word about the kiss but I like the pic anyway!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/25/2007 09:26:46 AM
Nice job on the smoke. Very delicate.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/24/2007 07:17:35 PM
cool smoke shot, well composed and nice colors. I do feel that this does not meet the challenge discription though.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/24/2007 03:05:06 PM
Cool looking. I don't really see the still life, unless that's what the red stuff is? I'm confused by this, but it looks to be technically sound.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/24/2007 09:01:12 AM
you ever watch the wall?
looks like that one scene where the flowers are fighting/gettin it on
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/24/2007 08:59:48 AM
This is a good shot for a motion challenge, not for a still life challenge.
Still life should be the focus.
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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