"You don't Take a Photograph, You Make One" :)

[Nicks Pics]

So... since I haven't taken any photographs that I thought were all that good, I tried making one . Just for fun, and practice with graphic skills.

---WARNING--- FABRICATED BIRD IMAGE!!! (as you can probably tell!)

Put together in GIMP, using 4 photographs: 1, bird, 2, other bird, 3, snow, and 4, stick & background image

Comments welcome!

[chauncey]

Each of your images are good...I don't care for the black band...otherwise nice job.

[JR1]

I would like to see this without any frames as the birds/snow are stunning as seen

[Shadowman]

Nicely done.

[Geoff F]

Yes, I'm not sure about the frame either.

Occasionally, having a subject coming outside the frame does work but in this case the branch is behind the frame while the birds are in front of it; which somehow seems just a little odd?

Almost a 3D effect, but I'm not quite sure what extra is required. Keep the snow behind the frame?

Great potential though.

[selig1656]

The fruits of your labor , darn good and there is alot to work with in that creation of yours.

[Nicks Pics]

Thanks for the ideas guys, and the compliments! You gave me a few more things to try. So I've posted here, 1: without frame, 2: with snow behind frame. I also tried making the flying chickadee's tail go behind the frame. I know the berries looked a little odd, I didn't have any more of them in that image on that side.

1


2


Thanks for your suggestions!

[deetheturk]

I like the one without the frame, well done bud

[Geoff F]

But if you want a frame, and with the birds emerging from the scene, then it definitely looks better to me without the snow.

[jcuknz]

First thing I noticed was that the bird is gripping the branch the wrong way ... having been down this road of masochism myself
If the bird is perched on the branch whose end is cut off by the frame then the tail is behind the twig and should be cut off as well

LOGIC LOGIC LOGIC

[Brownbear]

Hi Nick,

Looks especially well done to me, and of course the beautiful capture of the chickadees (especially the in flight) makes it extra special! I prefer it without the border. Perhaps a fading white or a dark vignette might work, ie; lighter visually than a border.

[Stagecoach]

Very good Nick, use a simple white canvas around it, mention nothing of how you produced it and you will be amazed at the number of people that will go WOW you were lucky to capture that

[FootLoose]

At first glance, if you only had one bird in the frame, I would have assumed is an actual capture. Well done on the compositing, Nick.

[Nicks Pics]

Thanks everybody! Perhaps the frame was a little bit heavy. I wanted to play with the birds emerging from the frame but perhaps it is not more appealing that way, and/or inaccurate. To me, not inaccurate because of the perched bird, (since its tail is "closer" to us than the stick) but because the flying bird is smaller ( farther away) than the other bird, so it should not be in front of the frame if the stick is behind.

Very good Nick, use a simple white canvas around it, mention nothing of how you produced it and you will be amazed at the number of people that will go WOW you were lucky to capture that

At first glance, if you only had one bird in the frame, I would have assumed is an actual capture. Well done on the compositing, Nick.

On the contrary, I wouldn't want to show it to anybody without telling them it is fake, or else nobody might trust my photography hence forth - eek!

[Rita]

Hi Nick,
I prefer the #1 image without the frame.

[Bunty Plumchip]

Like it without the frame, and like making pictures /photographs, because they are literally pictures made from light! The bird's legs look a bit odd though, like he has two left
feet lol.

[Nicks Pics]

Like it without the frame, and like making pictures /photographs, because they are literally pictures made from light! The bird's legs look a bit odd though, like he has two left
feet lol.

Like maybe he has two left feet... Thank you, this is my first made-to-look real photo-picture.

Rita,
Thank you, it is helpful to know your preferences.

The frame is not winning the vote!

[NorthernFocus]

Hi, Nick. The one with the frame looks too contrived. I also like the frameless version. The lighting for all of the various components fits well. Mismatched lighting is often a giveaway for composite images but not here. Probably only a photographer would notice but with the relative size of the two birds and the blurred BG, having them both in focus just doesn't look right. Overall pretty well done.

[JBW]

you are where i am hoping to get to with Gimp. have you considered using some of the techniques for painters developed during the Renaissance?

[Nicks Pics]

Dan, thanks for the comments, you're right, that's one thing I noticed while I was making it is that there is practically no way that these two birds would be caught in this position and in focus. I had overcast lighting when each shot was taken, so that worked out well, now that you mention it.

Brian, thank you. My way with Gimp is that I know a handful of features and over use them. But I did this project partially to get better at it, and the more I use Gimp, the more features I learn - there are plenty more to discover! Not familiar with any painting techniques- ??