Your Qwerky Compositions for fun!

[John 2]

Thanks Manfred. It's fun to have a play from time to time.

[Manfred M]

Time for another one that has just been completed:

Just a few details about the image. The mask is one by the well known Florentine mask maker, Professor Agustino Dessi. The three black and white photos are shots in his shop / workshop in Florence, Italy. The background in a composite of two images; stained glass and ceiling of Ste Chapelle, in Paris France and the other is the staircase of the Great Hall, Ellis Island, New York City / Jersey City.

[Manfred M]

I got a bit bored this evening, so I spent some time working on my compositing skills, trying out a few new things.

[Rita]

Don't think this is too quirky but thought I would give this a try. Realize that this is probably very basic but it is also my first attempt at something like this
Started out with the pic of the waterfall then I added the duck (which has water coming from it's bill), the robin in the process of nest building, and the possum (which should be sleeping during the day), the flowers on the left were added just because.

[Manfred M]

Don't think this is too quirky but thought I would give this a try. Realize that this is probably very basic but it is also my first attempt at something like this
Started out with the pic of the waterfall then I added the duck (which has water coming from it's bill), the robin in the process of nest building, and the possum (which should be sleeping during the day), the flowers on the left were added just because.

Nice first try Rita. The "trick" in photocompositing is to try to blend the elements you are compositing to blend into the background, rather than having them look like they were cut out and stuck on the image. This can be very tricky with birds and animals; the fur and feathers are really tough to get right because of the way they interact with light.

[Manfred M]

I spent several hours out on the bike today and was too tired to do much else so I played around with a photocomposite I started a few weeks ago, but just couldn't get it to come together for me. I ended up throwing out everything other than the mask and the background and reworked things in a Venetian theme.

The background scene is a night shot taken of Venice's Grand Canal from the Calatrava Bridge. The mask is one of the painted plaster ones for sale at the many tourist shops in the city. I did a bit of enhancement to give it a more evil look. The musical notes in that background is a from a scan of Antonia Vivaldi's Concerto for 2 Violins in A major, RV 519; Vivaldi was born in Venice.

[Rita]

Thanks Manfred, I appreciate the feedback. Wasn't sure how to get them blended in. I kind of thought that they looked a bit like they had been crazy glued on. I will work on it

[Manfred M]

Thanks Manfred, I appreciate the feedback. Wasn't sure how to get them blended in. I kind of thought that they looked a bit like they had been crazy glued on. I will work on it

What software are you using to work on this piece? Normally one feathers the edge a bit and that helps with the blending as the edge is not quite as sharp.

[Rita]

I am using Adobe Elements 11. I have played with it a bit but no a whole lot. I will give your suggestion a try.

[Manfred M]

Elements sounds like a good start. I understand that you can use layers in it.

Think of layers like working on a thin piece of plastic or glass that you can put your image on and manipulate it. Stacking the layers on top of each other lets you build up your final image. The image that I just posted consists of 16 unique layers.

[Rita]

This helps greatly. I'm practicing and will post something else when I get it done. Thank you

[John 2]

Manfred, really like your latest effort particularly the overall finish. I could see that as a piece of art in its own right or a CD cover.

Rita, good advice from Manfred plus don't forget that when you stand something on solid ground, it always casts a shadow in some form or other and if you add it, it needs to be in the right direction for the light source.

[kdoc856]

your Venice piece is gorgeous. I'd be happy to have it framed and displayed in my home.

[Manfred M]

I've done a few more photocomposites over the past few weeks:

This one is of Bushmen in the Kalahari. We spent about half a day with them on a hunt.



This is a collection of some shots of an osprey taken not far from where I live





These are grizzly bears taken in the Kutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary, in North-Western British Columbia, Canada.



This shot is another one based on some images I took in Namibia (the Namib desert). The main image at a tiny settlement called Solitaire, where we were told that the gasoline supply was unreliable. Perhaps this was true..

[John 2]

Manfred, these are Art. My only crit would be that the bears should have had a violin player somewhere in the background. I jest. Great work.

[Manfred M]

Thanks John - I was looking for a band playing some ragtime for the bears, but couldn't get it to look right

[Manfred M]

Playing around with a few more ideas... I haven't really been able to get out and shoot since June, so playing around with some older images I had lying around.

The first images are all take at the Cold War Museum; the form Central Emergency Government Headquarters at the former Canadian Forces Station Carp. The building is the largest of its kind in Canada and was build to shelter key government officials who would keep the country running in case of a nuclear attack in the 1960s. The background is the blast tunner; the main central image is the control panel from the x-ray machine in the hospital, the bomb is a US Mk IV Atomic Bomb.




This is a composite taken in Eotosha National Park; with the Etosha Pan in the background and a group of zebra staring at us in the foreground





This image features a mask by the well known Florentine mask maker; Professor Agustino Dessi featureing a wolf mask with a Pinocchio theme on it. The backgound is 100% Paris France; tje bottom right are the ceiling and floor from Napoleon's Tomb and the background comes from the Cluny Museum and the well known tapestry known as "The Lady and the Unicorn".