Fire Dog

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Comments welcomed.
G]

[mugge]

I like the idea but I think the colours are too vivid and I'd also tone down the white of the dog a tad.
Cheers Ole

[xpatUSA]

A nice moment in time!

A pity the dog had one foot raised - thereby looking less like he was "standing guard".

With detail on the vehicle so sharp versus the dog, I would be inclined to select the dog, sharpen it up, then invert the selection and blur his surroundings slightly. Also I agree with Ole.

[Geoff F]

If that was shot at a fire engine station I assume everything would be well polished. In which case, the colours look fine to me.

[pschlute]

I actually like the red and yellow colours, and think they could make a nice background for the b+w lovely hound.

I think the problem with the picture though is the background is a bit "busy" and disjointed, and that detracts from the dog.

I guess you were limited in how you could frame this, and like many shots we take, you have to work with what you have.

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It took me a while to get back to this thread. I've been trying to blur the background as Ted sujested. I don't know how to invert. I'm OK selecting the dog and adjusting it but haven't figured out how to invert the selection to adjust the background. It's very challenging.

Peter, I was limited in taking these shots. I was walking with a group of people when I passed the scene. Several pedestrians were in the way. The group I was with kept walking and waited on the corner. I wanted to get a good picture of what I thought was a classic scene. But it's like you say, you have to work with what you have.

Thank you, Ole and Jeoff for your input.

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The Los World

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I couldn't sleep, so I made a tee shirt. I hope it fits.

[Geoff F]

I prefer that sitting dog but wonder about cropping to a different size ratio and losing a bit from the left side? You don't want to lose anything from the height.

[xpatUSA]

It took me a while to get back to this thread. I've been trying to blur the background as Ted sujested. I don't know how to invert. I'm OK selecting the dog and adjusting it but haven't figured out how to invert the selection to adjust the background. It's very challenging.

Sounds like your editor can't just "invert" a selection by clicking on an option somewhere.

If you're rich and don't mind Adobe, then Photoshop can probably do that. Or I read that Lightroom now has masking - i.e. make a mask that excludes the dog and blur away.

If, like me, you're poor - or hate Adobe anyways, the free GIMP is the app for you with it's kajillion ways to select stuff and comes with masking anyhoo. The GIMP has a steep learning curve but well worth it for a pedant like me ...

Exaggerated masking example:

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Hello Ted. Hoping all is well with you on your Texas ranch. I'm not poor, just frugal, especially with myself but I did sign up with Adobe when I started a few years ago. It's very challenging for me to learn. A bad case of slow to remember and quick to forget. Still working on the basics. But if I'm told the steps to take I can often follow them. I stumble my way through processing. On occasion with pleasing results. Your exaggerated rendition is awful but works for demonstration purposes. Thank you for taking the time. Daniel

[Stagecoach]

Sounds like your editor can't just "invert" a selection by clicking on an option somewhere.

If you're rich and don't mind Adobe, then Photoshop can probably do that. Or I read that Lightroom now has masking - i.e. make a mask that excludes the dog and blur away.

If, like me, you're poor - or hate Adobe anyways, the free GIMP is the app for you with it's kajillion ways to select stuff and comes with masking anyhoo. The GIMP has a steep learning curve but well worth it for a pedant like me ...

Exaggerated masking example:

That has unfortunately put 'fuzzy' edges all around the dog making it look totally unrealistic within the scene

[xpatUSA]

That has unfortunately put 'fuzzy' edges all around the dog making it look totally unrealistic within the scene

Yes, it was a quick exaggerated example:

a) I made the mask with the GINP's 'threshold' function.

b) I failed to correct my selection feathering from 12px to zero.

Fortunately, neither of which invalidates the principle of my example.

[Stagecoach]

Yes, it was a quick exaggerated example:

a) I made the mask with the GINP's 'threshold' function.

b) I failed to correct my selection feathering from 12px to zero.

Fortunately, neither of which invalidates the principle of my example.

But your example, whether exaggerated or not, is not the principle or procedure of blurring the background. For a good result, the selection of the subject should be made, the subject removed from the frame, the vacant space 'filled' with similar to the surrounding and then blurred. The subject is then placed back on the blurred frame.

In addition if wanted, the degree of blurring can be adjusted to match the plane of the subject.

[xpatUSA]

Your exaggerated rendition is awful but works for demonstration purposes. Thank you for taking the time. Daniel

Well, Daniel, apparently my rendition should not work.

See post #14 for how to do it properly ...

[xpatUSA]

But your example, whether exaggerated or not, is not the principle or procedure of blurring the background. For a good result, the selection of the subject should be made, the subject removed from the frame, the vacant space 'filled' with similar to the surrounding and then blurred. The subject is then placed back on the blurred frame.

In addition if wanted, the degree of blurring can be adjusted to match the plane of the subject.

I fold ...

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Well, Daniel, apparently my rendition should not work.

See post #14 for how to do it properly ...

Not a big deal. Actually, I would need a more detailed explanation of how to do it. I just keep hammering away and eventually I make a breakthrough.

[Stagecoach]

Actually, I would need a more detailed explanation of how to do it. I just keep hammering away and eventually I make a breakthrough.

Daniel, I will put together the procedures and post them here using PS for blurring a background this evening time permitting.

In the meantime here is a quick example of why the simple selection and blur does not produce decent results, however good you think your selections are.

Orig image, imagine black area is fire station, white area is dog. Selections are 'perfect' of course.



The black area (fire station) has now been brightened or more correctly colour modified around the subject and you can see the resulting fuzzy halo around what would have been the dog. Explanation is on the image.



Edited to improve wording.

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Thank you, Grahame, for your time and effort. The generosity of the members of CiC is what makes this forum so unique—much appreciated. I have a multitude of projects vying for my attention at this time. Thursday, I will be traveling outside my country for a week and will be effectively offline for that period. I will spend some time on this over the next few days and return to it when I get back.

[xpatUSA]

Daniel, I will put together the procedures and post them here using PS for blurring a background this evening time permitting.

In the meantime here is a quick example of why the simple selection and blur does not produce decent results, however good you think your selections are.

Orig image, imagine black area is fire station, white area is dog. Selections are 'perfect' of course.



The black area (fire station) has now been blurred and you can see the resulting fuzzy halo around what would have been the dog. Explanation is on the image.

I'm baack ...

Your first image with the white rectangle selected, then selection inverted, then filled with sharp squares, then Gaussian blurred 1.5 px.



I'm failing to see deleterious effects around the "subject", Grahame.