Hercules - Thursday, Mach Loop

hyakuhei

hyakuhei

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Robert
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I know it can sometimes get peoples backs up when the word "art" comes up along with photography, so before I go on please realise that this image wasn't supposed to be an accurate replication of what I saw on Thursday. It is supposed to be an image that engages the observer, it is supposed to be dramatic and drawing, showing the energy, power and carisma of this RAF workhorse.

That said, feel free to critique away but please try to keep it within the context of this being a primarily artistic piece. The original was incredibly bland, I could perhaps post that up later.

This image has spent more time in post processing than any other I have produced, it took about 15 hours to get it to this state and I'm still not completely happy with it.

Anyway - enough waffle from me, apologies in advance for the watermarking:
p435354830-4.jpg


Thanks for looking (y)

Edit:
I just noticed this looks a *lot* better viewed against a darker background - if your going to leave a crit (please do) then you might want to check that out first. This image is intended as a present for a friend, printed and framed at 30x20 :thinking:
 
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As a dramatic piece of art I would very happy to be given this and would put it up staight away. (y)

Scott
 
I'd be mostly pleased if that was given to me.

I think it works well
Elvis
 
markjayne said:
15 hours :LOL:
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What's so funny? Or did you mean to use a completely different smiley to show your understanding and admiration that someone has spent a fair amount of time on something that clearly has meaning to him as a present for a friend.

Or were you just mocking?
 
Marcel said:
What's so funny? Or did you mean to use a completely different smiley to show your understanding and admiration that someone has spent a fair amount of time on something that clearly has meaning to him as a present for a friend.

Or were you just mocking?
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No I meant the :LOL:

If Rob takes offence at that then I'm sure he'll pull me up on it, rather than have the likes of you to do it for him ;)

Mark
 
The mods are kind of here to keep the peace...

Anyway nuff of that.

I think it looks fantastic.

I too am confused as to where 15 hours has gone though! It would be awesome if you could give a quick in-a-nutshell idea of what you've done to the image, perhaps a post of the original?
 
Living in Swindon and close to where the “Fat Albert’s” are based (RAF Lynham) I see dozens of these A/C every week coming or going. Maybe I am so used to seeing them I really take much notice of them , so seeing your depiction of this great work-horse of the sky, I just had to congratulate you on the amount of work you have put into producing so a great image. IMHO you have captured everything about this aircraft, the beauty, the power, the grace and the carisma.

I would love to be giving such a print.

Well done and the time spend in PP was well worth the effort.
 
markjayne said:
No I meant the :LOL:

If Rob takes offence at that then I'm sure he'll pull me up on it, rather than have the likes of you to do it for him ;)

Mark
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I'm here to oversee the site, and if I think someone is taking the **** out of another member, I will pull them up on it. Regardless of whether you think I should or not. We're supposed to be here to encourage each other, not point and laugh.
How do you think your reply might look to someone else reading the thread, who is hesitant of posting their own stuff? You could end up putting them off completely.

So yes, 'The likes of me' (whatever that means) will pull you up on your replies if I think you're taking the ****.
 
I love it, but I would be inclined to give it a dutch tilt so that the plane is flying up from the bottom right corner to the top left as we look at it. Not too much, but enough to add some drama to an otherwise stunning image (y)
 
Thanks for the replies guys (apart from MJ ;))

Trappe: The sky in both images is the original, in so much as each A/C was photographed against the sky seen in the photo. I spend a lot of time in PP but I don't introduce new elements (like replacing the sky).

Diego: Good advice, I got so wrapped up in playing with levels and sharpness I forgot to fiddle with the angles - I'll have a look!

Seems I should qualify the 15 hours a little; I'm not the best with photoshop and still spend a lot of time in trial and error cycles. The hardest part of this shot was getting the levels right on the props. The A/C, Sky and Props all have different levels applied and balancing them out was really tricky!

Another hard part was the selection of the A/C - getting the masks right so that it doesn't have a big halo or a heavy dark line around the outside was very tricky.

Here's the layers pane from the open image, it might not look like much but it took me long enough!

Picture1-3.png
 
Diego Garcia said:
I love it, but I would be inclined to give it a dutch tilt so that the plane is flying up from the bottom right corner to the top left as we look at it. Not too much, but enough to add some drama to an otherwise stunning image (y)
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I like the rotation, I tried a few options but I found this wings-level shot quite appealing...

p444252114-4.jpg


Heres the original for reference (Perhaps this thread should be renamed to "Why you should shoot raw"):
Hercules-orig-0001.jpg
 
I like the editing, just goes to show what you can do with an image......though 15 hours is I have to confess a hell of a long time :p.
 
The transition between the two images is fantastic. I think it is time well spent. Dare i say after 15 hours work it may look good in monochrome :)
 
Top work...! I could imagine having it printed on canvas would further enhance the intended outcome you describe in the OP (y)
 
Rob,

Another fantastic image and 15 hours well spent! You also seemed to have sparked a bit of a one sided rant which I find fabulously entertaining. I do enjoy it when some people find the need to clamber up onto the high moral ground and rattle the odd sabre! From my dealings with you and Markjane I am sure that you are both appreciate the friendly ribbing and banter that exists on this site - thats why I took the p*ss out of you about the 'only a Hawk' comment the other day.

Having read through this thread, MScotts has made an awesome point - this would look stunning on canvas - if I was a truckie I would buy it! (Marcel, this is also banter, aimed at multi engine pilots - they are not bad people .... just different!)

Finally, Rob are you at Valley next week?

Cheesy
 
Cheesy said:
Rob,

Another fantastic image and 15 hours well spent! You also seemed to have sparked a bit of a one sided rant which I find fabulously entertaining. I do enjoy it when some people find the need to clamber up onto the high moral ground and rattle the odd sabre! From my dealings with you and Markjane I am sure that you are both appreciate the friendly ribbing and banter that exists on this site - thats why I took the p*ss out of you about the 'only a Hawk' comment the other day.

Having read through this thread, MScotts has made an awesome point - this would look stunning on canvas - if I was a truckie I would buy it! (Marcel, this is also banter, aimed at multi engine pilots - they are not bad people .... just different!)

Finally, Rob are you at Valley next week?

Cheesy
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Oi Cheesy....Its Jayne with a Y :LOL:.....Oh wait that smileys wrong......:razz:......Yeah thats better.

Mark
 
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Amazing transformation
I would have got bored after 15 minutes let alone 15 hours Well done (y)
 
Wow what a transformation from the original , yet "the camera never lies"....:LOL: Myself wouldn't have the patience and don't have the PS knowledge to do this, but all in all an excellent result from a "so-so" shot......

Excuse my naievity but what exactly is a "dutch tilt" and why is it called so........
 
Great result, it really captures the mood and the power of the Hercules. I would be happy to put this up on my own wall.
 
+1 for going on the wall it's a very very moody sky with a gorgeous plane going through it

(Lush PP btw its absolutely spot on)

might be worth asking the people that carry big plane prints if they would like to carry big prints/ canvasses of this perhaps?
 
I really like that shot. I have a few on my walls, as I used to work on them, live in Swindon etc ;)

Only thing I think I'd do is crop some sky out top & bottom to more of a landscape. Bet it would look great on a canvas
 
Like kemble3 I see a lot of these fly over my place, they practise their drops at Keevil and then turn when they get quite close to me.
Never thought of trying to get one in the camera but having seen this I think I might give it a try.
Your dedication of 15 hours work has really paid off (y)
bri
 
I like it and love looking at your images as an aviation fan. I spent 3 years with hercs all over the world and I love fat Albert! Is there any way you could enhance the trails left by the engines? or would this be agains the look you want. EIther way a fab image and yes it looks even better with the dim the lights option. I think it fills the frame well but would like to see the airframe standout a bit more but again this might not be what you are after.
I would still have it as a massive poster in my study nonetheless!
 
retired said:
Like kemble3 I see a lot of these fly over my place, they practise their drops at Keevil and then turn when they get quite close to me.
Never thought of trying to get one in the camera but having seen this I think I might give it a try.
Your dedication of 15 hours work has really paid off (y)
bri
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You can get them on the approach at Keevil at fairly low level, especially when coming in on a drop, also on approach to Lyneham on runway 25
 
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