Not a Skull - thank you card

[SarahLee]

And just to prove that mods don't just do skulls. This has already been shown in People & Portraits a while ago, but I thought I'd give it a try in here too.

Playing around after processing a photoshoot for a friend's newborn, and thought this might be fun to do. Mum absolutely loved it and used it as the image for thank you cards after the christening.

I've had comments ranging from "really cute" to "nauseatingly cheesy", So if you think it's the latter, don't worry I won't be offended if you say it.

 

[MWHCVT]

Okay so that gives me and idea with my new less than week old niece, that is if Daddy (thedodo) doesn't beat me to, and for the point of the thread I fall in the Aww ain't that cute camp

Matt

 

[TheBigYin]

Hey... not all my Shots in here were skulls either... There was the self portrait, which was of entirely the other end to my skull, and I did something with clocks iirc...

There WILL probably be another shot of Eddie II coming up soon, as soon as the november POTY results are declared though...

and back to your shot... I'm a miserable old golfbag, as you know, and I don't really do people, kids or cute, so - I'll just say, it's a really well executed shot, and I'm sure that the mum loved it. For myself, I'll go with Nauseatingly Cute as a compromise

 

[MWHCVT]

Have avatar size limit's increased or is this a mod thing

 

[TheBigYin]

Have avatar size limit's increased or is this a mod thing

Big Yin not understand technikal fings - Big Yin just keep loading files 'till one works

 

[Thedodo]

Big Yin not understand technikal fings - Big Yin just keep loading files 'till one works

 

[SarahLee]

Okay so that gives me and idea with my new less than week old niece, that is if Daddy (thedodo) doesn't beat me to, and for the point of the thread I fall in the Aww ain't that cute camp

Matt

Thanks Matt.
I look forward to seeing your take on it with your niece

and back to your shot... I'm a miserable old golfbag, as you know, and I don't really do people, kids or cute, so - I'll just say, it's a really well executed shot, and I'm sure that the mum loved it. For myself, I'll go with Nauseatingly Cute as a compromise

I could have guessed that would be your take on it!
Completely agree with the cheesiness of it - but also understand new mums wanting something that little bit cute and cheesy of their new arrivals (and hey, sometimes I like a bit of cheese too. It's my guilty seccret )

Have avatar size limit's increased or is this a mod thing

Yep. Mods are a little bit special with avatars . . . and probably in other ways too

 

[SamuelSlade007]

o...m...g... SL ... that looks??? IS sooo cute... but SL... the petals look like they are opening before my eyes?? an optical illusion or me upping the cooking sherry the nearer to christmas we get?? either way.... beautifully lit and composed

 

[Digitall]

Excellent work Sarah. lovely mood nice colors.
Merry Christmas.

 

[Didicoy]

Love it

 

[SarahLee]

o...m...g... SL ... that looks??? IS sooo cute... but SL... the petals look like they are opening before my eyes?? an optical illusion or me upping the cooking sherry the nearer to christmas we get?? either way.... beautifully lit and composed

Awwww thanks Kev.
I couldn't possibly comment on the quantity of cooking sherry you've consumed . . . but yeah it does have a sort of 3D petal opening effect.
I wish I could take credit for that and say that it was planned, but it's just a lucky fluke with the DoF on the flower

Excellent work Sarah. lovely mood nice colors.
Merry Christmas.

Thanks Allan and Merry Christmas to you and your family too!

Love it

Thank you Mark.

 

[v8moneypit]

Cuteness aside.... OK, a quick 'awww' is allowed, isn't it?,...... it almost has an oil painting quality to it. I have no idea why I think that (maybe more cooking sherry here too!!), but I love it!

 

[HopefulM]

I like it Sarah and I'd also like to know how you did it too

 

[SarahLee]

Cuteness aside.... OK, a quick 'awww' is allowed, isn't it?,...... it almost has an oil painting quality to it. I have no idea why I think that (maybe more cooking sherry here too!!), but I love it!

Thank you Steve . . . and you can have as many "awwwws" (and cooking sherries) as you want. It's Christmas.

I like it Sarah and I'd also like to know how you did it too

Thanks Maria.
There really isn't much to tell on how it was done. Just a simple composite of three images. The Gerbera on a black b/g / a shot of the baby from the photoshoot that happened to be at an appropriate angle / a pair of bee's wings from an old insect shot on my hard-drive. Layers and some masking out of the finer details, then some selective dodging, burning and blurring to match up the lighting and DoF. Oh and I changed the colour of her outfit too. It was originally the same pink as the flower, but was getting lost in the final image.

The flower was shot specifically for this purpose, so I did as much matching with lighting and angles as I could up front to try to minimise the PP required.

 

[HopefulM]

thanks