Blend Mode Magic Etosha Lioness

[Andreas Liedmann]

Hello you creative people out there.

Went wild with PS blend modes, do not know :Whoa!: what i had in my beer, maybe something that should not have been in there.

I started without a target ,base idea was something not color version, so i let the flow go, result is what you see.

So please fill this thread with your thoughts, to make me learn .

Canon EOS 1D MK IV
EF 500 IS L + 1,4 EXT
Beanbag

F8 ; 1/1000 sec ; ISO 640

Slight crop , processed in RPP and PS , first get a decent processed image and then went mad with all kind of different blend modes , channels and masks.

Hope you like it, or at least give me some feedback.

Cheers Andreas

[Rachel Hollander]

Hi Andreas - I've looked at this a couple of times now and it just isn't one of my favorites of yours. For me the extremes are pushed a bit too much and it results in a jarring effect. I prefer the details and grittiness of your other recent b&w posts more. While I usually enjoy profile shots, I don't feel much of a connection with the subject here. I'm not sure if that's the result of the tight framing or the way the eye is processed. Sorry about the negative comments but I know you prefer honesty.

TFS,
Rachel

[Hilary Hann]

Things I like: the retention and emphasis of the dark hair around her facial profile; the detail in the eye; the tones you've used and the soft background.

Things which I'm not so keen on: the far side front leg which comes down at a perpendicular line to the horizontal which, with the dark hair really stands out; the lack of expression on the lioness's face (if she was walking with more intent it would really lift the image)

So I don't mind the processing but would try again with a subject which has a little more life to the composition, or else a portrait with more expression in the animal's face.

[Sanjeev Aurangabadkar]

A very 'different' lion image Andreas, I wish the HA was a bit more towards us, a nice artistic conversion though. Rachel and Hilary have made some good points.

[edwardselfe]

Completely agree with the points above and they say what I was going to: this is interesting processing and I like the technique, but this image doesn't really lend itself to that processing.... If you start with a really strong image, then I think this effect would look great!

Ed

[Martin Dunn]

My thoughts are similar to Hilary's. I think you have started something interesting here Andreas but I think you picked the wrong subject. My feeling is that if you took away the effects you have created this would not be a photo you would post here.
Perhaps better to take a photo that engages the viewer a bit better and then let your creative juices (or beer) flow.

[Anette Mossbacher]

Hi Andreas,

I only read Rachel's comment.

The opposite might work. I did not pull it in CS… yet. My thoughts on this with opposite. THe bright chest > dark, the dark face > bright. The light comes from more the left. The light looks like nearly coming from the bottom. ( sunrise/sunset)
That's how I see it. Might be wrong. When you want to play with it a bit, face bright, chest darker I would also turn down the light in front of her face or full power brightness. Either way, you know the "click the eye" trick in CS. What suits more take that. Maybe "paint" more with light. Graduate!
Not sure if that would do it, should need the color version without any saturation added. The comp or how the lioness looks does not bother me at all. She just could have her head a bit more turned towards you, a bit different angle. But we can not have everything.

Have a great day. Watch out, we had today the first snow!!

Ciao
Anette

[Andreas Liedmann]

Thanks you folks for all your , i hope, honest comments, i can stand every form of critique, good or bad. Prefer the better ones, but think this is human.But before somebody comments " nice image blablabla" , but think this is a piece of junk, i rather prefer a honest negative one, from which i can learn or maybe just think about what i have done or produced.

So once again thanks.

Think you are right this is not a spectacular base image, but my goal was first to be creative in a way. Was more think about conversion etc , than the actual content of the image.There are so many lion pics out there, so this really not one to remember in the future, and will not become a IOTW in here.

At least it made you looking, and giving me feedback, which i really appreciate.

So will see what i produce next, will give something else a try.

Cheers Andreas

[Andreas Liedmann]

Hi Anette
just for you the image from the point where i started to go mad with the blend modes, give it a try. Just basic conversion in RPP and my PS routine to get a starting point.no sharpening or NR
Have fun if you want to , or if you wish can sent you the RAW via DB

Cheers Andreas

PS : far away from snow

[Gabriela Plesea]

Andreas, let me first say that I enjoy your cheerfulness and the "tone" of your voice:bg3: Reading through the lines, the Andreas I know from BPN is playful, fun, direct, and so giving- I read so many of your comments on member's posts, you give a lot of thought as well as time to us all and I wish to personally thank you for that:5

Regarding this post (and forgive me for replying so late, I kind of look and comment randomly because of time constraints this time of the year), I do like it-first of all because it reminds me of a certain lioness, a powerful hunter I met some years ago in the Kalahari. Talking about techs, Anette took the words from my mouth (try the other way around, I am quite sure you will like the effect, darken the white bits and lighten the dark ones). Steve Kaluski taught me one precious thing I will always consider when processing, that is-one needs to get lots of detail around the areas that matter, the areas which contribute to the overall facial expression, in this case-the mouth (lower lip), eyes, nostrils, ears. I think this lioness deserves a re-work, if you have the time and you don't mind doing so. And Andreas-keep up the good work, love your posts, your comments, your enthusiasm!!!

Kind regards,

[Andreas Liedmann]

Hi Gabriela,
cannot say with my dumb english what i could say in my mother language, so just a big thank you for your kind words..Many times i have to google what you guys talk about, so sometimes difficult to follow and understand things right ,……..context is mostly ok.

Regarding your and Anette`s suggestion , i had a short revisit, and not a good one. So please take the color version and illustrate your way, just a rough if you have limited time .I was not happy , but……….. with some of your "WANGING SLIDERS AND MOVING SLIDERS UP AND DOWN" LOL !

Cheers Andreas

[Anette Mossbacher]

Wanna a cuppa and a bekkie Andreas.
Had a play this morning with it. I do not understand how you, one of the masters, cannot get this done :t3
So far most I have done is LR only. You need to wait a bit longer for a RP have some other things to finish first :bg3:
Meanwhile a hint for LR with this, use graduate filter :w3

Ciao
Anette

PS The snow is here, about 20cm!!!

[Morkel Erasmus]

Quick one before we leave for Etosha Andreas. Want to add that I agree with Hilary here - I quite like the end-result of the processing but feel you chose the wrong image to start with.
Even in colour the frame doesn't really "grab" me.
But, I like this journey you are on, and the Andreas I met initially would not have been so easily doing conversions left-right-centre :5 :cheers:

[Andreas Liedmann]

I do not understand how you, one of the masters, cannot get this done :t3


One of the Masters, just had a big LOL, the MASTER is lost in this case……. You can help me out, would really like to see your vision and the Grad filter slider wanging.


Thanks Morkel,try to be different from time to time,when i explore something new, mostly i go too far, like with my LCE in the past resulting in gritty color images, will make my way in B/W or mono , sooner or later.
As stated above , i know this is not very exciting base image.But a good one to try something.

Again have a save journey and happy shooting.

Cheers Andreas

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Andreas, I do like the 'grittiness' of the overall look & feel, but do find where the blacks are 'choked' this for me needs to be resolved. I quite like the crop & the curvature of the jawline down. I wonder if a 'cleaner' area in front of the nose would help?

TFS
Steve