The Sound of Her Heart

[Michael Gerald-Yamasaki]

Folks,

Greetings. This one is pure graphics. I've been working on some data analysis software that works with data in the form of grayscale images and transforms the image in a variety of ways to better understand the data. This image started as an exercise to make some data to test the analysis software then multiple applications of the analysis software interspersed with the battery of photographic tools that I use: curves, monochrome conversion, Topaz & Nik suites, blending modes, blur, sharpening, etc.

141439

Thanks for looking.

Cheers,

-Michael-

[Anita Bower]

I've no clue how you produced this (I don't understand computer speak) bu the result it amazing. I love, love, love the colors. Fascinating shapes and lines.

[Mitch Carucci]

Fantastic image! Looks like a macro shot of some very bright bird feathers.

[Nancy Bell]

Yikes! I lost you after the word "graphics"! Love the super intensity of the colors and the shapes and lines generated, flowing together and around each other. I agree with your title, I thought of a beating heart when I saw this. Would you like me to add "theme" to the title? This does break the rule of thirds.

[Cheryl Slechta]

Well, Michael, I didn't understand a word of your explanation but the results are stunning. I love the forms and the sense of depth and the colors are incredible.:S3:

[Michael Gerald-Yamasaki]

Anita, Mitch, Nancy, Cheryl,

Thank you all for your comments. I did save enough intermediate steps to give you a sense of how this image was created...

141470

Going counter-clockwise. Starts with a simple function to create the image... distance to the center. Darker in the middle for less distance to the center... White at the corners for further. Just below is a concoction of duplications, shifts and blends, maybe ten or so layers. The next two (middle bottom row) are results of the analytical tool I've developed. And the last in that bottom row is a blend of the three. The color image is, well, the gradient of the lower left image mapped to hue. The OP is a blend of the two on the right, rotated for taste. There is a bit more to it but that's the general idea.

Thanks for looking.

Nancy, I think the rule of thirds holds here (green dot and blue red horizontal in the hue are on the 1/3rd as well as the "centers" of the hue fall on the left 1/3rd). So no theme. Besides, it will keep me thinking about a theme image ;-).

Cheers,

-Michael-

[Kerry Perkins]

That's very cool Michael. I used to create images similar to this on Silicon Graphics computers when I worked at Disney. I understand the process, and you've used the tools to create a very engaging and interesting image. I like it a lot!

[Dennis Bishop]

I like this visually with the colors, shapes, and texture. I also like what you did to produce it. Coincidentally, I've been finding all-too-brief periods of time to look at some books by a painter on combining pen & ink textures with watercolors. It's something I'd love to be able to do in processing images, and it looks like your analytical tool would work wonderfully to not only orient the texture with respect to the boundaries but increase -- or probably with some minor tweaking -- decrease the density of the textures there. I think there could be some very good applications of this in image processing. Thanks for posting the image and for showing us the intermediate steps.

[Michael Gerald-Yamasaki]

Kerry,

Thanks for your comments. My division where I work at NASA Ames Research Center was one of SGI's first customers for graphics workstations (and continue today with supercomputers). Pricey things those workstations ($100K - $250K). Maybe you visited Ames? I remember giving several demos to Disney engineers (in the 90's).

Dennis,

Thanks for your comments. Oh, I've got some ideas for creating/marketing a photographic tool set for when I retire from NASA. Productizing such a thing is an awful lot of work. I do get a fair amount of enjoyment tinkering with the tools, though.

Cheers,

-Michael-

[Nancy Bell]

Michael, Thanks for posting the intermediate steps. Still not sure what is all involved, but that is o.k. Love the result! And yes, do think about an image for the theme!