Ok, I couldn't stand it any more and got the plug-in. Spent way too much time coming up with this image!
Bread crumbs are a little scattered at this point, but basically I did this:
Original capture from Cachuma Lake last weekend. When I asked the park naturalist when they had gotten a peacock, she said "we didn't". Well, they have one now and it probably wandered off from one of the huge ranches in Santa Barbara County. It must have liked me, because it obliged with a lovely courtship display...
I took the base image into LR and cropped and staightened a bit, then added a dark vignette. Then to PS to play with the new toy, Fractalius. Got a look that I liked but it didn't show the actual bird at all, and rather than try to mask back dozens of "eyes", I played around with some layer blend modes. Ended up with a "difference" layer that really changed the colors. It was too dark, so I duplicated that layer and set the new layer mode to "lighter color". Played around with the fill values (not opacity) to get the balance that I wanted and finally got something I was looking for. I know it won't appeal to everyone, but I kinda like the overall effect I got, which obscures the difference between the bird and its environment. ;)
02-05-2010, 08:09 PM
Julie Kenward
Kerry, this is OUTSTANDING! The colors and the details are just amazing. I do believe he did, indeed, like you because that is one outstanding pose! This is the kind of image that Fractalius does so well with and you brought out the most with it.
02-05-2010, 08:18 PM
Christopher Miller
I have to echo Jules on this, Simply OUTSTANDING! :D Has a beautiful stained glass look to it. Love the colors!
02-05-2010, 09:05 PM
Jackie Schuknecht
So cool Kerry, perfect picture for Frac work. Really well done.
02-05-2010, 09:12 PM
Mark Fuge
Nice image and application, Kerry.
Not that that would be unusual for you! ;)
Like the feel of the effect in this image and the colors are very nicely done.
02-05-2010, 11:39 PM
WIlliam Maroldo
Kerry: Excellent work. I guess I'm a fractalius veteran; I've been working with it for close to 3 months. IMO there are two basic approaches to creating these type images. Either use it to create interesting abstractions that may or may not even resemble the base image, or use the program to enhance an image. The latter is more dependant on having a good base image to work on, and more of an understanding of what the program can do.
I think that is what you have done here. Well done. regards~Bill
02-06-2010, 05:07 AM
kostas nianiopoulos
Excellent work Kerry , i bet the orginal image is good too. well done .
02-06-2010, 05:53 AM
david cramer
Wonderful image. Great work, Kerry.
02-06-2010, 01:04 PM
James Boland
WOW! Thanks for not giving up on the image. The results are magnificent.
02-06-2010, 08:13 PM
Lance Peters
Stunning - got a feeling the base image would be very good as well!!
02-06-2010, 08:16 PM
denise ippolito
Kerry, This one rocks big time! I love the way the effect has brought so much interest to this. One of the best Fractalius images I've seen. Does look like stained glass.:)
02-06-2010, 08:48 PM
Arthur Morris
Hey Kerry, This one is too, too good. The Fracted patterns filling the frame are too cool. And the bird itself is loverly. I would love to see what you started with and I am sure that the rest of the gang would like it too.
02-06-2010, 10:10 PM
Kerry Perkins
1 Attachment(s)
Here is the original capture. Not much done to the RAW file other than the vignette and a little cropping for straightening plus the usual sharpening et al. Thanks for all the kind words!
P.S. - techs are 50D with 70-200 f/2.8, f/5.6@1/250sec, ISO 400 WB 5100K, HH no flash
02-08-2010, 08:47 AM
Ken Childs
The original is nice too but the bird blends in a bit too much with the bg. In this case, that's what makes it work so well with Fractalius. The BG magically becomes an extension of the bird!
One of the best Fractalius images I've seen so far.
