Belted Kingfisher (female)

[Julie Brown]

After posting this image in the eager to learn forum, I re-worked it to clone out distracting branches and smoothed out the BG in Elements. To make it look like a drawing/painting on canvas, I texturized it in the filter gallery. This is my first effort at this.
All C&C welcome!

[Kerry Perkins]

Hi Julie, you did really well with this! I saw your posting in ETL and I understand your frustration but this makes a very nice OOTB image. I'm not sure what tools you use, but I think you mentioned PS Elements? I would suggest using one of the "artistic" filters, like poster edges or watercolor, on your image before adding the texture. It helps to make the image look more like a painting or graphic. Do like this though! Looking forward to seeing more of your work here. :)

[Julie Brown]

Thanks Kerry. This is fun.:)

I used the clone stamp tool and the brush in PS Elements. The clone tool in LR is a blunt instrument. I didn't repost this in ETL because my novice clone job made some of the edges of the branches and the bird look a bit smudged, so it wasn't going to work as a photo.

Here I is another version that I like. I used the rough pastel filter. There are infinite combinations here, but I wanted to preserve the details of the bird. This exercise has forced me to go into Elements and begin to learn how to use this program.:D

[Mark Fuge]

Very nice image and application, Julie.

Agree with Kerry.

You note that you are still learning, as are we all. ;) :D

Another option for your image would be to crop it. While I like what is there, I think you can make a stronger image by removing the branch on the left and crop the left side to bring the image into the ROT. In this case I have attached an example so you can see what it would look like.

As for cloning, one trick I learned is to use verying size brushes and go over the area a few times. Use a opacity of 50% or less and you can build up the area as you go. Also, choose an area to clone from that is as close to the area to be cloned as you can. This will make sure that the lighting and colors are similar.

Good luck, nice image.

[Julie Brown]

Thank you Mark. That is really helpful information. I do like your crop better, it has nice line to it.

Thanks for the help everyone!

[Jackie Schuknecht]

Nice rework Julie. I might darken the eye and beak a bit. It will give the illusion of more sharpness. Very pretty colour combinations.

[Julie Brown]

Great tip Jackie! I appreciate everyone's comments. I might go back to the original file and try to incorporate all of the suggestions and repost. Thanks for looking!

[Julie Kenward]

Agree with what everyone else has said. I knew the crop felt a bit "off" but couldn't really put my finger on it until Mark hit on it. Either way, I like how you rescued the image.

[denise ippolito]

Julie, Big Welcome to OOTB! Great first post. I think Mark's repost looks really good but would add a bit more canvas than he allowed. I like the painterly look and the textured BG. Nice job w/ the orig. capture.

[Ákos Lumnitzer]

In all honesty I quite like the original with the upright branch framing from the LHS and the version you have in pane 3. Removing the branch will make it look like another boring, clinically and technically perfect avian image IMHO. Personally I love to see more than just an empty BG where possible. :)

Well done overall. :)

[Christopher Miller]

Nice image, Julie. You did a great job making something out of it. Some very good suggestions above. I like Mark's idea of removing the branch and cropping, though personally I would only crop off about half of what he did. Well done.

[Julie Brown]

Thanks Kerry, Mark, Jackie, Jules, Denise, Akos, and Christopher. This repost incorporates all of your comments and suggestions. Although I like the texture, I took out the vertical branch, smoothed the BG some more, and applied the pastel filter.:)

[Jackie Schuknecht]

Got a winner Julie. Didn't mind the branch in the original post too much. Repost looks good.