Midnight at the Oasis

[Steve Adkins]

Or perhaps a view from Mars.
This is a composite of two different smoke images. Multiple flash on both.
In CS5 copied "dune" smoke and flipped and repositioned, free transformed.
Free transformed "cloud" smoke, desaturated and lowered opacity.
Used layers/masks and blending modes screen/soft light. Added noise for sand texture.
Cloud smoke became base for 3D sphere "moon". Added layer for stars and masked for moon shine.
All C&C welcome.

[Kerry Perkins]

Literally fantastic Steve. An amazing construction project for sure. If it were mine I would probably place the moon a little farther away from the corner. Cool!

[denise ippolito]

Steve, As Kerry said FANTASTIC!! What a creative piece. I love the sphere you created from smoke and the rest of the image flows so nicely together. Well done!

ps -cool title!!

[Chris Korman]

Nice ethereal qualities to the surface of the "planet", I might add a glow to the moon so that the smoke is being transilluminated, as the smoke's light is a little too even. I guess the best way to figure this out will be to go out one night and have a study of thin clouds covering the moon to see their lighting effect.

[Brendan Dozier]

Very creative and great imagination in putting all of the elements together, Steve! Dramatic sci-fi image, now all you need is a sound track!

[Steve Adkins]

Thanks Kerry, denise, Chris and Brendan! Interesting idea about moon glow. I have been know to turn on some illumination...

Very creative and great imagination in putting all of the elements together, Steve! Dramatic sci-fi image, now all you need is a sound track!

I wonder if the Maria Muldaur version would work?

[pat lillich]

Steve - this is gorgeous - definitely think of Dune (the book) I really love the smoke work and what you did with it, and the composition is etherial.

[Andrew McLachlan]

Steve, you keep blowing me away with these smoke pics. Each one seems to out do the last. Absolutely amazing! Awesome work!

[Steve Adkins]

Thanks a bunch, Pat and Andrew!

[Maureen Allen]

I don't know how I missed seeing this. Such a creative piece! I'm fascinated by your work with smoke images, Steve.

[Steve Adkins]

Appreciate your comment, Maureen!

[Cheryl Slechta]

Steve, I'm late to the party but I love everything about this including the frame. It's wonderfully creative and well done.

[Steve Adkins]

Thanks, Cheryl!