What’s Your Preference?

MelodyT · #1 (**permalink**) 08-20-2009, 08:33 AM

As I got home from work and got out of the car, I noticed this Hadadah Ibis on top of my roof. The sun was setting and the sky was a beautiful orange. I had my camera with me and grabbed it to take a shot. I only manage to get one before he flew away. My settings were set for a silhouette. Unfortunately, when I loaded it, I was rather disappointed to see that my shot was completely flat and lifeless

. So I turned to PS for help...

First I used a plastic wrap effect to give the bird some dimension and then applied a slight burn to the sky. Then I layered it via copy and took out the background on layer one. The background layer below was locked so I opened it to form layer 0. On this layer I then used a particle cloud filter. I then flattened the image and that was it! I am pleased with the result...

Melody
Photography is a window to my soul...

olgabe · #2 (**permalink**) 08-20-2009, 06:23 PM

I like the changes in the sky a lot, but I think that leaving the bird as a silhouette would be more effective. Now it looks like it's unintentioanlly underexposed to me.

natek313 · #3 (**permalink**) 08-20-2009, 07:00 PM

I agree with olgabe. I would leave the silhouette but keep the changes to the sky.

MelodyT · #4 (**permalink**) 08-20-2009, 08:54 PM

Thanks guys. You have a point. I'll redo it and see which I prefer.

Joey the girl · #5 (**permalink**) 08-21-2009, 01:40 AM

I have found that with silhouette pics, I like to make a new layer via copy and set the blending mode to overlay. It intensifies the colors in the sky, and it makes whatever is being silhouetted really solid black and crisp.

I did like the effect of the sky in your second pic. And I have to agree, PS is awesome!

Joey the girl · #6 (**permalink**) 08-21-2009, 01:43 AM

lol, so I just copied your first picture and pasted it into photoshop, then proceeded to do my own tip- and it failed miserably to do what I just said it would do! haha, I guess there's exceptions to every rule.

MelodyT · #7 (**permalink**) 08-21-2009, 03:19 PM

Hi everyone,

I kept the silhouette and just did the sky, though I kept it closer to the original color this time. I like it. In fact, I prefer it. It looks much more natural.

Melody
Photography is a window to my soul...