hiya BusyB and welcome aboard! make yourself at home here! i've been trying to work on my skills at blending 2 pics also. it's REALLY hard for me to do. i'm not a good person to give you advice on blending, obviously. i can tell you I like the idea a lot and i think you've done a pretty good job overall. i do notice a place on the right which could be blended a tiny bit more maybe. and perhaps even a little on the left. give me a sec and i'll show you where. i really like the reflection of the flower on the snow but i'm wondering if you could blend that line there a bit more too? Keep up the great work!!!! this kinda stuff takes sooooo much practice...at least for me anyway. i just find all that blending verrrrry hard to do. sheila

aha! seeing this picture makes it easier for me to see how you blended them. was it difficult to do? So you wanna share your new way of doing blending? is it easier? i have such a hard time with them. did you learn some new trick or something? :) I don't have Photoshop BTW...just PSP7. thanks!!!

Sorry.. I'm only familer with Photoshop.. I've been using Photoshop for a few years now and am totally addicted to it.. Trouble is the program is so huge with my memory I'll never learn it all..But that might be a good thing because I'm always finding some cool new way of doing things.. I'll tell you what I discovered in Photoshop and maybe somehow it will help you.
First put two photos of the same size together each on there own layer.. Then go layer/add layer mask/reveal all..
Then use gradient tool/foreground to transparent on the top layer... Yes.. Very easy to use,but you stiil have to play around with it to get the desired effect.. Everybody else probably knows this already, but I sure didn't... :)

thanks so much for sharing! i think i've only used layer mask once or twice. i'll have to explore that a bit more...read a tutorial on it or something and see a bit more what it does. that gradient tool sounds awesome. not sure if i have that in PSP...will have to see. thanks a lot for tips!!! appreciate it!

hi Ed! :] good to see you here
like to see ppl experiment...
now grab your eraser tool & experiment with the opacity,
using it to erase back parts that bother,
maybe bring out the flower again :]

Thanks Cynlee.. Never would have thought of the eraser tool... I hope to be able to work on it later today.I'll post the results so everybody can see. And tvernuccio thanks for all the input sorry I couldn't be more help with PSP. If layer mask in PSP works anything like Photoshops you should take a more serious look at it. I use layer mask quite often in postwork

Thx for sharing your experimenting with us - I am always interested to know how others work and always learning from their techniques. Great to see this in the forum

Richard

Message edited on: 02/19/2005 14:32

hey Ed! you know that would make a fine challenge entry too for "opposites"!! :]

@Cynlee Yes.. But I thought the photos had to be taken during the time of the challenge?

ah... yes... those are the rules that were only "suggested", i look fwd to seeing the finished piece! :]

@Onslow .. If posting experiments on this forum would help others I would be glad to do more when I find one interesting enough to post. I'm certainly glad I posted this one today.. :) @Onslow ..

oh, i do like that one! looks much smoother, cleaner, taking out that one area tween the petals... i keep going back & forth... the brush around the 2 lower right petals either needs further cleaning or more defining but i like the translucency in the snow at the bottom, almost looks like a reflection & the smooth transition going from left to right overall the entire picture... hope that makes sense :]

i'll have to work more with using layers, masks...and remember that eraser. You did a great job, Ed, at blending these in!!! my preference is for your first image...the way you did it to begin with...maybe just with that line on the right blended in. i guess i just like how the flower is sinking down into those bushes. i like the opacity on it...how the branches show through the flower some. the others are great too, but for some reason, that first one really appeals to me... i really enjoyed seeing this process and thanks again for the helpful hints!

@tvernuccio Now I think it's just a matter of taste.. I kind of like the last one because I think it looks cleaner and I still have the transparent effect on the uopper left,but I willing to hear other opinons

yeah, you're right...it's a matter of taste! not always, but my tastes seem to run a little different from the others. i liked messy better!!! LOL! :) yeah...you better get some other opinions....:)

@tvernuccio.. Don't misunderstand me.. I like the idea but not on this pic.. I going to post one more experiment then I might try a small series if it's well recieved.. Just because somebody doesn't agree with an idea doesn't make it a bad one...If I followed everybodys opinion to the letter I would never have any work of my own.. Besides .. whoever said I had good taste.. :) The next one is more towards using your idea.. See this is why I don't get active on forums. I either don't say enough or I say to much.. :)

you're doing fine ed :] both are good... you are the final judge (& sometimes we're our own worse critic, i know i am)... the last looks smooth & clean, & i do enjoy the play on the eye... tricky

just a aquick note before i go to work. you're right. i agree with what you say. You have to choose what YOU like. sometimes people will like certain images of mine that i don't particularly like. or they'll suggest changes that i would do. it all depends on what YOU like. i just give you my opinion...take what you like and leave the rest!!! keep showin' us your stuff! and listen to your heart! have a great night! sheila

Thought I'd mention that I posted my final image on Render Thanks for the help