this is really great, Niu, but i have to tell you i love that splatter effect you used!!! It just made it come across as more dramatic and evoked more feeling. Great work!!!!!! Tia

agree...WHEN will this end???? I'm tired of worrying about my brother & his family every sec...not to mention all the friends!!! Feel so badly for what everyone is going thru. Hang in, Tia

Cook...did someone say cook??? come on Niu...let's go up top for a bit and get some more fresh air. I'll race you!!! BTW, Dinner on Wed. will be special...buffalo burgers piled high with tomato, onion, lettue, pickle, mustard, and a big scoop of coleslaw!!! "Slaw burgers, fries, and a bottle of Ski...bring it on down for my baby and me!!!" anyone else remember THAT song??? Oh, and I'm makin' a pineapple-mandarin orange cake for dessert. oh yeah...be glad when that button's fixed. Tia

Ha! I was wondering if anyone would notice!! :) You guys will have to check it out in my gallery when i post it if you want to know the scoop about that "ghost" or "fuzzy face!" :)

Done!!!! I am quite pleased with my final version. I sharpened the cone like you said, Tom, and I like it. I kept the space and did not crop. Thanks so much to everyone for your critiques, feedback, and suggestions!!!! You guys ROCK!

Thanks so much for this! So much I missed!! :(

I like these borders a lot. I do like the colored ones but i think they might work better with an image which has a tie in to the colors on the border. If the model was wearing a purple-colored shirt, i think i would like it better. I think i like #3 the best too. It's not distracting at all to me. and the vignette is oh so subtle. great stuff here! Fantastic portraits you've done!

oh, okay...thanks!!! that's easy enough. I'm familiar with the sharpen effect and have used it before, but when i tried it on this one, it killed my DOF!!! I didn't think about using the selection tool. Duh!!!! I completely forgot about that!!!! I always work with many copies. Oftentimes I'll have up to a half dozen PSP files of variations of an image if I'm uncertain about where I want to go with a particular piece. I appreciate you mentioning it though. Sometimes reminders of the basics are good, especially when you have a memory like mine!!! Thanks so much for taking the time to explain how to do this. I will definitely give it a try!!!! Have a great weekend, TV

Looks great with increased contrast!!!

Hi TomDart and thanks so much for taking the time to do this!!! How did you do the "slight detail enhancement" on the cone. Can I do this in PSP7?? I definitely need to learn this technique!!!! This cropping may be better to some people's eyes, but I prefer the original without the crop. Somehow i think that empty space at the bottom was important to help convey the mood and tone i wanted. I sure do appreciate you what you did!!! Thanks again!! Blessings, TV

I am appreciative of your comments, suggestions, and critiques! It helps me a lot. Yes, the focus in this one is too soft/blurry. I am trying very hard to achieve a better technical image. I have a medical condition which makes me tremble and have some shakiness. Focus is a big challenge for me. I try to use tripod/remote when i can, but in this case I was unable. LP, i wish it was just the limitation of monitor screens. Alas, it's just me. :) I so much appreciate everyone's input here. I think I will just leave it as is, but I will try a slight crop on the bottom just to see. Best regards, TV

thanks to everyone for your input!!!! i appreciate it so much!!!!

thanks JJ!!!

okay. thanks! i think you're right about the bottom. i think i could cut some off the bottom and not lose the mood. I'll have to try cropping some off the righthand side and see. appreciate your input!

Whoo-hoo!!!! Look at it go!!!! Awesome entry! TV