Another Bryce image from my future history. This one is four (or five -- depending how you count) layers composited in PSP. Everything but the moons was rendered in one pass - - with the sun off and lights standing in for the moons. The three moons were rendered in another image, with a distant and low (in the "y" direction) light for the sun and a dim background light to give "planet glow". I screened the surface render over the moon render, but then the two gunships sort of faded into the moons, so I rendered them separately, did a mask, and put them and the mask over the top of the image. Then, to get a bit of soft light around the moons, I duplicated the moon layer, screened it on top of the original, and gave the duplicate a lot of Gaussian blur. Then I put a signature on, so I guess that makes six layers all told. For people that comment, I'm wondering if you like the scene as is, or whether I should scale up the thumb and make the moons, ship and guy (low res Poser import) more of the focus. Thanks for any and all comments and views, though. --- I should not expose myself so. Our beachhead on this world is tenuous, and the enemy still controls near space. But after so long in space, with nothing but metal walls and abstract screens to view the universe through, it is a wonder to stand outside, breathe the bitter unfiltered air and bath beneath the light of three moons. It is worth the risk of a bolt from above. Beyond the moons, the M'kkiae, our alien allies in name -- masters in fact -- fight humans for supremacy of this distant outpost. It is two centuries since my clone-father fled earth, spending decades in cold slumber and forlorn exile. He died with Admiral Narita at Amaterasu; a glorious death. I have never seen Earth; I have never seen Amaterasu or my father. I was decanted on the muddy plains of Chosun under a sky of grey-green haze graced by no moons. There are times when my training and conditioning falter and I wonder why we fight our brothers over a feud long settled. But were it not for this war, I would not stand here today awed by the wonder of these three bright moons that bath the night. -- Abe 86, pilot-lieutenant of Samurai MII 47, Third Strike Squadron, First Star Wing - 3 February 2258