Leslie D. Martin - Project 8

Leslie D. Martin / Also Watch Out For Moose on Snow Machines
click on the photo to view my gallery

1) Discuss your experience using rulers and guides.

Definitely useful for helping keep things lined up. The biggest thing for me right now is remembering to turn them on.

2) What was your favorite filter combination? How did filters contribute to your
results? Did they improve or distract from the result you desired?

I'm not sure I have an answer for the first part of that question, partly because filters are still a new thing for me, and partly because it depends on the goal of the particular application. It's rather a non sequitur, somewhat like asking which is your favorite: Chocolate cake or Star Wars? In the case of this image, filters allowed me to create a sense of blur in the snow boarder similar to what likely would be evidenced were this a real photo of a real scene. It also helped reduce the artificial sharpness of the vector items relative to the rest of the image. The result was an improvement to the image, although I think with more experience I could have produced a better blending.

3) Describe your experience using Smart Objects and the editing process.

I still have mixed thoughts on smart objects. Let's say the jury is still out, possibly hung.

4) In your second composite, please describe your favorite features you used to
create this advanced composite. How did you challenge yourself in creating
your results?

The image shown here is the second composition. My two favorite features are: 1) The snow boarder does blend in fairly well with the rest of the image (as long as you view it in a normal view and don't zoom in too closely); 2) I am also fairly pleased with myself about the shadows. There are shadows for the two goats and the snow boarder. What pleases me about them is that they are so subtle and blend in so naturally that looking at the photo you aren't aware of them -- until you get the .PS version of the file and turn them off. I think that (despite myself) I managed (even if was was more by accident than skill) to accomplish what may be the most difficult in photo editing: making something appear so natural that no-one notices it.

5) What keyboard shortcuts are you using regularly now?

At the moment, I don't know that I've added any new ones this last week.

The link to my Project 8 page is here and the above photo. I also have begun keeping a general index page up dated and that can be found here.