I need your help.

What I'm looking for in this poll is...

Your honest reaction to this effect. (see the choices in the poll)

After voting feel free to make suggestions to make it more pleasing to you.

Thanks in advance...
~Danny~

- - - - - - - -

Who can vote?

Anyone: lurker, one who posts occasionally, regular participant. In other words, if you're reading this, you qualify. :)

- - - - - - - -

Additional information in case you're interested...

A good friend, Harry Ellerton, sent me the February, 2005 edition of "Digital Photo Effects," published in the UK. In this edition are three photo-art tutorials written by Tim Shelbourne which, in my opinion are quite unique, well explained and richly illustrated. As a bonus they are supplimented by video versions of each method (and the original base image) on the accompanying CD.

This interpretation is based on one of the tutorials.

It's a neat effect, but the end result is too blurry for my taste.

Perhaps if you put the original image back on top, blend it 50% or something, add a solid layer mask, and then paint back in some of the details, like the eyes and a bit of detail here and there.

My very first reaction was that it was too blurry for me also. But on a second look, it grew on me stongly. I find it touching.

Since I voted that I didn't like this effect, I felt I should say why.
Actually, there are a number of reasons (I'm just going to put down my honest, gut reaction):
The line along her chin and various other places. It's too distinct in an otherwise blurred image. Draws the eye right to it. Which brings me to the next one - It's blurry, and smeared looking, yet there is a lot of noise in the shadows. There also seems to be white steaks running down the image (looks like from the highlights in her face.)
Also, I don't care for what the effect has done to her features, especially her eyes.
Overall, I don't get the feeling any artistic thought went into this.

Was that too harsh?

Didn't quite see all that Vicky noticed, but certainly the line along her jawline hit a jarring note. Was not generally impressed by the effect.

My vote was somewhere in the middle. I like the overall soft, romantic feel of the piece. The line along her chin is too well defined to fit the rest of the piece. I can understand the need for it, however, because it marks the transition between chin and neck. Could that have been achieved with shading rather than a line? What bothered me more than anything is that the eyes are not nearly as well defined as they need to be, especially when compared to the lips, which are nicely done. I'm intrigued with the technique. Are you going to share?

Janet

Over all I have to say I like the effect. I agree with everyone that the line on the jaw is distracting and I believe there is too much detail loss to the eyes..they are more or less just shadows.

I am not sure this is a great effect for a portrait particularly one with such light hues and soft tones but I think it could be very nice on something such as landscapes, seascapes, etc.

I like the affect, but I think it would look prettier when applied to a nature scene.

I see potential in this technique, but I don't really like the way this image came out. The focus is a little soft for my taste, except for the line along her chin that's been mentioned before - it doesn't fit in with the rest. Also, her eyes don't draw my attention. And the texture is too heavy for such a soft image.

I have to echo the negative points others raised: blurry but noisy, distracting outline, overdone texture, hightlight banding, & poor balance to the facial features. As a whole, I don't care much for it.

That said, these criticisms apply to this effect used on this image. It's quite possible it would be great on a different subject. It may even work ok with this image if more 'prep' work had been done (reduce contrast? byRo fix for blown highlights? other?). My experience (very limited compared to Danny's) suggests 'successful' photo art results from the 'right' manipulations applied to the 'right' image. Several times, I've come up with an effect I like but find it fails when applied to other images. Those that work well on many images are rare gems.

-Mark

I agree w/ Vikki & Janet on the eyes. Soft blur can be used to good effect sometimes, but there just doesn't seem to be a reason for it on this photo. When I look at the eyes, I want to sharpen them.

I'm no expert by any stretch of the imagination but I like the overall effect; it has an ethereal 'feel' to it which I find pleasing. The line along the chin as has been mentioned seems out of place for such a soft treatment. Also, the hair along the brow line seems too stark for the soft effect.

Someone, (swengineer, I think) mentioned the hightlight banding and the overdone texture. These are the negatives that jump out at me. The texture is way too overpowering for the image IMHO. By highlight banding, if you mean the highlights on either side of the nose, that's what I noticed. It makes the face look like there are streaks of color missing in bands. If you can ignore the chin line and hair line, this banding tends to draw the eye to it. Then it appears that the bottom of the chin is missing (due to this hightlight banding? Tends to overly emphsize the chin line even more). There seems to be no focal point.

Ron

I think the more I look at it, the more appealing it seems to get. Quite surprisingly. Initially I thought NAH!! like camera blur? I think there's "something" to it which is making me stare harder! There seems to be something ethereal about it, overall. Are you sure the reduction in file size hasnt caused loss of clarity, to an extent?

[QUOTE=DannyRaphael]I need your help.

What I'm looking for in this poll is...

Your honest reaction to this effect. (see the choices in the poll)

After voting feel free to make suggestions to make it more pleasing to you.

Thanks in advance...
~Danny~

- - - - - - - -

I very much like the effect, I think it has a sort of modern renascence appeal to it, my critiques of the image is, though not sure if this is a result of the effect or just the choice of the image; the jaw line on the girls face is to sharp and defined, it seems to be abstract to the overall softness of the image. but that said I still think the effect is fantastic.

I have to say I do like the style even though Danny's version is somewhat softer than the one in the magazine, of course having the magazine makes a difference as I have tried the tutorial myself so can understand the technique involved.

Christine

It's a little too soft for my taste - and the chin line is distracting - as others have pointed out.

That being said, it does grow on me the longer I look at it. I'd like to see a version with less softness.

What were the other 2 tutorials in the magazine?

Since it was the February issue, our local B&N will probably get it by July

Regards
Bob Mc

Thanks to everyone for the candid commentary and/or taking the time to cast a vote. This is just the kind of feedback I was hoping for.

As most of you know when you stare at something long enough, it's easy to be blinded to aspects of a piece that can be distracting or are lacking in emphasis.

Vikki: As one who greatly admires your skills and highly respects your "eye" for this type of thing, I was (a) delighted that you commented and (b) grateful for your "cut to the chase" observations, which I took as solid advice -- not harsh criticism. Your frankness made it easier for others who followed to not hold anything back. It's all good.

The poll results and comments so far pretty much sum up my own feelings ("In some ways I like it, but there's room for improvement") and confirm that for any given effect some people will like it and others won't.

Back to the drawing board. I'm a better person for having asked for this feedback.

Have a good Friday (as in Good Friday) wherever you may live on this wonderful planet.

~Danny~

You know Danny, I want to express my own graditude for this post. These are the extra things that make this site so different from the others I've encountered. There are so many sites that can teach you how to use programs, but I am also an amateur in photography and art in general. I am still trying to develope my eye for things, and that can't always be taught in the traditional way. I do know that alot is personal perception, and so this will vary. But, my thanks go to the one's here who spoke of her jawline, and the texture. Although I posted how the overall picture appealed to me, I did not mention these things because I really couldn't put my finger on what it was that didn't seem right. Now I'm not going back on my feelings, because I really do like it. And it was also interesting to see that there were others who felt that it grew on them somehow. There is obviously something here that draws you to it. So, good luck at the drawing board Danny, as I'm sure you'll improve on this. And thank you to all of you for helping me to develope my eye, as this will help me in all my work.
Jessy

Thanks Danny.
This is what a critique is all about.

It's worth having a look at Tim Shelbourne's site; in case its url has not been mentioned in this thread -
http://www.timshelbourne.com/start.html

Another example of using this tutorial on a different image can be found at http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9747

and an example of one of the other tutorials can be found at
http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9701
the basic steps of this one are also shown in a separate post.

Christine

Thanks Christine. As someone said earlier, most effects work on some images, and don't on others. I think the effect works well on the image you posted on the other thread. Probably because the eyes remained "strong", giving a focus to the picture. I've revised my earlier opinion (which was a marginal dislike) in the face of this new example.

Before I would say I liked this or didn't like it, I would want to know what look the artist was trying to achieve. What might not work as an 8x10 for Aunt Emma's coffee table could be striking as a book illustration or on a canvas with lights. If soft & dreamy with interesting texture is what he/she was after, that's been achieved. I've done plenty of 'em that I felt were misunderstood :knockedou

What Rainiday said. If this were to be the only picture that I had of my kid, grandkid, neice etc... It's way too soft and affected. On the other hand, a great illustration for a children's book, or Charmin ad.

I voted "Somewhat agree". :)

I really like the idea, but first impression was that the canvas texture is a little too hot/big, or the opacity of the texture layer needs to be taken down a bit. After some thought, I'm also wondering what it would look like as a black and white image, with just her eyes in colour - either a luminous pale blue or green.

I think I have that mag. I'll have a look see :)

Gilly