I have to say that I like this image a lot. Finished editing at 3.30 (Italian time). I also wanted to turn some parts of the face into smoke but I was too tired and this processing is way too long. I hope it can do well since I'm very satisfied :)
Yeah, very cool!
As I had written when I submitted the image, I like it very much. I didn't expect a ribbon, especially considering the not very high score, so I'm twice happy this morning :)
The model is my niece, the same I used in my 'leap day' entry. She's perfect for a red ribbon!
I know there are some minor imperfections in the final image but I was very tired, it was late at night... I swear, I gave my best!
gcoulson asked me how I created this image: the portrait has been shot under natural light coming from a window. For the smoke I used some sheets of paper: I burnt them so I got the smoke I shot using an external flash from the left. The smoke went upwards and I took the photo against a black cardboard.
I chose the sharpest smoke images (I mean, the ones with a well defined shape) and enhanced them using curves to have only the smoke under a completely black background. Afterwards I pasted the smoke on the girl image using the screen blending mode.
I searched for the best smoke shapes to simulate hands and arm bones. I pasted several smoke shapes (even little ones) and then modified them using the warp tool. As soon as I created another section I masked the real arm. Then I added some more generic smoke (without a well defined edge) and I pasted it under the bones to create a more realistic effect. At the end I added an adjustment layer with a gradient map. I changed the blending mode to soft light and lowered the opacity. That's all :)
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Her expression is a mixture of pleasant surprise and pride. It makes me think that she has had the ability but had to train to master it...and this is the moment where it successfully works the first time. Thus the pride and pleasant surprise. The effect of her turning into mist/smoke is way cool...it is a very neat effect. The composition is well done but there is one thing about the action that strikes me as a little odd. Is she is in the act of turning into smoke or is she 'reforming' into corporeal form? The expression and the point of where she 'tapers' off into smoke send conflicting signals. If she was turning into smoke then I think she would taper off into thin wisps on the fingers. But here in the composition she is tapering off into thinner wisps just above the elbow and that kinda makes me think she is turning back into her corporeal form. Still well done and methinks it will be in the top 20%.
This is great and is one of my highest scored images. The model looks a tad...bored? But maybe she turns to smoke all the time! Haha, still the effect here is nicely done and looks really cool.
I like this, but the title hurts it. even something like "smokin'" might've made it edgier. Still, in my case the title does not take away from the image. rawr 0.o
Shapeshifting (She turns into smoke)
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