I wanted to reshoot my picture "Forest Spirits" this weekend and was planning on doing it already when I see that the member challenge is "Fairy Tale". Wow! What luck! In fact I shot this early Monday after the challenge was announced. Entry #5.
I got up at 6:30 to hike into the Round Lake nature preserve in the dark and set up before it got too light. It's a little under a mile to this tree which is different from the one I used in "Forest Spirits". I had made the luminaries the night before and hung them from the tree with a stick. The glow at the base of the tree is a lantern. This is the last shot of the set and it was getting lighter. I wanted the glow from the gas lantern at the base of the tree to affect more of the shot.
Originally I wasn't in the picture, but I figured the shot needed something more. Thinking of Rip Van Winkle, an american short story, I thought about pretending to sleep under the influence of the spirits. Other than the fact that I'm wearing jeans, I think it works.
As you might expect, there is a ton of processing in this one. I used a total of 15 layers and 2 RAW conversions.
I converted from RAW twice: once warm and once cool. Using a mask, I made the luminaries warmer than the surrounding. Next I used a S/H layer at 0/10. Then I used two layers to produce an Orton Effect (google it for an explanation). Then a dodge/burn layer to burn the background and dodge around the tree to lend that otherworldy glow. I also did some minor cloning on this layer. Then some adjustment layers with Hue/Sat, Brightness/Contrast, and Selective Color. A wide radius USM increased contrast, then a regular 300/0.3/2 USM (this was all after resizing) actually oversharpened it by quite a bit. This was ok, because I knew I was going to give it a strong NI treatment on the next layer. This layer is masked slightly where I am sitting. Another small USM layer 100/0.3/2. Some mild contrast added.
I don't know how many times I worked the shot up. Originally I had used small gradients to mask off the candles and give them the yellow glow. I decided I risked a DQ for that because they added definite circles of voluminous light. This treatment, which paints the warm RAW conversion onto the tree itself only changes the hue of the branch and doesn't affect the "air" around the candles.
I love it. I have no idea how it will do though. It's a really strong PP treatment which personally I'm not afraid of, but not everybody likes. Screw it. I'm going for it anyway. This pic cost me another skin rash, although much milder than the last one. You'd think I'd learn.
Post: Here's a link to the original to show just how much is processing on this shot:
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I like the texture and effect of this photo. You did good with the surreal look. The things that are on the tree are a little distracting only because with the distance I can't tell what they are or how they play into the story.
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