Wow my first free study ribbon! I never thought I would win one. Thank you for the votes, favs and the kind comments. I know the title is lame but I couldn't think of anything better. Sorry!
As for the shot, I actually was going to submit a different deer photo I shot earlier in the month and didn't set out to shoot this photo. I captured it while photographing some insects when I noticed them standing there. So with my macro in one hand and holding stuff in the other I got off this shot. Unfortunately, I clipped the hoof and also got a little camera shake which you can't see at this size.
As for the editing I did a lot of crap to it. Lots of subtle tweaks here and there to improve the overall feel.
ETA (editng steps):
- RAW converted in Lightroom then exported to CS3.
- Convert to Profile applied to change from ProPhotoRGB color space to sRGB.
- Curves Adjustment applied to make some white balance corrections.
- Reduce Noise Filter applied for noise reduction.
- LucisArts Filter applied slightly to boost detail.
- Exposure Adjustment applied to shadow areas.
- Color Balance Adjustment applied to warm the image.
- Dodge Tool applied to the highlights of deer.
- Curves Adjustment applied to grass to lighten.
- Burn Tool applied to the edges.
- Photo Filter applied to warm the image.
- UnSharp Mask applied for local contrast enhancement.
- Lens Blur applied selectively based on DOF and then faded.
- High Pass set to hard light applied mainly on the front deer.
- Healing Brush applied to remove some minor distractions.
- Color Replacement Brush applied to spot edit some colors.
- Black and White Film Filter Agfa APX 100 (Alien Skin Exposure 2) applied in luminosity mode to enhance tones.
- Curves Adjusment applied to highlights to fix some hot spots.
- Black & White Adjustment applied in Pin Light mode to make the deer spots pop and darken the foreground grass.
- Curves applied to tweak colors (red/blue/green channels manually adjusted).
- Resize
- Smart Sharpen
- Added border
- Save for Web
Original:
Statistics
Place: 1 out of 481 Avg (all users): 7.3938 Avg (commenters): 8.8947 Avg (participants): 7.4957 Avg (non-participants): 7.1163 Views since voting: 11954 Views during voting: 342 Votes: 160 Comments: 112 Favorites: 107 (view)
wow, congratz Richard! if you hadn't shown us the original shot, i'd have thought that the deers were shot during an orange sunset - an extra compliment to you for the editing! awesome!
First off, I have to add my congratulations to a nice capture that made the rest of the editing possible, and to a wonderful job of Disney editing. I just don't see it as believable though, mostly because the contrast on the body of the front deer is not realistic (the whites are too bright). My other regret is that you cleaned the highlights out of the ears. That was highlighting the direction and intensity of the light, and couples with the highlights on the head of the deer to add quite a bit of depth, beauty, and believability to the rest of the image.
All of that being said, I like the rest of your edits, and congratulate you on your blue! ..... and thanks for detailing your editing process!!!
LOL- somebody gave this shot a two, and 15 people rated it below average. You have to wonder what it would take to get an above average score from these guys. :-/
WOW..... WOW.....WOW..... this is totally awesome and a fine capture indeed.....
Quite magical, and looks like a glossy page out of a fairy tale classic story.....
This is one of the best photos I have seen. If I was voting it would be a 10...I was instantly captivated by it when I first saw it....and that was on my mobile phone...so that should tell you something. Congrats babe!
What a treat to the eye - when I saw the thumbnail, I thought I was going to see some over the top treatment - It had all the qualities of a still from a fantasy film I saw - but the full size version looks like an illustration from someone demonstrating the skill of the creator, you know, the style book - makes me want to buy it! I was sorry to hear there is a touch of camera shake, but not surprising, considering your description of taking it!
And I am quite amazed at what you have done from the original to this - truly a work of consummate skill!!
I haven't even looked you up, but if you are not a professional photo- selling success, something is wrong, wrong, wrong!
I am afraid to look in the mirror, as I feel I am Hulk-coloured. Just so exquisitely treated! I liked also the bigger catchlights in the eyes - draws attention perfectly
My hat is taken off to you - I will be buying from you - do you do retouching classes?
To pile on the well deserved platitudes... ;) Your skill at rendering the finished product is incredible. To see your submission and your original side by side leaves me speechless. You had a nice starting point but the transformation is really something to see. Great work Richard! Can I send you a few of my rejects? ;P Thanks for sharing.
I searched high...and I searched low...until at last I saw it...The silhouette of a tiny UFO reflected in the eye of the deer...WHEW! To my great relief, I may now consider this remarkable and worthwhile Pièce de résistance of your portfolio...a masterpiece of ART...::winks::
bloody hell, I wish I hadn't asked! Lol. Thanks for posting those steps, it just goes to show what a master you are in the digital darkroom! your portfolio is just wonderful.
Dude... First, the image is fantastic!!! It blew me away when I saw it during voting. After seeing your original, you have given me hope for saving some of my images. Your processing techniques are impeccable and I can't state enough how much I appreciate the fact that you showed your original. This is a truly perfect example of how you can process an image to convey your own personal vision. Expertly accomplished and definitely worthy of the blue ribbon. Congratulations!
My initial thoughts were right! Congratulations on your blue - much deserved. I just wish you weren't as good as you are, because it sure as hell makes me depressed knowing what you can do in pp, and knowing how inadequate I am at it too!!! lol.
I'm going to start a petition, to get you to reveal your secrets and give us a tutorial. All in favour say 'I'. Lol.
I added my editing steps. It's probably not exactly what you're looking for. If I have time I'll see if I can write something a bit more indepth. In the past I have posted how I do things. If you look in my photo composite gallery there are some there that explains in more indepth the steps including some threads about it. Nothing I've done here is any different than what I've been doing before.
Nice edit. It reminded me of Annie Leibovitz's Disney work. Not sure if that's an insult or a compliment (LOL)? Or another way to look at it...you could be her...but much better looking.
My initial thoughts were right! Congratulations on your blue - much deserved. I just wish you weren't as good as you are, because it sure as hell makes me depressed knowing what you can do in pp, and knowing how inadequate I am at it too!!! lol.
I'm going to start a petition, to get you to reveal your secrets and give us a tutorial. All in favour say 'I'. Lol.
Thanks for sharing the original. Amazing job on the processing. If that had been my original, I never would have had this type of end product in mind. Congrats on a job well done!
congratz, great image ... notice i said "image" since this is waaay to cartoonish in my humble opinion, anyways ... i have no ribbons so what do i know :-)
Richard...I am going to say that this is one of the most exceptional nature image I have seen on dpc, and there have been some great ones...this one trumps just about all of them...congratulations on a wonderful image...how anyone voted this below a 6 astounds me and whoever gave this a 2 or 3 needs to go and get some therapy! Very proud of your work...excellent
Oh, I'm so happy this one took the blue! It was my favorite of the challenge! I'd love to hear the story on how you got this shot, and even see the original if you'd be willing to share it. This is just stunning. Congrats! :)
A beautiful shot, Richard, and absolutely spectacularly processed. Congratulations on your blue - and I finally got one right (this was one of my 10s).
Amazing work !
The most stunning here is that the image is very dynamic, the motion of one of the fawns is perceptible and the lighting provides also depth and strenght to the background.
Virtually nothing to improve here - if I'm really looking for a flaw, I can have a little regret for the cropped paws.
My absolute favorite shot in the challenge. I love the lighting and the simple beauty these two provide. If this doesn't ribbon for you I will be greatly surprised.
hmm...yanko possibly, perhaps simms! Hedging my bets on yanko just because of the pp. Probably neither! Lol. Very nice image nonetheless, will score well. An 8 from me.
Is that a high res screen shot from the Bambi movie? Amazing image, love the colors and light. The posture of the animals makes this image facinating. I am betting on a ribbon image here.
Wow, one of the best - if not the best - deer picture that I have seen on DPC. Incredible earthtones and sharpness, not 100% sure of the vignetting but brilliant brilliant brilliant none the less
now here is a blue or red ribbon winner...I am guessing this might be Alex Saberi...superb, faultless, light is extraordinary, they look superb...10 from me...WOW!
The Fawns of Dawn
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