This week's topic gave me another idea for my ongoing series of illustrations for a children's book (The plot is yet to be exactly determined. ) called "Eva And The Magic Umbrella". If I can ever come up with a plot line, I have a promise from a VERY famous author to write the story to go with my illustrations - guaranteeing that it would get published. I suspect this small version won't have the impact when seen larger so I'll post a bigger version at my FM Gallery where I already have two other illustrations from the series. These big doors are actually the doors to the theater where I performed in Shakespere's "A Winter's Tale". I always appreciate comments.
I went to your gallery some time ago the pictures are amazing. This is yet another in that superb sequence.
Fantastic work, sets the heights even higher for the rest of us. Keep going and challenge our imagination
Take care
Mark
Thank you so much, Mark! I appreciate you kind comments. There is an awful lot of PS work in this so i don't know if Fred will consider it for the contest or not. I did one of the first ones in this series as an FM WA entry a long time ago but it (rightfully) didn't make the finals because it was primarily made up in PS. The only thing about it that was photographic was Eva. However, in this one, almost all of it is a photograph and I shot the doors of the theater just yesterday.
Allo best wishes,
Endre
mark nicoll wrote:
I went to your gallery some time ago the pictures are amazing. This is yet another in that superb sequence.
Fantastic work, sets the heights even higher for the rest of us. Keep going and challenge our imagination
Take care
Mark
Hello Endre,
Amazing work, very intriguing, it makes me really want to look at the larger version of it. Can you post the link? At first I thought the doors were over exposed. Then I realized that bright, out doors, light from the other side of the doors would make them look like that. I finally noticed what look like light rays coming through the doors at the bottom of the image, and it made sense. Your PS skills are every bit as good as your photographic lighting and composition skills. I look forward to seeing your book some day.
-Nick
This is great work - well done. I am not personally bothered by the PS content. As long as the final image is based on photography and achieves your concept with grace and beauty, it is photographic art!!!
Thanks so much, Nick, my friend! As always, I'm delighted that you like it! You can find the bigger version just by clicking on the "Gallery" button right under the photo but here's the FM link anyhow: https://www.fredmiranda.com/hosting/showphoto.php?photo=63703&sort=1&cat=500&page=1 Two other of the "Eva And The Magic Umbrella" series are already posted there, as well.
Would I post an overexposed image? Come now, Nick!
Fond regards,
Endre
nlamendo wrote:
Hello Endre,
Amazing work, very intriguing, it makes me really want to look at the larger version of it. Can you post the link? At first I thought the doors were over exposed. Then I realized that bright, out doors, light from the other side of the doors would make them look like that. I finally noticed what look like light rays coming through the doors at the bottom of the image, and it made sense. Your PS skills are every bit as good as your photographic lighting and composition skills. I look forward to seeing your book some day.
-Nick
Thanks so much, Cal. It's always great to hear from you! So glad you like it. Those are my sentiments about PS work. People used to do similar things with darkroom deveolped photos a long time ago. Now it's just easier to do in PS.
All best wishes,
Endre
CalW wrote:
Endre,
This is great work - well done. I am not personally bothered by the PS content. As long as the final image is based on photography and achieves your concept with grace and beauty, it is photographic art!!!
Hi Endre,
Instead of over exposed I should have used the term "hot spot", but even that isn't corrrect, becuase I know you wouldn't post it if it was. I guess I would like to see the doors be a little darker, but that is just me. The image looks great large. I really love the image "Eva On Her Way Home" even more. The sunset, stars and crescent moon is beautiful. The sun rays are much easier to see against the darker night sky than they are in your image of the gateway. Great work. Thanks for posting the link, it was a pleasure to view your gallery.
-Nick
Strad wrote:
Thanks so much, Nick, my friend! As always, I'm delighted that you like it! You can find the bigger version just by clicking on the "Gallery" button right under the photo but here's the FM link anyhow: https://www.fredmiranda.com/hosting/showphoto.php?photo=63703&sort=1&cat=500&page=1 Two other of the "Eva And The Magic Umbrella" series are already posted there, as well.
Would I post an overexposed image? Come now, Nick!
Thanks for your comments, Kanon Kid. There are a whole lot of things I did to make this - way too long to go into here. The cut and paste is the easy part. I think you may see what's down below better in the larger version - stars, clouds, and Eva walking underneath her magic umbrella.
All the best,
Endre
Kanon Kid wrote:
How the heck did you do this? Did you insert the background behind the doors in PS?I like it a lot, but what is the stuff at the bottom?
Thanks for the clarification but my ego wasnt bruised by the "over exposed" comment. I also might have preferred the gold doors to be less bright but it was very tricky to get the gold color without turning the rest of it a very unattractive red. My favorie of the others is also "Eva On Her Way Home" but i figure that will come at the end of the story anyhow, so any adventure or conflict will have been resolved by then and a more peaceful feeling should prevail. I may mess around with thrying to get the doors darker. If I succeed I'll replace this one with that.
Fond regards,
Endre
nlamendo wrote:
Hi Endre,
Instead of over exposed I should have used the term "hot spot", but even that isn't corrrect, becuase I know you wouldn't post it if it was. I guess I would like to see the doors be a little darker, but that is just me. The image looks great large. I really love the image "Eva On Her Way Home" even more. The sunset, stars and crescent moon is beautiful. The sun rays are much easier to see against the darker night sky than they are in your image of the gateway. Great work. Thanks for posting the link, it was a pleasure to view your gallery.
-Nick
Absolutely gorgeous entry. I bet the book is going to be fabulous especially if all the images are this strong. Thanks for sharing and good luck this week.
Another spiritual image Endre, in a really wonderful series. I can take the doors as is, or darker. If you are to go darker gold - you can adjust them independently of the rest of the image using the history brush in PS. The ethereal glow on the doors - I'm sure was deliberate - and does add to the magic behind the door. Anyway, I want to compliment your imagination, and composition in this creation. I've read a lot of children's books over the years, and I wish you all the success possible with these. My personal favorite is Roald Dahl's "Revolting Nursery Rhymes" - Which I loved reading aloud trying to change my voice for each character...the kids would roar with laughter. Please let us know how it is progressing.
This is exactly why I need to learn more in the PS. Great idea's come to life when you have the ability to do so... Wonderful and another race to the finish in finals with Mike and others. You guys really keep us on our toes.
Dear god man! Way to bring it all together Endre! I love it! It's gonna take more than a "Tin Man" to beat that! You bring a big push to us all with your work Endre. I thank you for that my friend.
Thank you so much, Steve! I always appreciate your kind words about my work. So glad you like this. Ther very famous writer who will write this (as soon as I figure out a plot) thought the same about the series, although I think some of the ones I did are even stonger than this one.
All best wishes,
Endre
Steve Spencer wrote:
Hi Endre,
Absolutely gorgeous entry. I bet the book is going to be fabulous especially if all the images are this strong. Thanks for sharing and good luck this week.
Thank you so much, Jim, my friend! The version you see has already been darkened somwhat and I think I'll stop messing around with it here. Yes, the etherial glow and the rays of light are qll quite deliberate.
I had thought of doing a children's book based on that little shot of Eva underneath an umbrella a long time ago but it was always something that just floated around in the "maybe someday" category of my plans. Now, though, the story of Eva going on a journey of some sort takes on far more significance because I conceive of her trekking off (with the aid of her magic umbrella) on a quest to discover what has happened to her beloved older brother after departing this physical life. I envision it being not only a lovely story but also a source of comfort to children and their parents in a time of profound loss. For me, I guess, it's a way of making lemonade out of lemons. Given your experiences, you may have some plot ideas so please let me know if you do.
Fond regards,
Endre
1_of_9 wrote:
Another spiritual image Endre, in a really wonderful series. I can take the doors as is, or darker. If you are to go darker gold - you can adjust them independently of the rest of the image using the history brush in PS. The ethereal glow on the doors - I'm sure was deliberate - and does add to the magic behind the door. Anyway, I want to compliment your imagination, and composition in this creation. I've read a lot of children's books over the years, and I wish you all the success possible with these. My personal favorite is Roald Dahl's "Revolting Nursery Rhymes" - Which I loved reading aloud trying to change my voice for each character...the kids would roar with laughter. Please let us know how it is progressing.
Thanks so much, Steve, my friend! As always, I'm delighted that you like my work.
PS is a fascinating tool. It's endless in its possibilities and I've only scratched the sruface. My best advice to anyone wanting to learn PS is not to be intimidated by it's myriad complexities. Just learn it bit by bit and once you have a few basics down it's easy to begin to extrapolate and figure out how to do new things. I have a number of PS books that I can refer to whenever I want to do something but don't know how to. I probably also have a whole variety of ways of doing things that are different from others because I've learned how to invent a way to do most anything I want. It just takes time and patience - most of which, sadly, are in short supply in today's world.
All best wishes,
Endre
Steven Roberts wrote:
This is exactly why I need to learn more in the PS. Great idea's come to life when you have the ability to do so... Wonderful and another race to the finish in finals with Mike and others. You guys really keep us on our toes.
Aw, Mike. You humble me with your praise. I don't know about that, though. I think your "Tim Man" is one spectacular shot!
All best wishes,
Endre
Vipermike wrote:
Dear god man! Way to bring it all together Endre! I love it! It's gonna take more than a "Tin Man" to beat that! You bring a big push to us all with your work Endre. I thank you for that my friend.
) called "Eva And The Magic Umbrella". If I can ever come up with a plot line, I have a promise from a VERY famous author to write the story to go with my illustrations - guaranteeing that it would get published. 
I don't know about that, though. I think your "Tim Man" is one spectacular shot! 