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Sony Forums Challenges | all galleries >> Challenge 107: Greeting Cards (hosted by MFC & Sonny Asehan) >> Challenge 107: Eligible > edit image
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06-DEC-2005 Denise

Hope 2*
by Denise

Wishing you a year filled with Love and Light!

This is a new version, no flash, and only took me 6 hours. I thought my perfectionist days were over!! Thanks for your comments and looking forward to more.

Sony DSC-H1
1/20s f3.5 at 11.40mm iso64 No Flash ;-)) hide exif
Full EXIF Info
Date/Time05-Dec-2005 15:18:38
MakeSony
ModelDSC-H1
Flash UsedYes
Focal Length25.7 mm
Exposure Time1/30 sec
Aperturef/3.5
ISO Equivalent64
Exposure Bias
White Balance
Metering Modecenter weighted (2)
JPEG Quality (6)
Exposure Programmanual (1)
Focus Distance

other sizes: small medium original auto
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Jerry Curtis13-Dec-2005 02:04
Hmm.... not sure there's room for another comment, Denise ;-)
Seriously, the improvement over the first iteration is amazing. Well worth the effort. Beautiful job in every respect.
Markjay 13-Dec-2005 01:36
Lovely card, Denise! Very pleasing colors that work so well together with a nic crop and composition. Not sure about a (*)square crop for a greeting card but, they DO exsist. Just might not fit in your standard "card rack". ;-)
Sony Forums Challenges12-Dec-2005 12:47
Nicely found and executed Denise. Fremiet
Katherine Stanback's Photos12-Dec-2005 00:56
Very pretty card - I like the composition and lighting on this one much better than the one in the demo gallery!
Sony Forums Challenges11-Dec-2005 19:38
Denise, I hope you don't mind that I'm including the link here to your original version that's now in the "demo folder". It's nice to see how your time and effort payed off :) Here's the link to your original photo...
http://www.pbase.com/stfchallenge/image/53420264
MFC
Guest 10-Dec-2005 21:59
Denise, I looked at this and thought "beautiful lighting and clarity"! - and then I read the comments and laughed. I guess we're all a little obsessive :-) Nicely done. Bev
Helen Betts08-Dec-2005 22:31
Very nicely done, Denise. Lighting is great now, and your background is also very effective. Good work! Helen
Guest 08-Dec-2005 04:36
Six hours hard work has certainly brought you HOPE ... very creative, very sharp and very attractive! Good shot, Denise.
mlynn 08-Dec-2005 01:00
Beautiful shot of this angel Denise, lovely composition. --Melanie
Denise08-Dec-2005 00:06
Thank you, Sonny, Bottles and Helen. It was worth the work for sure. I love this image. Our granddaughter's name is Hope, so it is very special to us. Thanks again for your help and kind words!!
Guest 07-Dec-2005 03:09
Denise, this is definitely a better version of the original. The lighting looks more natural, the other elements (now more visible) supports the subject very well and enhanced the composition. I believe the hard (but fun) work really paid off. Well done!
Guest 06-Dec-2005 23:36
Denise, it was worth the six hours, it's truly beautiful. Besides, when you're having fun, six hours goes by pretty quickly :) I like your composition and the lighting looks perfect to me. Very nice work!
Denise06-Dec-2005 22:26
Thank you, thank you. I like it too. I have such a profound respect for photographers that do this kind of work. It is not easy!!!! But I love how I am pushing myself to get it right....thanks to all the wonderful support and guidance I am finding on STF. Now for the energy to do the tree shot I want, as I said....it rotates ;-))
Sony Forums Challenges06-Dec-2005 21:51
I like it, Denise, especially the way things seem to float/flow within the scene...the angel, the banner, the decorative ribbon. I like the natural lighting too...and the way you left "Hope" as the only text on the face of your greeting. I think it's an improvement, and I like the way you did it. Again, a very nice greeting card. MFC
Helen Betts06-Dec-2005 19:15
That's really one sharp shot, Denise! I like the positioning and natural framing, but do agree about the flash -- it would be good if you could use another type of lighting as Sonny says. Helen
Sony Forums Challenges06-Dec-2005 05:59
Denise, I'm really glad for your progress. I can see some of the new things you are learning, and they really enhance your image. I like the way you composed this and the sentiment expressed by your text. The angel makes a good holiday subject, and she looks nicely positioned in the tree. I've never used a flash; so I don't know a thing about technique in that regard. I've always found a simple, halogen desk lamp handy when needed...sometimes filtered with a piece of white paper or paper towel. This makes a very nice greeting card. MFC
Denise06-Dec-2005 01:45
Sonny, thanks for your comments. I have shot this angel every which way but loose and couldn't get her face and the sparkles on her dress to show up. The tree with lots of lights is artificial, so I didn't want to do that. The live tree has way fewer lights. It was day time and I still couldn't get the perfect light, so I broke down and used the flash on minus and with tissues over it ;-)) The cool thing about the challenge is...I cloned out the ornament hook, I fixed a spot on her eyelash, I used text and figured out the drop shadow border. Now those are many lessons worth learning. I will keep shooting her and then you can tell me how to swap the pics if I do get it "perfect". Thanks so much, Denise
Guest 06-Dec-2005 00:57
This would make a very good greeting card, Denise. I like the angle of the subject, the placement of the verbiage and the way the angel is naturally framed by the pine needles. I also like the use of the dropped shadow frame. My only nit is the use of the on camera flash as your main source of light as it looked harsh of some of the shiny portions of the subject. I probably would have shot this photo during the day where the ambient light is brighter and perhaps use the on camera flash as a fill in light (low setting). Just my opinion of course.