Do a "National Geographic" on this photo.

[David]

I love image manipulation and post processing, so thought I'd better set my own challenge.The following photo is a small scale version of an image from Morgue File (http://www.morguefile.com/) and is a closely cropped image of an old woman's face. This image was not taken by me, but I have permission to use it under the terms and conditions of MorgueFile, and have contacted the owner out of courtesy to explain what I have done.

Click here for image (http://www.bazlinton.com/images/P1000237_small.jpg).

The challenge is to make the photo look more like it was lifted from the pages of a National Geographic magazine, using whatever technique/filter/action/plug-in you like. The starting image is relatively high key, and doesn't have the punch you'd expect from a National Geographic pictorial shoot. So I challenge you to make this face tell everyone something about the woman's life. No further advice so you can let your imagination and PS skills run riot.

Good luck and have fun.

David.

PS I've had a go at this myself, but won't post the result yet.

RENAMED, "Do an Andrzej Dragan on this image". SEE MY POST SEVEN BELOW....

[quad b]

Here's my pretty boring, standard b/w conversion attempt.

http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n70/ben201/oldlady.jpg

[LaFoto]

Have you taken this photo yourself, David?
Else I would please ask you to refrain from editing someone else's photo and publishing it here as if it were yours from the start.

[David]

LaFoto, I've sent you a PM by way of explanation. Let me know what you think.

Regards,

David

[LaFoto]

Very well solved David. Thanks for the added sentence to your Challenge.
Now I am curious to see how other members can make this photo look like it was straight out of National Geographic :D.

[HollandHusker]

Hope you guys like this and hope this was what you meant by "National Geographic style"

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a322/leonardvdleeden/oldladykopie.jpg

[HollandHusker]

Guess not huh:p

[Mr. Venom]

I'm not sure exactly what the OP meant either... :(

[David]

HollandHusker/Mr Venom,

My apologies for not replying sooner. Despite having posted a couple of times, I have not revisited this thread in the last few days due to work commitments.

When I originally posted this thread, I had already had a go at improving the image myself and thought the result looked a bit like an image from National Geographic, and in particular the famous image of the girl with the piercing eyes (here (http://www.bazlinton.com/images/pst/ng_mag.jpg) - but not that good obviously). That was the reason for the name and theme of this thread.

National Geographic is renowned for it's portrait images that evoke emotion, because the faces are so expressive. I cannot say whether they are or not, but many seem to have been enhanced to emphasise frown lines, eyes and other features. This is often this is called painting with digital light, and Andrzej Dragan (http://www.andrzejdragan.com) is a fine, if not the best, exponent of this.

I will rename this thread "Do an Andrzej Dragan on this image" which, thinking with hindsight, is what I should have done in the first place. I have edited my first post accordingly. To get an idea of what I mean, have a look at Dragan's portfolio at the above link or NG's photo gallery, which has several images like this one (http://www.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0011/feature1/zoom5.html).

HH your image is the beginning of what I had in mind, whether colour or black and white, but as I wasn't specific enough in my brief, I apologise.

David

[MommyOf4Boys]

well here is my go at it..i really love his stuff!

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c3/Txspeachfzz/andjchall1.jpg

[zombiekilla]

Here is my attempt
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c161/mullet3k/lady.jpg

[MommyOf4Boys]

ok, i went back and redid this, because my first one looked like crap lol

B/W
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c3/Txspeachfzz/dd2.jpg

Color:
i really hated this one so i removed it lol

[inshaala]

going black and white is obviously a good way to make this a good impact image, but i thought i would challenge myself to do it in colour:

http://album.cogia.net/gif/NGchellenge2.jpg

What did i do... well darkened the image for one with a multiply layer. Did a few contrast and levels adjustments, brought out her eyes and darkened her wrinkles, all in all more weathered look but with a hint of a twinkle in her eyes :)

[MommyOf4Boys]

i know, i am a perfectionist..can't help myself lol

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c3/Txspeachfzz/ut1.jpg

[David]

There is some excellent work going on here, and I will post my version soon, but it is funny that several of those shown already are on a similar vein to mine.

Keep up the good work everyone, and if anyone else fancies diving in, feel free.

David.

[mykill]

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/mykill84/P1000237_small.jpg

my attempt....and had to make the eyes evil

[j_mcquillen]

My effort:

http://www.lightinthesky.co.uk/images/TPF/P1000237_small.jpg

[jeroen]

http://www.jeroencoert.nl/kiekjes/P1000237_small.jpg

[Alex_B]

Blimey! Jeroen! Finally something very different. Cannot stop smiling ;)

[bowronfam3]

Here's my attempt...not exactly National Geographic I guess...but I couldn't resist!!! LOL!


http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/607/p1000237smallue0.jpg

[MommyOf4Boys]

^^ and you picked the perfect logo! LOL

[sebque]

Tried to change the image to the ''dragan style''.
Maybe you like it..


http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o64/sebque/test-2.jpg

[gizmo2071]

My 2cents.

http://www.sicfelt.com/manga/P1000237_small.jpg

[Nurd]

Ah, this one was really a challenge for me. I had fun though. ^__^

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e52/ammettalo_non/photo3.jpg

[tex]

http://www.prod21.com/misc/woman_face.jpg

[adoho]

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b393/adoho/P1000237_smalledit.jpg

I didn't want to go B&W as that would be a far to easy way out IMO.