# Fireball: Manipulation



## DGMPhotography (Dec 26, 2013)

Hello!

As promised, I've been working on something extra special awesome and here it is! 

(Please view full-view. The thumbnail is a little discolored). 




What do you think?!?!

Also, this took probably around 7 hours, and I'm pretty happy with the results. However, my tired eyes may have missed something. Anything you'd change/improve? I want to make some finishing adjustments (with your advice) and then publish on my Facebook page. 

Thanks!

EDIT: Between stages comparison image .

View attachment 62872


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## yahgiggle (Dec 26, 2013)

I dont like it but i do see your hard work and think you have some good skills


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## DGMPhotography (Dec 26, 2013)

yahgiggle said:


> I dont like it but i do see your hard work and think you have some good skills



Oh? Any chance you could explain _why_ you don't like it?


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## yahgiggle (Dec 26, 2013)

DGMPhotography said:


> yahgiggle said:
> 
> 
> > I dont like it but i do see your hard work and think you have some good skills
> ...



To me its just over the top and i don't see it doing any justice for the Photo, also feels disconnected, that's just my opinion so dont take it to heart, i bet there be heaps of people that do like it.


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## DanielLewis76 (Dec 26, 2013)

I like it. However, I can see the point that there is no context. Maybe if you turn the cross the other way up?


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## yahgiggle (Dec 26, 2013)

i keep looking to see why it feels disconnected to me and i think its her eyes and how she looks to be more of a angel than a demon. Daniel made a good point try turning the cross upside down and i think giving her some red tones on her skin or something other than white might help.


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## yahgiggle (Dec 26, 2013)

I am thinking something like this but i think you with your skills could do a much better job


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## ceeboy14 (Dec 26, 2013)

I have to agree with the nays on this one. The skin and shadow tones on the model do nothing to give her character, much less life. I don't see her as an active part of the fire and brimstone effect you've given her hair. She's flat and boring against the reds and yellows. Personally, while you may have gained some inside PP skills, I'm not sure these were worthwhile hours spent.


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## Designer (Dec 26, 2013)

Perhaps the biggest issue with me is the model's expression.  Very bland.  Nearly expressionless.  

The flames are not quite flames, as they just don't read as actual flames.  

Don't understand the necklace.  Why that one, and why is it in the picture?

Her skin color is off.

Eye makeup is fine, but then there is nothing else in makeup.


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## tirediron (Dec 26, 2013)

I agree that the expression isn't ideal; I would have gone either for a very angelic expression as a contrast to the "hair" or a very evil one. On the technical side, there seems to be a very yellow cast to her skin which is giving her a bit of a sickly look, and looking at the full-size version her face looks like it's covered in very poorly applied powder.  I like the concept, and I think it's a good effort, but I think it could be refined even further with a little more work.


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## DGMPhotography (Dec 26, 2013)

Hello all,

Thanks for the feedback. I made her skin more yellowish so it would better match the flames. It just didn't look right with her normal skin tone, but I'll post the original as well for comparison. I like the edit you made yahgiggle, well done. However, I wasn't actually going for an angel or demon type of thing. More like just conveying the emotion of intensity, Hunge Games-style "girl on fire." Perhaps this isn't the perfect expression. And yes, I know the flames don't look totally real... for some reason I couldn't get stock photo flames to look right. Anyone have some tips for this?

Here's a comparison between stages (I'll also post this as an edit to my original post):



Thanks!


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## MK3Brent (Dec 26, 2013)

no no no... hahah.


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## tirediron (Dec 26, 2013)

Try an orange skin tone vice yellow (really it makes her look like she has jaundice).


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## Derrel (Dec 26, 2013)

I get the idea behind this. I agree--a more orangey skin tone, to go with the sparks and flames would look good. The fierey hair billowing like that looks GOOD! The expression does not quite coincide with the flaming hair though. But the effect looks illustrative an fun to look at.


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## DGMPhotography (Dec 26, 2013)

I tried doing orange but I couldn't really get Lightroom to do that, only blue to yellow in the temperature range. When I did it in photoshop it created a lot of strange artifacts and noise in the skin... I'm sure there's a way to do it though, I just gotta figure it out. Once I do I'll pose the orange version. So what about expression? What expression do you think would be better?


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## Derrel (Dec 26, 2013)

More of a furrowed brow, kind of a scrunched  up upper lip, and a bad-a&&, I'm gonna fry your a&&es! kind of look....something more confrontational...in this shot she looks a bit demure. I dunno...some additional flames or texture on the chest might look good. One thought might be to use a shot of campfire coals...apply a TEXTURE of coals to the skin of her bare chest and face...make it subtle, but "real" too.

Again I think her hair billowing like that makes this shot work, mostly. Yahgiggle's edit above shows some texture on the side of her face--to me, that textured look like burning wood!!! to me, the texture he added HELPS with the realism of the fire and flames! I think her neck and chest areas need more texture. And I have to say...Lightroom is probably not the best software to do that type of exiting work.


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## DGMPhotography (Dec 26, 2013)

Derrel said:


> More of a furrowed brow, kind of a scrunched  up upper lip, and a bad-a&&, I'm gonna fry your a&&es! kind of look....something more confrontational...in this shot she looks a bit demure. I dunno...some additional flames or texture on the chest might look good. One thought might be to use a shot of campfire coals...apply a TEXTURE of coals to the skin of her bare chest and face...make it subtle, but "real" too.
> 
> Again I think her hair billowing like that makes this shot work, mostly. Yahgiggle's edit above shows some texture on the side of her face--to me, that textured look like burning wood!!! to me, the texture he added HELPS with the realism of the fire and flames! I think her neck and chest areas need more texture. And I have to say...Lightroom is probably not the best software to do that type of exiting work.



Yeah... Mostly Lightroom was just used for preliminary adjustments and I was trying to do the color tone in there but as mentioned, didn't turn out so well. I'm so glad I got the photographer's CC deal. 

I definitely think her billowing hair makes this shot. I feel like even just the fact that I thought of using a fan, though an obvious idea, is a sign that I'm improving as a photographer. 

Thanks for the texture idea. I'm definitely gonna try that out and I'll post the results when I'm done!


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## DGMPhotography (Dec 29, 2013)

Alright, here's an edit with your advice taken into account!


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## vipgraphx (Dec 29, 2013)

Honestly not crazy about this photo and editing no offense but , I had a run with in hopes that I could make it pop even more....


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## DGMPhotography (Dec 29, 2013)

vipgraphx said:


> Honestly not crazy about this photo and editing no offense but , I had a run with in hopes that I could make it pop even more....
> 
> http://s83.photobucket.com/user/q45t07/media/CharyssaFireball_zpse2e0e1d7.jpg.html



Thanks


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## wanttolearn25 (Jan 7, 2014)

DGMPhotography said:


> Alright, here's an edit with your advice taken into account!
> 
> 
> View attachment 63068




I think this edit is much better!  Wasn't really a fan of the first one....but this is much more visually appealing to the eye! Good Job and taking all the (Constructive) Criticism into account.


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## DGMPhotography (Jan 7, 2014)

And here is my latest edit! Combined the two!


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## Robin Usagani (Jan 7, 2014)

here is my edit.


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## vipgraphx (Jan 7, 2014)

I really don't want to sound like a total ducsh but why are you waisting so much time on this. Honestly IMO it does not do that girl justice. It makes her more unattractive and I do understand on combining different elements but some reason this is just not working.

If she was a natural red head I might see doing this but since she has dark hear color this totally looks CGI and like does not flow with her.

perhaps you could do something that was less in your face BAM and in a color that went more with her natural hair&#8230;.Food For Thought


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## Robin Usagani (Jan 7, 2014)

This is the graphic program section?  Dark hair, green hair, black hair.. who cares?



vipgraphx said:


> I really don't want to sound like a total ducsh but why are you waisting so much time on this. Honestly IMO it does not do that girl justice. It makes her more unattractive and I do understand on combining different elements but some reason this is just not working.
> 
> If she was a natural red head I might see doing this but since she has dark hear color this totally looks CGI and like does not flow with her.
> 
> perhaps you could do something that was less in your face BAM and in a color that went more with her natural hair&#8230;.Food For Thought


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## DGMPhotography (Jan 8, 2014)

Robin Usagani said:


> This is the graphic program section?  Dark hair, green hair, black hair.. who cares?
> 
> 
> 
> ...



hehe xD


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## vipgraphx (Jan 8, 2014)

Robin Usagani said:


> This is the graphic program section?  Dark hair, green hair, black hair.. who cares?
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Umm did you even read his first post asking what we thought? I told him what I thought so who cares? I do and so does he. IF he does not care he would not have asked what we thought.


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## amolitor (Jan 8, 2014)

It turns out that people have a lot of their head tucked in up under the hair.

This picture makes it looks like her skull/head stops at the hairline, and just turns into flaming gasses.


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## DGMPhotography (Jan 9, 2014)

amolitor said:


> It turns out that people have a lot of their head tucked in up under the hair.
> 
> This picture makes it looks like her skull/head stops at the hairline, and just turns into flaming gasses.



Ah yes, good observation... I was thinking something like that but couldn't quite out my finger on it! Hmm... I'm gonna make some more edits!


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## DGMPhotography (Jan 12, 2014)

Okay, how's this? I fixed some other small stuff too.


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## DGMPhotography (Jan 13, 2014)

Any thoughts?


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## amolitor (Jan 13, 2014)

I like the latest one better. Much more convincing-seeming, as an effect.


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## DGMPhotography (Jan 13, 2014)

amolitor said:


> I like the latest one better. Much more convincing-seeming, as an effect.



Awesome, that's good to hear. Thank you. Anything else to fix/change?


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## DGMPhotography (Jan 18, 2014)

For your viewing pleasure, this is the final version I am going with. Thanks for all the feedback, it was really helpful!


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