Friday Challenges – The Problem of Fur

fter my early successes, I was starting to look forward to Friday Challenges. Then came “In the Wild.” It turned out to be quite a learning experience for me, but only because I was dissatisfied with my entry.

Here is Caplin’s original image:elephantStatueBlog

His instructions were:

“I photographed this remarkable statue of an elephant outside the Musée d’Orsay in Paris. It’s beautifully detailed: tied to a lump of masonry, it’s being molested by a monkey. It’s a very realistic scene, apart from the fact that it’s all made of dull bronze and is on a pedestal in Paris. Can you return both these beasts to the wild, and make them real?”

Below is my second submission.  In the first one, I forgot to add the monkey.  In case you’re having difficulty seeing it, the monkey is on the stone wall in the background toward the left side of the image.Lodge BalconyCompleted3Blog

Caplin’s critique:

“A very fine image from srawland, with the elephant nestled into the jungle. I found the original of your background image with TinEye, and I like the added woman with binoculars – she draws the viewer’s eye neatly across the scene to the new elephant. Perhaps the monkey could have made an appearance on the terrace? Aha – there it is in the second entry, although it is a little difficult to make out. And as for following my instructions – no-one else takes any notice either!”

I put the monkey so far back in the scene because I couldn’t figure out how to make it look more realistic.  By that time, I completed How to Cheat in Photoshop, 6th ed., through the middle of Chapter 8, but had not yet started on the two lessons about beards and stubble.  Once I completed them, I had a brainstorm.  Below are comparisons of modified versions of just the monkey.Baboon statureFurComparisonBlog

The monkey on the left is a simple cutout from the original image.  The center monkey is what I was able to create for “In the Wild.” Clearly, it’s not very realistic.  However, I created the monkey on the right using variations on the techniques discussed in the lessons covering beards and stubble. Granted this monkey wouldn’t fool anyone by itself. But, inserted in the appropriate background, it could pass for real.BaboonFurInBackground

Although I’m still working on my beard and stubble skills,Caplin responded:

“…[Y]our technique, Sara, is excellent: that’s a really good way of doing it.”

Next: Friday Challenge – Mouseton Abbey

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