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Posted on 09/04/21 08:19:04 AM |
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Steve Caplin
Administrator Posts: 6945 Reply  |
Challenge 852: Digging in the sand
We visited St George de Didonne in the House left behind challenge a couple of weeks ago, and the nearby caves back in 2013. I spent some time watching this man digging in the sand when I was there last summer. He didn't seem to be finding anything. What on earth could he have been looking for? High res is here.  |
Posted on 09/04/21 09:03:10 AM |
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Mariner
Renaissance Mariner Posts: 2921 Reply  |
Re: Challenge 852: Digging in the sand
Lugworms and ragworms I expect. |
Posted on 09/04/21 10:33:08 AM |
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Steve Caplin
Administrator Posts: 6945 Reply |
Re: Challenge 852: Digging in the sand
Oh, I expect something much less prosaic from the Forum. |
Posted on 09/04/21 11:15:55 AM |
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DavidMac
Director of Photoshop Posts: 5367 Reply  |
Re: Challenge 852: Digging in the sand
Peculiarly interesting image this week, because he and everything else are so far away. Hmmmm ........ _________________ The subtlety and conviction of any Photoshop effect is invariably inversely proportional to the number of knobs on it ....... |
Posted on 09/04/21 1:31:14 PM |
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GKB
Magical Montagist Posts: 3893 Reply  |
Re: Challenge 852: Digging in the sand
_________________ Time flies like an arrow but fruit flies like a banana. |
Posted on 09/04/21 1:39:09 PM |
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lwc
Hole in One Posts: 3016 Reply  |
Re: Challenge 852: Digging in the sand
Good one Gordon...! Just practicing for the new Olympic sport of clam digging.  |
Posted on 09/04/21 1:54:39 PM |
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GKB
Magical Montagist Posts: 3893 Reply |
Re: Challenge 852: Digging in the sand
Thank you Loyd _________________ Always remember that you are unique - just like everyone else. |
Posted on 10/04/21 02:39:51 AM |
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Mariner
Renaissance Mariner Posts: 2921 Reply |
Quickie
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Posted on 10/04/21 1:14:46 PM |
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lwc
Hole in One Posts: 3016 Reply |
Re: Challenge 852: Digging in the sand
Variation to a theme...  |
Posted on 10/04/21 3:02:21 PM |
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GKB
Magical Montagist Posts: 3893 Reply |
Re: Challenge 852: Digging in the sand
I was playing and before I knew it I had ended up with this. Looking at the footage coming from Iceland I have to ask 'What bit of standing next to an active volcano that is spewing fast flowing lava towards you do you not understand?'  
_________________ If at first you don't succeed then skydiving is not for you. |
Posted on 10/04/21 5:26:01 PM |
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DavidMac
Director of Photoshop Posts: 5367 Reply |
Re: Challenge 852: Digging in the sand
Every year the Belgian coast, usually Ostend or Zeebrugge, plays host to the largest sand sculpture festival and competition in the world. Competitors, from all over the world, spend the year preparing and planning and have up to five weeks to build the their sculptures. I have been to this extraordinary event a couple of times and it truly defies belief. Sculptures sometimes rising to the height of a two or three story house! The detailing in some is just astonishing. This image is somewhat removed from the true event in which the sculptures are behind ropes and kept from the spectators reach. I have used sand sculptures from all over the world to create this image. They are not all from Belgium, but every single sculpture you see here is a genuine sand sculpture - no photoshop cheats or creations. I almost hid Wally (Waldo) in there but decided against it. 
This proved much much harder than I expected. It was very hard to match the slightly high downward looking viewpoint of Steve's photo as most of the photos of these sculptures are taken from eye level and, because they are large, looking upwards. A lot of bending and cheating was need to say nothing of trying to pull all the massively varying perspectives together. At the risk of accusations of self denigration from Michael Sinclair, the truth is I haven't entirely succeeded in resolving some of these, particularly in the foreground where anomalies show much more easily. Fortunately the sheer confusion and activity of the image manages to paper over most of the cracks and I hopefully mostly get away with it. Please don't be too harsh on this aspect Steve - I am well aware where the bodies are buried, (to use a rather sinister metaphor given the image!). The original image was was 2600 x 1900 pixels with 72 image layers and 135 adjustment layers and mask layers. For the first time I actually felt my quite powerful new machine slow down perceptibly for some of the more serious number crunching Photoshop operations. _________________ The subtlety and conviction of any Photoshop effect is invariably inversely proportional to the number of knobs on it ....... |
Posted on 10/04/21 5:31:57 PM |
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DavidMac
Director of Photoshop Posts: 5367 Reply |
Re: Challenge 852: Digging in the sand
I see lots of you have been busy. Gordon you seem to have sort of beaten me to the sculpture idea. Shades of Planet of the Apes. The second is very odd, but your note gave me a good giggle. Love the animations Loyd. The second is just splendid! Unusual to see a quickie from you Michael. Seems my metaphor about buried bodies was even more apt than I realised. _________________ The subtlety and conviction of any Photoshop effect is invariably inversely proportional to the number of knobs on it ....... |
Posted on 10/04/21 5:57:22 PM |
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GKB
Magical Montagist Posts: 3893 Reply |
Re: Challenge 852: Digging in the sand
David, my first was, indeed, based on the scene of the Statue of Liberty in Planet of the Apes. The second was originally intended to be the man digging down to the mantle but ended up this way. _________________ Time flies like an arrow but fruit flies like a banana. |
Posted on 10/04/21 8:10:22 PM |
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vibeke
Kreative Kiwi Posts: 2157 Reply  |
Re: Challenge 852: Digging in the sand
Some great early entries, I haven't even got a starting idea yet. _________________ Perfect confidence is granted to the less talented as a consolation prize. |
Posted on 10/04/21 8:21:35 PM |
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michael sinclair
Off-Topic Opportunist Posts: 1821 Reply  |
Re: Challenge 852: Digging in the sand
Gordon, Loyd, and Michael great work! All showing originality 
David, I'm overcome by an urge to fiddle with your sculpture image to bring back the bloody sunlight; an image crying out for the restoration of sunlight. That having been accomplished then it will be absolutely fantastic! So I'm lending you the "compliment" on condition you pay back the loan of providing sunshine.
Oh yes David, please tell everyone that they must click on your image to see all the tremendous detail which is incredible 
Mongolian Death worm. Apparently it does exist, though I doubt in the mega-size portrayed.
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Posted on 10/04/21 8:55:42 PM |
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michael sinclair
Off-Topic Opportunist Posts: 1821 Reply |
Re: Challenge 852: Digging in the sand
With David's permission (hopefully), I have fiddled also using the Shadows and Highlights about 4 times to reduce the black contrasty effect of peoples clothes. Great work David: you have clearly gone to a lot of trouble to achieve such an interesting scenario
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Posted on 11/04/21 02:38:47 AM |
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lwc
Hole in One Posts: 3016 Reply |
Re: Challenge 852: Digging in the sand
Thanks David & Michael...! Your "death worm' works well Michael, I gave a little thought to something similar but never could visualize how I might make it work. David, that's amazing, I'm surprised that you finished it this quickly. Just searching out the images must have taken a lot of time. |
Posted on 11/04/21 05:08:36 AM |
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Mariner
Renaissance Mariner Posts: 2921 Reply |
Re: Challenge 852: Digging in the sand
David, a work of epic size. Brilliant. Reminds me a bit of H. Bosch. As a lover of the sun (aren't all Brits?) I must agree with Michael. There are still five days left. |
Posted on 11/04/21 10:06:08 AM |
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DavidMac
Director of Photoshop Posts: 5367 Reply |
Re: Challenge 852: Digging in the sand
Guys this is Belgium! The country with the highest rainfall in Europe. Here's the view from my window as I write this. Also, Steve's original photo has streaks of sun in the background but a shaded foreground. I take my cue from matching to this. The real reason is far more prosaic. I used twenty six different sand sculpture photos all taken under varying light conditions from sun to grey and with varying sand colours from bright red and yellow through to grey. That is to say nothing of all the people I added afterwards who also came in hugely varying colours and contrast. The only way I could get them to be reasonably consistent was to minimise colour and contrast. This was also the only way I could get them to drop comfortably into the rather desaturated foreground of Steve's original photo. I agree with you both sunny would be lovely. That's a brave attempt Michael but to me it looks post processed and one of the things I try to strive for in these challenges is believability and naturalness. It may not be uplifting seaside imagery but it's authentic. ............... Well as authentic as a fake can be. 
_________________ The subtlety and conviction of any Photoshop effect is invariably inversely proportional to the number of knobs on it ....... |
Posted on 11/04/21 12:06:24 PM |
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DavidMac
Director of Photoshop Posts: 5367 Reply |
Re: Challenge 852: Digging in the sand
Sorry Michaels. On re-reading my previous post sounds a bit po-faced and churlish. Not my intention. I really enjoyed this one ..... but I'm not touching it!  _________________ The subtlety and conviction of any Photoshop effect is invariably inversely proportional to the number of knobs on it ....... |
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