Hay, -> amatour graphic designer (if I can call it even amatour)
Ymmm just started with Photo manpiulation and I really need some advices :3 If u have any sites that can help me or something, just go ahead : D
I made like 1st work and it took like 25min, need critique/opinion

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/58360869/Common/FotoPulacjaCzDalszy2.png <- after
http://www.wallpapers-backgrounds.net/wallpapers/snow-mountains-landscapes-hd-wallpapers.jpg <- before


PS. I m really sorry for my bad english, Its my second language and its kinda hard for me : D But I do my best

Nyaha~

Canoe is doing some next-level Jesus water walking. Not submerged in the water at all.

Stock quality is all over the place. Canoe looks like it was rendered in a CAD program and the grassy hill looks like it was taken from a 240p screenshot of The Lord of the Rings.
Also is that meant to be a dwarf on the grass? Looks like a cartoon.

No idea what's happening with that waterfall. Just pops up out of nothingness.

Lighting and colours are all over the place. Use stocks with soft/mutual colours that you can modify and blend easily. Choosing an image with an already shitty orange -> purple gradient overlay is a bad choice.


You can't half-ass photo manip and expect it to look good. 25 minutes is nowhere near enough time.

Thanks for an advice, ill try to pay more attention to this : D, now I see this boat is tottal fail, haha : )

Good to see you take critique like a man. Not like all those silly persons who try to defend their shitty work..

This post was edited by LazyDazy on Apr 23 2013 08:14am

Okay, day 2, take 2 :3 *hope this one is better, but got bad feelings about it* I feel like this cliff is not fiting so well, but yea, go ahead and flame... ergh... I mean, you know :3~
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/58360869/Common/Photomanipulationx4.jpg

ps. Could you guys give me some tips, how to start (like: idea-> finding source images ->etc.) and how to get progress?
Also some good sites with renders/stock images (trees and other common things)?


Well, acting like a god is boring this days, just wanna try to learn something and get better (I dont think I will becouse I m really bad, but yea, why dont give a try : D)...

This post was edited by kenshinkiba on Apr 23 2013 12:33pm

Again, use stocks that match.

You've got a blue tinged background, a green tinged middle, and an oversaturated dog & rock.

Focus is whack as well, only 1 zone should be in focus, both the middle and foreground are in focus.

Stay away from the cliche effects like the sun beams shining down. They are hard to make look natural.

Don't spam birds, we can tell they are all the same.


Honestly, I'd stop doing practical work and start reading up on composition and lighting.

Your work looks promising

Just try to understand how the atmosphere works

--> Shadows behave differently on water than it does on glass,ground,dirt,trees etc.
-The canoe reflection needs to be compared to the rock reflections, and cut off at roughly the same threshold

--> Keep in mind there's always one primary lightsource in environmental designs
- The mist should not come anywhere close to the intensity of the sun. It seems to be overpowering it, with a blue-ish hue. Note vapor is colorless unless light is shone through it

--> Watch some professionals do it, commentary would help as well.

:3 I think thats a best point, Ill try to find some book about basics of making composition, proboly gonna take a one week break or mby im gonna try some photo manipulation with girls, addin' flames etc.

Don't need to find books, plenty of great quality stuff on the internet for free.

also keep in mind you can sometimes use very light opacity photo filters/ color balance / curve or level adjustment layers to unify your images. DO NOT OVERDO these!