Gentle Summer's Evening
Placed in Top Ten in You’re Accepted Group’s “Through The Fence” challenge march 24, 2009.
Featured in Live, Love, Dream February 1, 2009.
Featured in Nirvana February 1, 2009.
I’ve posted the horizontal of this image previously … but decided to give the vertical a shot as well .. I like the fencing and lovely, jumbled grasses in the foreground, and although I liked the clear soft blue skies of the original, I just couldn’t help adding some lovely fluffy clouds that I had tucked away.
This compilation was very easy … and if someone’s been wanting to give it a try here’s really all you do. Open both images in Photoshop, or a similar program. Do what needs to be done to your images … clone off weird spots or airplanes or what have you. Put them through levels … contrast … whatever you like.
Now, you should have a base image … and something to go over or into it. In my case, the base image was the one with the clouds. By the way, I frequently shoot simple things like clouds or walls or branches or other plain things to use in compilations later on. You’d be surprised what comes in handy!!
My onto / into image was the one with the barn. What I wanted to do was extract … or take out … the barn and grass and glom that onto the cloud shot. In this case, extracting the barn and the trees and grass was very easy, as the sky behind was pure, simple blue. So basically, I “selected” the blue, then hit “inverse” ... so that the highlighted area became everything BUT the sky. I then used the move tool (the little arrow thing up at the top left) and clicked on the barn and literally MOVED that section over to the layer with the clouds. Once there, I hit “free transform” which is under the Edit function … and resized the barn image to fit into the cloud image perfectly. Double click to finish off the transform and you’re basically done. Now, in this case there was still a bit of bright blue sky hiding in the leaves of the trees … so that took a bit of cloning to get rid of. Then I hit the whole top of the tree line with the blur tool to blend everything in better. I didn’t blur the top of the barn, though, as I wanted it to stand out crisp and clean from the sky. Any questions, b-mail me and I’ll try to help out!! Oh, by the way, there are a zillion ways to do everything in Photoshop … so I’m sure there are other / better ways to do this. But … this works for meeee!!
The image of the barn was taken July 25, 2008 along route 220, south of Bedford, Pennsylvania in the late afternoon with the Nikon D40x, using the 18-135mm lens. The shot of the sky was taken in February of 2008 near Damascus, Maryland.
Gentle Summer's Evening belongs to the following groups:
All Around the Styles, Live, Love, Dream: May you have a Blessed Christmas Season , PEACE, LOVE & TRANQUILITY, PixElations - The Art of Photoshop, Rural Around The Globe, Rustic, Safe Haven, Scenery, Shameless Self-Promotion, The true beauty, United States and Vibrant and Vivid Color Available for sale asGreeting Cards, Matted Prints, Laminated Prints, Mounted Prints, Canvas Prints, Framed Prints and Posters
buzzy
Wonderful capture…Neat and soothing!!
Lois Bryan replied
Thank you so much!!!
lorilee
Sooooo lovely – I’m longing to walk barefoot in grass like that!!!!!!!
Lois Bryan replied
Thank you, Lori … not afraid of snakes, are ya??? heh heh … sorry … I’m feeling evil at the moment … heh heh heh
Heavenandus777
Beautiful Summer evening, and Image
Lois Bryan replied
Thanks sooo much … i really fell in love with this spot … I should head back on a winter’s day in snow, come to think of it!!
PFrogg
This is great Love it barn and silo winner did you enter this challenge
Lois Bryan replied
Thank you so much!!! Actually, I entered to horizontal, Orton version, but it got rejected. I wasn’t aware that group didn’t want Orton images. Then I fixed this one up to submit, but the voting had already started!!! LOL!!! OH well!!!!!
Jerame *
very nice tranquil image!
Lois Bryan replied
Thank you so much, Jerame … it truly was an incredible find … you know how it is, sometimes you just get a feeling that something else is at play … it was such a glorious day!!!
Evita
Very beautiful image Lois! :D
Lois Bryan replied
Hiiii Evita!!!! Thank you so much, sweetheart!!! Glad you liked it!!
bill oneil
beautiful, and green grass, what is that?
Lois Bryan replied
LOL!!! It’s usually quite wet and soft … and it hides critters with teeth. BUT .. the truly unusual thing is that this was taken late July … and we’re usually into the crackly brown stuff by then, ourselves!!!
lorilee
Lois – how could you?!!!!! LOL That’s alright, we all have our ‘moments’!!!!!
Lois Bryan replied
hahahahaha!!! Just messin’ with ya!!!! Bless your heart!!!! Forgive me???? Pretty pleeeease? hehehe
Lois Bryan
Heloisa Castro
excellent capture
Lois Bryan replied
Hi Heloisa!!! Thank you so much for stopping by!!
lorilee
Nothin’ to forgive – heh, heh, heh!!!!! Love ya!!!!!
Lois Bryan replied
: )))
Karen Checca
Wonderful work! :) karen
Lois Bryan replied
Hi Karen … thank you so much, hon!!!!!
sleepyeyedrar
Awesome! Love this ~ instant fav
Lois Bryan replied
Thank you, thank you!!!! So glad you enjoyed it!!
charlena
this is just beautiful
Lois Bryan replied
Hi Charlena!!!! Thank you very much!!!
LavenderMoon
Both are stunning and picturesque, Lois… great combination of the two shots.
Lois Bryan replied
Thank you so much .. it’s funny how the light in one picture can go so well with a different shot!!!! I’m glad you enjoyed this one!!
Tibby Steedly
Lois, this is just GORGEOUS!!!
Lois Bryan replied
Hiiiii Tibby!!!! Thank you, sweetie!!!!
Beve Brown-Clark
Ahhh Lois you clever stick…wonderful merge of the sky! Beautiful deep rich colors…superb composition!!
Lois Bryan replied
Hiiii Bevie!!!! Thank you, sweetie!!!! It was pretty with just the blue … it really was a gorgeous color … but you know me .. if I can play with it, I will!!! LOL!!! Hugzz!!
Vicki Ferrari
Peaceful place – yes please… I would like to visit there now! If I were also a ten year old in a body that isn’t, maybe I could IMAGINE myself there… now…. bugger, it didn’t work! Might need more brain power! Lovely photo Lois!
Lois Bryan replied
... laughing … Vicki, dear … here … passing you a nice cup of hot chocolate … there we go … shall I add a drap of Bailey’s just to smooth it out a bit??? Sounds like you’re having a not fun day / evening!!!!!! Come, come … kick the shoes off … put the feet up … there now … better???
Wendi Donaldson
Beautiful Lois….love the composition here. Glorious sky!
Lois Bryan replied
Hi Wendi!!!! Thank you, sweetie!!!!!! Glad you enjoyed this one!!
Samantha Lewan...
Congrats on your feature!! The colours, saturation and subject of this image are amazing!!
Lois Bryan replied
Hi Samantha!!!! Thank you so much … I really appreciate your lovely note!!
Barbara Brown
Very pretty scene. Nice perspective and composition too.
Lois Bryan replied
Thank you!!!!! This particular scene was so pretty … it was one of those that literally just pulls you off the road and says … take my picture!!! lol
tigerlady96
What a terrific scene this is and the composition is perfect I love the contrast in this picture. You have a wonderful head start on the up and coming challenge in old barns around the country. Many many congratulations to you for being a feature member in Americas—rural urban. Hugs, Linda
Lois Bryan replied
Hi Linda!!!! Thank you so much … it was one of those scenes, one of those early evenings that you see in your sweetest dreams!!! it literally pulled me right off the road … I had to stop and snap it!!!!!
Joanne Bradley
Charming pastoral scene, really a classic farm shot!
Lois Bryan replied
Hi Joanne!!!! Thank you, hon!!!!!! It really caught my eye as I drove by … and I’m so glad I didn’t pass it up … so often that happens, you know?? But I was driving … and didn’t have to be up on the mountain at any particular time, so gave myself the treat of stopping!!!
Cassy Greenawalt
Beautiful shot! It really makes me miss summer.
Lois Bryan replied
Thank you, Cassy … you know, that particular late afternoon / early evening really did have all the VERY best qualities of summer!!! There was a wonderful breeze, the sun was soft on my shoulders … but there was also some indefinably peaceful feeling in the air. So glad you enjoyed this one!!!!!
WINTERROSE
this is a very nice shot,,,like it alot,,,nancy
Lois Bryan replied
Hi Nancy!!!! Thank you very much!!!! It’s a favorite of mine, too!!
Arrowman
A great tutorial Lois. I to take shots of clouds and stuff for later on !
Lois Bryan replied
Oh, Colin, I nearly went off the road yesterday late afternoon … we had a front coming through and the clouds were magnificent!!! I went to my favorite “flat space” not far from here where there are no clouds, lots of country fields … and unobstructed SKY!!! Are we nutzzz or what???? LOL!!
Arrowman
How dare you mention cloning off planes!!!!!!! They are a lifeline for me lol!!! he he he !!!
Lois Bryan replied
OH Colin!!! What WUZ I Thinking????? ROFL ROFL!!!! Sooo sorry!!! Please forgive me!!!!! ... laughing …
van049
BEAUTIFUL IMAGE!!!!!xx
Lois Bryan replied
Thanks, Van!!
SandraRos
Thanks you big sweet honey bunch will let you know how it goes.
Lois Bryan replied
LOL!!!! I’m waiting!!!!!
Steve Buffington
Congrats on your challenge finish. Beautiful capture.
Lois Bryan replied
Steve … thank you so much!!!! YAY!!!