GT4 WRS Week 105: Photomode Comp

[Sphinx]

WHAT IS IT?
The WRS Photomode Competition allows WRS'ers the opportunity to show their Photomode skills. You're task is to create a picture that can be used for the Week 105 results thread. At the end of the week all entries in this thread will be judged by myself or by the previous winner (previous winner must pm me before the race deadline if he/she wants to determine the winner) and a new winner will be determined.

WHAT ARE THE RESTRICTIONS
The only restrictions placed on the photo you create are:

• Photo must be 600 x 450 pixels
• Photo must relate to the Week 105 race
• Photo must contain the phrase "WRS Week 105 Results"
• Photo must be submitted before Tuesday the 1st May

And that's it! Only one photo per competitor but feel free to update your entry during the week 👍

So what are you waiting for........get out there and start racing and/or snapping some pics

 

[Mr P]

I dont want to win every week so here's a quick 5 minuter using the new Photoshop CS3 just to test it out 👍

 

[MisterWeary]

My effort this week:

 

[steven]

nowhere as artistic as all you lot is impressing us but here's my $0.02 anyway.

 

[Metar]

I just spend 30 minutes snapping pictures of every possible thingy on the car and track - only to find out the USB was locked.
If the PC can tell me when it's locked, why can't GT4?

I dont want to win every week so here's a quick 5 minuter using the new Photoshop CS3 just to test it out 👍

CS3, eh? I'll have to see what changes they made compared to the CS2 I have, since the change from 7 to CS2 was pretty enormous...

 

[WSSSUP]

Great pics, what font is that Bigracer?? i have been looking for a font like that for awhile.

Heres my pic.. Updated, didnt like the last one, found some new tools in cs3 still a bit to learn...

 

[steven]

the font is 'andy' (using photoshop essentials) and i have been looking for decent fonts myself too. btw, your font choice is pretty cool too!
being double-lefthanded pc-wise, its not that easy to find other fonts and load them into my xp setup.

 

[Metar]

Hey, finally a fellow text-shadow caster. What's your font?

 

[WSSSUP]

Font is the Playstation 3 Font, here it is for anyone wanting it.
Just grabbed the andy font, im still in the world of Photoshop 7,hahaha.
👍

 

[Jake]

Here's my attempt this week. great shots by all... 👍

 

[Kelly]

My effort is pretty crap this week as usual think I need to do something different with the border, also my text is too much one sided in fact I will probably change it altogether

 

[gtbadboy]

My entry for the week.

Edit: Jake, nice pic but, I think it's week 105.

 

[arora]

Wow, lots of good entries, very

I don't think I have time to put in a good effort this week, I'll get something up though.

 

[WSSSUP]

Great pics guys, getting heaps of ideas for the next one.
Jake what effect are you using on the car, looks like a fine pencil effect, looks mad. Hope to see your pic in the results post 👍

 

[Metar]

At last, I pulled myself together and pulled off a picture:

Done using the 30-days CS3 trial. After that, it'll be hard to get back to CS2... Better interface, more useful features, and most important - the blur-tools are much improved.
The original, just to mention, was completely without blur (4000 shutter), so all blurring was done using Photoshop. Might get another one done, or change the font...


Better text + Border

 

[Jake]

Thanks, Ron for pointing out my typo. Got it fixed on the original post.

Adam, I didn't use any filters on the image, just Levels, Hue/Saturation, and Color Balance adjustments.

 

[gtbadboy]

Thanks, Ron for pointing out my typo. Got it fixed on the original post.

Adam, I didn't use any filters on the image, just Levels, Hue/Saturation, and Color Balance adjustments.

No problem Jake. It was such a neat photo I couldn't see you DQ'd for a bad number. I really like the way you've got your text laid out. 👍

 

[WSSSUP]

Updated pic in previous post. Just got Cs3, some nice tools in there.
How is eveyone doing the borders???

cheers
Adam

 

[Metar]

Updated pic in previous post. Just got Cs3, some nice tools in there.
How is eveyone doing the borders???

cheers
Adam

Just where the "Resize" is, there's an option, "Canvas Size" - pick that one, and tell it how many pixels you'd like to add, and what color.

Borders like Kelly does are unknown to me - probably something near that tool.

BTW, Adam, a little hint on your blurring - after you select the car, copy it to a new layer. Then, copy the background layer, and press 'Ctrl + [Layers/The layer with the car]' to re-select the car, delete it out of the copied layer, and you should end up with:

1. One background layer, which includes everything
2. One layer of the surroundings, without the car
3. One with just the car

Then, copy the 'Surroundings' layer once more. The lower one, give it a Gaussian Blur (around 4-5 pixels). The upper one, give it a little of the blur you wanted (not more than 15 pixels) - in your case, say, 10 pixels of radial blur. Then, copy that layer, and blur by another 10 pixels (20 this time). Continue until you receive the desired amount of blurring.

Benefits of this method (which I learned in the GT4 Photomode section of GTPlanet):​

1. The surroundings don't have bits of the car blurred with them.
2. The reason for multiple layers of blur is to prevent the blurred layer from having a "hole" around the car - with many layers, you won't be able to see the non-blurred area around the car.

To do the kind of blur I applied on my entry, it's just a litte more complicated, since the "center" of the blur is out of the picture. You have to enlarge the picture to the direction of that hypothetical center, and to determine where it is, draw straight lines (using another layer, of course) from stuff such as walls, the white marks on the road, etc... Then, blur from the place where the lines meet, and crop off the parts you added after you're done with the blur. Delete the lines-layer, and you'll have a blur.


This may sound tough and long, but after doing it once or twice, it comes off automatic 👍

And why did you use circular Radial Blur, rather than "Zoom-Blur"?

 

[Jake]

to make a border hit ctrl+a to select all. make a new layer. Choose edit > stroke and set options.

Metar, do you know what a layer mask is? It could come in handy in your above situation.

 

[Metar]

Metar, do you know what a layer mask is? It could come in handy in your above situation.

Nope? Care to teach a newbie like me?

 

[Jake]

hit the layer mask button at the bottom of the layer palette. You can use all the painting tools to create a mask. This allows you to do edits on the matte with immediate feedback when playing with the blur.

 

[WSSSUP]

Thanks for the tips,👍 .

The pic is actually 3 layers, 1 background and 2 cars. Went radial blur as it was the effect i was after, and was aiming for the edges of the car to be slightly blury. Im all new to this so just playin around.

👍

 

[STLbarcelona5]

With all this talk of photoshop I figured I might want to pop in and get a few shots off. As for racing, thats questionable. My DS2 that I've always used doesn't work anymore, and my roommates analog sticks rotate around. So racing is kinda.... tricky. But photography shouldn't be as difficult.

 

[gtbadboy]

Some great pix here this week. 👍

You guys a far too talented for me to deal with but, I keep entering. You know what they say: "even a blind hog finds an acorn now and then."

I notice most are using newer versions of photoshop. I'm still using paintshop pro 6 from a few years ago. Not an excuse mind you, talent, like in all things is something you can't replace, just an observation. I do enjoy watching you guys come up with some really wonderful ideas.

 

[Metar]

I notice most are using newer versions of photoshop. I'm still using paintshop pro 6 from a few years ago. Not an excuse mind you, talent, like in all things is something you can't replace, just an observation. I do enjoy watching you guys come up with some really wonderful ideas.

I have to say, Photoshop 6 & 7 (Which I had until a while ago) lack some features that I find very useful - at least, I find them so after using them.

Talent can be replaced by Photoshop and repeated practice

 

[Azuremen]

CS2 is just so much better than 6 or 7 its not even funny. I was using PS 6 recently, and wanted to cry over crap it didn't have... that big of a difference. So CS2 for the win!

 

[Metar]

CS2 is just so much better than 6 or 7 its not even funny. I was using PS 6 recently, and wanted to cry over crap it didn't have... that big of a difference. So CS2 for the win!

Indeed. I was shocked when I moved from PS7 to CS2 (though moving to CS3 was just improvement, nothing big). I suddenly had 10+ kinds of blur (Before, only Gaussian, Radial and Movement, which wasn't really enough), upgraded tools, features, selection-mechanisms... Everything.

 

[gtbadboy]

You two are making quite a compelling argument for me to go out an buy yet another toy. Like I need someone to twist my arm.

 

[STLbarcelona5]

Turns out I can't do any photographs this week. Because, my thumb drive is missing, oh wonderful.....