MAGBURNER: Incisions Beyond Motion. NEW UPDATE 27.09.10 SOMETHING DIFFERENT

[magburner]

OK, as promised, here is the update I said I would post once I'd got the girls off to bed. None of these images are new, in fact they are over a year old! I never got around to posting them the last time I was active, and I have plenty more to come. I have included two experimental blurs as well, which further explore the possibilities of the the technique; And as if that wasn't enough, one includes a bike! It must be Christmas!!! I hope you like these interpretations.

RANDOM! II
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CHECK BACK FROM TIME TO TIME FOR UPDATES!

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[jgda9rs]

well done man! ! the RUF car is so shiny!!

 

[[empty space]]

wow!

tbh, i never really considered using as many layers as you suggest. i usually just make one duplicate and adjust opacity to get what i want then layer mask out what i dont.

its also nice to see a strong emphasis placed on what you can do in/with the tools in gt4 itself. hopefully the unedited comp stays strong until the end because of it.

as for the update: the vanquish is awesome 👍. tbh, im not feeling the blurs on the last two. the 206 looks like high speed driving in a snow storm without the grey clouds

 

[Pebb]

I love the first three shots mainly because of the mood in each of those shots.

 

[Nicknamealguem]

YUPI!!!! I waited so much for that tutorial! Finaly I can do some more experiences, trying your way of editing the shots, mixing with some elements I use and a whole lot of things. A whell deserved inexistent +rep 👍.

The update is lovely!!! My favourite has to be the first one, the contrasting of the red/yellow decals car in a motly black with white backgroud is purelly fantastic. The efect on the vanquish is also very cool and the soft look of the Ruf and the Subaru completes it all. The bike is also very good.👍 I just don’t like too much the pegeout one, it is a little detail missing.

I’m off to do some experiences

 

[sejtur]

That aston is very nice man. 👍 I also like reading your technique but I don't understand all of it.

 

[ceiling_fan]

I really like the tutorial, and I also like the points you make between artist vs. photographer. Another thing this reminded me of was how comps seem slanted towards good shots, but shots that rely less on the theme. I can think of a few examples, but I don't want to single anybody out. But in the end, it's the voters who decide.

After reading your observations and tutorial, the second pic in Random II is exceptionally impressive. 👍

 

[alexwrc]

You've published your CocaCola's recipe

wow!

tbh, i never really considered using as many layers as you suggest. i usually just make one duplicate and adjust opacity to get what i want then layer mask out what i dont.

You'd be really scared if you knew how much of those things GTP hardchoppers are using to win the 2.0

Salu2.alexwrc

 

[magburner]

@jgda9rs: The RUF is very shiny! It was actually meant to be used as a second part to the Colour Balance tutorial I posted a long time ago. It was supposed to highlight advanced usage of the Colour Balance adjustment layer. It still does, but the tutorial that accompanied it has long gone (I lost it when I formatted my HDD last year ) The car is actually black, but it has a very subtle tint of green. I also used the techniques in this shot to create the matrix looking Moods Are Anxieties update. I actually have a whole update of the RUF (with this quality), but I scrapped it because of the jaggie line around the headlights. If you ask me nicely, I might post that update sometime...

@[empty space]: I like the Vanquish, it is a nice picture. its not over stated, and I feel it has a nice peaceful look too it. It is also shot at night, so it is one of my favourites. All the blurs I create are either hit or miss. The 106 is actually more artistic than realistic - think comic-book-stylee, and you may get the idea. 👍 And your right about the unedited competition. In the new year, I will give it some support, because it seems to me to be the best competition out there for showcasing pure Photomode talent. 👍

@TVR&Ferrari_Fan: I'm glad you like the first three, because as different as they look, they were all edited identically. The drifting Silvia, was slightly edited with tools too. I wanted to get a good clean shot of the car drifting, but I was having a lot of trouble with the clarity, so I used the wheel focus technique. I do use tool if it is necessary, but rarely. 👍

@LdS: Thanks I'm glad you liked my discussion. I have others to follow, with one due soon. It will probably be after the new year, but it is on the way!!! I knew the 106 blur would be contentious. Of course I created it to be like that, and it is different to my normal style, still I like it because it is so different.

@sejtur: Thanks man, the Aston is a little gem. 👍 The discussion above was just a little introduction, I have some more discussions relating to certain parts of my image creation process to come at a later date.

ceiling_fan: The distinction between artist and photographer was an important part of this discussion. To my knowledge, I am the only guy here that has openly said that they are a photographer. There may be others here that have the same frame of mind. Hopefully after my discussions are complete, there will be more. I like the Blue Impreza too, I originally planned an 'all blue' release for that pic, but this version is my favourite (I may release that version at a later date).

On the subject of competitions and the choice of entries, I remember a long while back, I entered a competition entitled 'Stealth'. I was reasonable happy with my entry as I thought it encapsulated the theme perfectly. I was more than surprised to find that my entry was not even in the top ten, but a bright orange Dodge Charger shot at Seattle was! I was obviously miffed. When I pulled up the guy who chose the top ten, he said he chose his favourite ten images.

I believe that choice of images in competition should be as tightly regulated as the use of tools and filters are. I also believe that blur's should be banned from standard 2,0 competitions. Its unfair for those that can't or don't choose to do that style of image. I remember when a certain guy used to be in full swing, he'd often enter a competition late with an awesome blur, and he would win it hands down. You should not use blurs to win competitions unless it has been stated in the competition theme. In fact, its surprising that there is not a separate competition for them anyway... 💡

@alexwrc: Its not quite a secrete recipe mate (I always suspected the better artists would know what I was talking about). As I have said before, 99% of my image creation process is done in game. Think of Photoshop as Turtle Wax, and you might get the idea of the purpose of that part of my image creation process. I will be discussing further some of the more important procedures in my image creation process in the new year, look for those then. 👍

Its a little late for Merry Christmas and stuff, but here it is anyway:

MERRY CHRISTMAS, AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR! 👍​

Bah humbug...

ps. I've got a Z4 update to follow. Its a spinoff from a competition entry for the CCCL comp. I'll post it in the next day or so. Until then, take care. magburner.

 

[magburner]

Right Christmas and new year over!!! I've got that Z4 update ready to roll. I'll post it later for sure.

Here is a preview shot, that doesn't quite fit with the mood I was hoping to capture. Its kind of darker and different to the rest of the set, but I like it. I hope you like this interpretation!

Z4 Preview

More to come...

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[Swiss Legend]

hey mag, the shot of black Ruf and the Vanquish are just great. Nice rims too on the Ruf, And the editing on the evolution set.

 

[redhawk]

Just dropped by for a look ... WOW. What can I say? Your site is clean & crisp and your images pristine. They look as if they'd been done with an airbrush. I can't pick any favorites but the rims on the RUF are perfect.

You're an inspiration - I'm a photographer but only got into PM recently. I look foward to your next updates.

 

[Pebb]

I hope we will see the full update of the Z4 soon, because the preview is nice.

 

[jgda9rs]

@jgda9rs: The RUF is very shiny! It was actually meant to be used as a second part to the Colour Balance tutorial I posted a long time ago. It was supposed to highlight advanced usage of the Colour Balance adjustment layer. It still does, but the tutorial that accompanied it has long gone (I lost it when I formatted my HDD last year ) The car is actually black, but it has a very subtle tint of green. I also used the techniques in this shot to create the matrix looking Moods Are Anxieties update. I actually have a whole update of the RUF (with this quality), but I scrapped it because of the jaggie line around the headlights. If you ask me nicely, I might post that update sometime...

sure thing :tup: i'd love to see it actually. i'm waiting for the full update of that Z4, it looks really good already as it is.

 

[magburner]

OK, I'm back this time, and for longer than a week or two! I've really missed this place, but life has pretty much conspired against me for the past year or two. I've got an update to follow very shortly, but for now, I've only got the two competition entries to show.

The Un-Edited entry is taken from a soon to be released, fresh for 2009 update consisting of the car in a variety of finishes and styles, and the Photomode 2.0 Competition entry was taken a few years back, from my first stint here. I hope you like my interpretations.

COMPETITION ENTRIES
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Un-Edited Competition - Week 39

Nissan MOTUL PITWORK Z (JGTC) '04



[ Click for full size ]

GT Photomode 2.0 Competition - Week 93

Honda NSX-R Prototype LM Race Car '02



[ Click for full size ]

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CHECK BACK FROM TIME TO TIME FOR UPDATES!
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[Pebb]

It is really good to see your work again.

 

[Swiss Legend]

what he said 👍

 

[jgda9rs]

i agree. check out my come back updateif u want. so glad the old timers are here again. i remember u commenting on my gallery when i first started. lessons were invaluable

 

[magburner]

Back once again, showcasing advanced Photomode skills, is the one and only... magburner! * silence * "...Ah hem!" Ladies & Gentlemen, Welcome to the greatest show on earth - The GTPlanet.net Photomode galleries!

Anyway, to kick things off, I have a brand new 2009 update to bring to you. The star is the Motul Pitwork Z, which is a superbly detailed car. Of course the car has a couple of flaws (most noticeably, jaggies around the wheel arches), but I think I have done a good job of reducing or eliminating most of them.

I have been experimenting with a very interesting colour balance layer. What does it do? Well, if you are looking at my pictures, then you should see that the lighting in some of them has a very 'real' feel to it. From the start of this gallery, I have been trying to get a realistic looking lighting effect in my images, this is my latest attempt, and it is a pretty good representation, though there is still some room for improvement.

I also feel that this update, more than any other I have done, showcases the power of Photomode. If you have a keen eye, you may notice some of the advanced depth of field effects I have created. I am almost at a point now where I can literally lift the car from the surrounding image and give it a more realistic 3d feel. A by-product of this approach is that I can attack different parts of the image in different ways. If you would like to know more, feel free to ask me! 👍

Anyway, on with the show! This update is for you TVR&FF, thanks for the compliments pal, and helping me gain new insight into an old friend! 👍

As always, I hope you like my interpretations.

NOTE: I have decided to change the file format for my pictures as i think that JPEG's just don't cut it any more. My apologies in advance to low-bandwidth users, as PNGs can be significantly larger than JPEG images. 👍

MOTUL PITWORK Z
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Nissan MOTUL PITWORK Z (JGTC) '04





FAIL!​

Have a look at the image below. If there is one image, that I could point to and say 'Look, this is the power of Photomode!', then this image would be it! GT4 Photomode is a very powerful application, and I don't think many of you realise how powerful. If you have an eye for the subtleties, you will know what I am talking about. Within it are a number of advanced depth of field effects, that set it apart from anything else I have ever produced. I have always known how powerful Photomode is, I just haven't been able to prove it, until now!

So what exactly are you looking at? Well if you look at the contours of the car, you will see that they contrast very sharply with the background. For instance, look at the rear wing, and see how the background behind it is blurred, whilst the wing is sharp, and fully in focus. If you understand good focus, you will realise that whilst the effect is not too hard to reproduce, getting extreme finesse is!

Next, look at the yellow stripes on the road. do you see it? Closer to the camera, the stripes are out of focus, gaining focus as they move in towards the car. if you follow them right, you will notice that there is a sweet spot where they are in focus, before going out of focus again in the distance (with the rest of the image).

If you look at the image as a whole you will notice that there is a very well defined focal bubble (a point in the picture where everything is in focus), it extends from the rumble strip to the left in an elliptical shape (encapsulating the car), right out to the far right of the image. You would think that advanced effects like these would only be possible in Photoshop, but all I used to create all them was, you guessed it... Photomode!

So why is this image called Fail! then? Look at the wheel arches (nuff said!). I don't use tools, and I'm not about to start now! This image is a fantastic demonstration of the power of Photomode, and it is because of this, that I have decided to post it, normally, it would of been deleted, but since it is a personal first for me, I decided to post it here to see what you guys think.

Unedited original​

I have included the unedited original if any of the talented artists or photographers out there would like to have a go at cleaning up the wheel arches. Feel free to try, just don't forget to post your results back here! 👍

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CHECK BACK FROM TIME TO TIME FOR UPDATES!​

 

[jgda9rs]

great work man!!

 

[Pebb]

I cannot pick my favourite out of all the edited shots.

 

[Swiss Legend]

You are the man mag! I hope people do realize what a great tool photomode is in and of itself. I have at times forgotten. I am glad you have shown light on what was and still is a great tool. And I must say...and update for the eyes to behold. I will have an update soon in my gallery as well. The kicker though for you, is that one shot is blended with my car cleaning and your post-processing strategies. The latter being the better though.

To sum this all up...
& 👍

 

[alexwrc]

"The power of photomode". That's great, you can be on the sofa enjoying the game and playing to be a photographer. Even you can be addicted and learn something lol.

No really, long time ago I talked about how good was the fact of introducing that feature. Poly had tons of people making marketing for free since then, spreading screens all arround the net. And we can't stop doing it from the sofa.


The Zs are looking nice, specially in the previews. The cameras you choose are similar to the ones possible in the track, so that enhances the real feeling of the images.

 

[magburner]

great work man!!

Thanks pal! Next up the much delayed (and flawed) Ruff update I promised you, I hope you like it! Just give me a day or so to sort it out. 👍

I cannot pick my favourite out of all the edited shots.

Thanks Jamie, your comments are much appreciated! 👍

You are the man mag! I hope people do realize what a great tool photomode is in and of itself. I have at times forgotten. I am glad you have shown light on what was and still is a great tool. And I must say...and update for the eyes to behold.

It is the tool of choice for the photographer, but the artist has other skills to use in Photoshop. 👍

Looking forward to it mate! Maybe I could learn something off you too! I'm not a tools person, partly, because I like Photomode so much, and partly because I'm crap at using them!

Maybe you can give me some pointers on how to use them effectively? I always feel a little envious when I see those superb 2.0 style shots, a part of me wishes that I could sometimes do something like that! If you want to shed some light on the subject, I would be very grateful. 👍

No really, long time ago I talked about how good was the fact of introducing that feature. Poly had tons of people making marketing for free since then, spreading screens all arround the net. And we can't stop doing it from the sofa.

Your absolutely correct pal! I feel that the inclusion of Photomode in GT4, was an absolute master stroke by KY and PD. As you have stated, it has helped to spread the word over the net, but the true evangelists live here at GTPlanet.net!

I think it would be great if PD did something to honour all our hard work and dedication to the cause. 👍

 

[alexwrc]

Your absolutely correct pal! I feel that the inclusion of Photomode in GT4, was an absolute master stroke by KY and PD. As you have stated, it has helped to spread the word over the net, but the true evangelists live here at GTPlanet.net!

I think it would be great if PD did something to honour all our hard work and dedication to the cause. 👍

A sect!

 

[jgda9rs]

a cult!! LMAO they should feature the photomode forum in the gran turismo tv. as for the anti tool technique, i thought about that today while worked on my fiat update.

 

[NTX]

The realistic feeling of your shots is quite impressive, very detailed 👍 Also, great use of colors 👍
I also find interesting the way you define GT4 photomode, and I agree with you, its a powerful tool indeed, and I never get tired of it. Hope this tool can be used in GT5, imagine what we can do there 👍

Hope you can stick around, your work is always welcome Mag

 

[SNEJKi]

Top job man, great car and photos also Third one looks just perfect

 

[Skyline49]

Mag, your "toolless" tutorial is the greatest thing I know of. I'm still experimenting with settings in it a bit, but I really do love it. 👍 👍 👍 👍 👍

You are the singlehanded reason I'm getting back into PS. It's now fun and easy to do something good.

Also, your tutorial is great to use after blurring and stuff, because it does all the cleanup for you in two minutes.

 

[ALPHA]

A year late, but I just found your tutorial on how you manipulate your photos in photoshop. I've always wondered how you create your signature look, but now I know—I look forward to experimenting to see what I can learn from it.

I've never liked completely cleaning up photos. I'm happy to leave rough polygons and flat scenery clearly visible, I think it adds to the charm of the photos, we know they come from a game so why try and hide it.

The Nismo Z photos are very pleasing to the eye. To me they have an almost surreal feel, they're just so smooth! The last one is definitely my favourite, I like how the left front and side of the car has caught the light that appears to illuminate the cockpit. Very subtle, but I like it.