Some eyes please.

[Ausimax]

Hi Tassie,

The emblem in the link certainly looks a lot like the one on the presentation, and I still feel it is connected by a chain to the one on his collar. Re the arm, I think the upper arm is a bit short, the elbow should be around waist level and that will give you more opportunity to develop the forearm.

You are going great guns, it starting to look real good.

Max

[Tess (Tassie D)]

Revised version using the arm at a better angle, added the emblem and the rail, used phischer's straightened sign. I think the wall beside the gentleman in the black suit is some sort of chipboard/paperboard. If you zoom right in on the original you can see small irregular shapes?
I still have to rebuild the hand. :(

[Ratz]

Hi Tassie, it's coming along nicely. I think maybe the wall behind could be cork?

[Tess (Tassie D)]

It could be Ratz.
I've rebuilt the hand. Does it look about right?
My final question is do I leave all that background blurred? I could fiddle with it for ages and not really get anywhere, not knowing what is supposed to be there.
I think the guys are the most important part and even though I cant figure out the writing on the plaque, the owner will know what it is.

[sanbie]

 :up: Oh well done Tess...you have done a super job with this...I would leave the bacground blurred as it looks blurred in the original...

Sanbie

[Ausimax]

Great Job Tess, my only pick would be the post coming down besides the man on the lefts head is a different colour and texture, if you make a selection of that area and clone the colour/texture from above down it will look great.

Max

[phischer]

It's looking great! I just think the new hand is a bit dark on the fingers. I'd lighten that up a just a little bit. I would also consider blurring the entire background a bit. As you mentioned the guys are what is important in this pic.  If you blur the background a tad, the guys would separate from it a little more and it would make a difference, I think.  Just my 2 cents.  You've done a tremendous amount of work on this one. Nice job!  :up2:

[klassylady25]

Hi Tassie,

The emblem in the link certainly looks a lot like the one on the presentation, and I still feel it is connected by a chain to the one on his collar. Re the arm, I think the upper arm is a bit short, the elbow should be around waist level and that will give you more opportunity to develop the forearm.

You are going great guns, it starting to look real good.

Max

I think that the object that appears on the neck is a 'bolo tie' and dang if I can figure out the symbol, but it probably is something he wears when he goes to the meetings and  it too is associated with the Shriner.  Maybe Tass can find it.   

[Tess (Tassie D)]

Thanks everyone for all the help. I fixed up that piece of timber near the guy's head and have lightened the ends of the fingers. Might even send back 2, sharp & blurred background.

[kstruve]

Sanbie,

My vote would be for the sharp background.  I understand your reasons behind it, but the gaussian blur is pretty distracting, in my opinion.  My other suggestion is to lighten up his right hand a bit.  You're making good progress!

Kurt

[sanbie]

Yeah I would sharpen it a tad...but when you take a photo of two people the focal point...doesn't the background tend to blur out? ...

Sanbie

[kstruve]

I guess what I was trying to say was, the background in the original isn't blurry - there is a hard line at the level of the wainscot, so I wouldn't blur that.  Also, yes the focus is the people, but I wouldn't try to "recompose" the image as much as restore what was there.  Since the main object is the people, the background does "blur out", but figuratively, not literally.  By applying an intentional blur, it stands out like a sore thumb to my eyes.

Kurt

[schen]

I agree with Kurt.  The blurred background looks distracting to me.  It is a flash snapshot with fairly short focal length lens.  The background looks fairly bright so the distance between the men and the background was not much.  Hence the background should be sharp too.