Feeding Santa's Reindeer (faux Bokeh)

[theantiquetiger]

Every Christmas Eve, just before bedtime, we spread magic reindeer food in the yard for Santa's reindeer. (oatmeal and glitter).

I have sat on this image for nearly a week now because of the shadows, harsh flash, and just bad comp (not really caring for the image).

I was watching a tutorial on faux bokeh for Gimp. I played around with it and came up with this. I am pretty happy with it, just need to figure out how to get rid of halo

faux bokeh
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7157/6599288991_348aee34fa_b.jpg


faux bokeh attempt #2 (much better IMO)
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7173/6601039205_a253481472_b.jpg


Original (FYI, the snowman is not peeking in the window like some pervert, he rotates around with the penguin and he just happen to be in this position when photo was taken :laughing: )
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7008/6599291629_5d7bc0e3b7_b.jpg

[Mad Aussie]

I love the light you've created on the girls pyjama's!

However, I find the bokeh to be far too overdone and has simply created the look that the girls are placed over it. I think perhaps half the blur should have sufficed.

[theantiquetiger]

I love the light you've created on the girls pyjama's!

However, I find the bokeh to be far too overdone and has simply created the look that the girls are placed over it. I think perhaps half the blur should have sufficed.

I went back and did it again and added it to the first post. The halo still bothers me on the head of Morgan (on right)

***edit - I just realized I forgot to do an edge erode before I merged the layers. I have to start all over again. It takes forever to cut them out with the scissors***

[susan]

I went back and did it again and added it to the first post. The halo still bothers me on the head of Morgan (on right)

***edit - I just realized I forgot to do an edge erode before I merged the layers. I have to start all over again. It takes forever to cut them out with the scissors***
If you can, save a copy of your file as a TIFF file... and don't merge the layers. That way, you can go back in and quickly get to the part that you want to adjust :-)

[theantiquetiger]

If you can, save a copy of your file as a TIFF file... and don't merge the layers. That way, you can go back in and quickly get to the part that you want to adjust :-)

Now you tell me!!! :laughing:

I went back and replaced the #2 with a third attempt

[susan]

Suggestion. When you are blending the Gaussian blur layer with the layer with your girls, blend them with a soft light. That way, the layer of the girls has the same light as the old background and doesn't change the light so drastically === the girls are still sitting "on top" of the back ground. The blur tends to darken the part of the image that it contains that is why when you blend, you need to soften the light ... hope that helps. :-)

[Mad Aussie]

I think seeing as you have all the elements at home still, and can recreate the shot as you would like, I'd do that.

[theantiquetiger]

I think seeing as you have all the elements at home still, and can recreate the shot as you would like, I'd do that.

Unfortunately, all the decorations were taken down two days ago because my daughter's birthday is today and my wife doesn't want any Christmas to interfer with her birthday.

I would do it though because I got my 50mm f1.8 in this afternoon.

[vyeko]

This techniques will not work on this image.This is only for image which already have some bokeh and you like to be a little more.You need to understand how blur works.When you apply this filter all pixels spreed around (a little magnification of your image) because that you get halo around subject. Only solution is if you enlarge cut out subject a bit or change a size of blurred background. I hope that is understandable.