Challenge#197

[Grant]

Ray Robillard is the submitter of this weeks Challenge. While I am still working a bazillion hours there is not reason that you should not have a lot of fun with Ray's submission. Hopefully I should be back at a normal pace by Sunday or Monday as 17 1/2 a half hour days are killing me.

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http://www.cavesofice.org/~grant/Challenge/Challenges.html

Present and Past Challenges will remain Until tomorrow at 7:00 pm the then
the Present will be Past and new images will be posted as Present.

* Important notice to all the new people in this forum. This is not a
close shop you are all invited to submit an image. If you don't think you
are good enough this is your first mistake, I think most have found that
working on the Challenge has improved their personal level. So young and
old, hot shots and cool dudes now is you time to post.
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[Grant]

I was able to get out of work early today only worked 13 hours so ......


The first images are now being posted and again they are all great.

http://www.cavesofice.org/~grant/Present/index.html

Notes for viewing.

1). Clicking on the thumbnail will open a larger image.
2). Clicking on the larger image will advance you to the next larger image.
3). If you are using Internet Explorer F11 will toggle a full screen view

... gives the images a view they deserve.

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[Carbone]

This picture was taken at Disneyland, California, at the Enchanted Tiki Room attraction. It's actually a cloth covering the people waiting to get in the room.

Have fun!

Ray

[kimi_boo]

Ray what do you mean by.... waiting to get into the room? :confused:

It was a great image. I had lots of fun with it. :D Found some stuff in PSE5 that I had not seen before.

[Carbone]

Ok.. bad wording.. standing in line ?

[Grant]

Special Announcement


I would like to thank everyone who has put up with the sporadic nature of my posting of the Challenges. This is largely do to the nature of my work, one majour shut down after another. I brought the job 14 hours under time and the company made a bonus and all are happy. The job is done and we were all patting each other on the backs. In the middle of the festivity they told me I had my pick of a Co-Gen, a Ethanol plant or new coal pulverizer to build. I then said I had a better idea. I told them they had two months to replace me as I am going to retire, and if they can replace me sooner so much the better. I am finished with working, I am going out on a high it is time to pack it in.

So what is in the future? I am moving to Nova Scotia and going to live on the coast. I am going to buying my Harley and tour around taking photographs. I will return to my painting, immerse myself into computer graphics and once again play my guitar. All this being said I shall have more time to do the challenges.

Now let me take a second and do my happy dance ... I see the gate I beside myself as I am about to be unemployed for the rest of my life :)

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[kimi_boo]

Grant... I am doing the Happy Dance for you. :D Sounds like you are going to have a wonderful retirement!! :D :D

[Red Sky]

How about a photo of a happy Grant for an upcoming challenge? We could all do our own testimonials and you could have some wall art for your new home! It would be fun.
Congratulations on your new life.

[kevq]

Grant,
I bet it can't come soon enough. Sounds like you're going to have a wonderful retirement. Good Luck.
Kev.

[Byron Gale]

Grant,

I got a "contact buzz" reading that!!! :p

Good for you!!!!!!!!

Byron

[Wendy]

Grant ...

Hope that you have a long and happy retirement ... I just know that you will love it !! :)

Wendy

[Robyn]

How about a photo of a happy Grant for an upcoming challenge? We could all do our own testimonials and you could have some wall art for your new home! It would be fun.
Congratulations on your new life.

Great idea Steven.

Grant, I'm so happy for you. You have described what you hope the future holds for you and it all sounds FANTASTIC! Congratulations on a wise decision! :)

[billz]

Wonderful news Grant. I wish you all the best. I'm sure it was tough choosing between a coal pulverizer and having the rest of your life off, but I think you made the right choice! Enjoy.

Bill

[Carbone]

Touring.. humm.. there's a Grant coming near you... GREAT !!!!!!!!!!!! :)

Good luck, Sir !

Ray

[chas3stix]

Great news,Grant.
I'm just tickled.......:D Only one problem,it's NOT me that's retiring....:)
As a wise old Vulcan once said....Live long and prosper.
Chas

[Ward Grant]

Congratulations-I think this is the post we are all waiting to write one day.
You are quite the talented individual-I want a picture of you riding your Harley while strumming your guitar with one hand and painting with the other.

[BobWarren]

Grant --
If you work as hard at 'retiring' as you do now, you'll have a great time. Congratulations on making the leap.
Bob Warren

[Grant]

Wonderful news Grant. I wish you all the best. I'm sure it was tough choosing between a coal pulverizer and having the rest of your life off, but I think you made the right choice! Enjoy.

Bill


Bill

But if I was younger the the pulverizer would be a great job. The job is leading edge technology, replacing coke ovens with a more environmental method. It would be for two year duration with 80 electricians peaking at well over 200 men and lots and lots of over time ... come to think of it it is a shitty job .... My new job will be drinking Propeller beer on my porch in Nova Scotia and marking time with the tides.

I think I'm making the right choice!

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[Byron Gale]

Grant,

I posted to the Adobe forum a couple of days ago that I had to send my challenge entry to your Caves address, because Yahoo mail is now also on your ISP's bad list.

I see other additions to the Challenge since I sent you mine, so I know you have not received it.

Can you recommend another web-mail service which is not banned by your ISP? I will be happy to try anything!

Thanks,

Byron

[Ward Grant]

Ray, thanks for the starter image-very nice blend of colors and shapes.

Alex: A nice trio of entries with neat animation in #3. The pushing aside of the two sides is very well done

Anne: A nice resting place for this alien visitor.

Ben: A nice carving of the starter image on the stone marker. I was going to say obelisk, but this seems to need a pointed top per the dictionary.

Bill: I got kind of Ra Sun God feel to the entry. How did you get the background-very effective.

Bob: Very dramatic collection of images. I love the "curved spider" look of your #1 (sphere filter?) and the underwater theme of #2. Great colorization on the blue/white fishes.

Chuck: Nice way to turn the starter into a tattoo.

Ellen: I love the dashboard dancers and their partner. Adds some needed warmth to a very dreary day.

Jack: A nice five-for-one entry with the changing animation. I personally like the repeating patterns as my favorite.

James: Very dramatic coloring and definition in the background. I like the flying birds and sunset in #2.

Kimi: A dramatic image to turn the starter image into a face vase. The hat and gold eagle adds a nice dramatic touch.

Kevan: A nice montage with the Dream Time theme. It certainly is well blended and carries the dream theme throughout.

Malcolm: Nice four-color poster look-a good selection of bright colors.

Marilyn: A tremendous conversion of the image into the cloth of the lady's dress-very regal look.

Pat: Love the parchment look to the image-might it be a long-lost drawing recently uncovered?

Pauline: Another tattoo theme. At least this creature is behaving itself, not like the creature in Alien that is another creature/belly image.

Red Sky: What an unusual and creative image. Would anyone really open the door to find out how big that man outside really is?

Reka: I love the underwater theme-how did you make the background? Very effective

Rita: Love the way you have recolored the image and turned them into the mat. The vase is just tremendous.

Wendy: A four-image entry and all well done. My early favorite was #1, but the more I look, the more I like the color and textures of #4.

PS-I just wanted to give a nod to emsago on www.sxc.hu (http://www.sxc.hu) for her image in my #1. It is free use image, but I thought the texture and detail of the image was exquisite.

[Red Sky]

Thanks for taking the time to comment Ward. I wished I had done mine around Halloween for I liked the "creep factor" I sometimes strive for. I thought I might open the door for you and see what's out there. As you can see it really isn't that scary. By the way, both your images appeal to me equally so I can't single any of them out. Great job.

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1rnaW92fm3PpUWYbb7GydTbmW118AX_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1rnaW92fm3PpUWYbb7GydTbmW118AX)

[Wendy]

Hi Ward ...

Thank you for the comments ... I rather enjoyed playing with this image :)

Sorry that I haveen't been able to comment for the last few weeks but I have been just so busy ....

Wendy

[jstorck]

Ward,

Thanks for the comments. I personally have been having a streak of low creativity. It was just something simple to enter.

[jstorck]

Grant,

Congratulations and Best Wishes on your retirement. Tip one for the rest of us that have a few years to go and hopefully we'll all join you in good health.

[BobWarren]

Ward --
Thanks for your comments. The spider had its origins in the polar coordinate filter.
I enjoyed your fountain pen image -- fits nicely with the inked batik man.
Bob Warren
http://www.rewarren.com/challenge/chl197.htm
RANDOM GALLERY:
http://www.rewarren.com/challenge/random.html

[hukari]

Reka: I love the underwater theme-how did you make the background? Very effective

Thank you! I am discovering all sorts of things with PSE5. My learning curve is a line going up at 85°!

I just used the Summer background, layered a copy over it with a grayscale to dampen the colors a little which were too bright for the theme, layered another copy over that, lowered its opacity to about 50% to let the background show through more, and nudged it over a few pixels to give it that "swimmy" look. In retrospect, I realize I probably could have done away with the original background layer. That and the "sand" were the only two external images I used. Not very complicated, but I was really pleased, since I am a raw beginner. Of course it can't compete with all of the other terrific images posted, but I had to try!

Reka

[Ellen]

Grant - Here's another hurrah for you. Yes!
Such a big life change does need some sort of photo challenge.


Thanks Ward for commenting - Hula gals and guys always need a tiki god. Your first was wonderful -that's an amazing job of blending both images together.

It's been so dreary here Bill's really struck me with a great use of light.

As always there is such good and varied work that I wish I had the time to figure out how all was done, and to gush.

[Ward Grant]

Two more entries since my comments:

Byron-An interesting mixture of plastic and the original starting image

Susan-A nice way to turn the image into an underwater scene. I'll grab my snorkel and fins.

[Byron Gale]

Ward,

Using the original as a tattoo turned out to be a popular theme, this week... I got the mannequin image from www.fontplay.com (http://www.fontplay.com).

I am elated that I was finally able to find an unobstructed email path to Grant!! (Thanks, Ray :D )

Thanks for noticing!!

Byron

[Ward Grant]

Byron
Some nice pictures on the link you mentioned-I'm always looking for free photos. Thanks

[Ritage]

Ward,
thank you for your kind comment and for taking the time.
Rita

[Pauline]

Grant that's wonderful. I look forward to seeing many beautiful pictures of Nova Scotia and perhaps we can see a few of your contributions in the challenge as well.