Weekender Sat-Sun April 8th-9th, 2023

[Dave]

Welcome to the weekend, everyone. May it be a good one for us all.

I decided to try something new (and overly-ambitious}: hand-coloring a B&W image.

I started with a rather mediocre photo of a fence lizard and did some minor adjustments in Camera Raw...

   

Next I took it into PSE where I converted it to grayscale. One or two adjustment layers tweaking brightness & contrast. Then converted back to color mode (but it stayed looking B&W because I had earlier eliminated all color). Then 9 layers of Photo Filter, choosing different areas of the lizard, using 2 different colors, and in different intensities. Another adjustment layer or two to darken the background. Then resized for posting; another layer to sharpen the lizard; and one or two final layers to fine-tune the color intensity. I think I ended up with 18 layers total before I saved it for Web posting.

   

It was fun, and I learned a lot. The main thing I learned is that 18 layers isn't nearly enough to produce a sophisticated image that applies many colors

[Adamphotoman]

Dave, 
Nice job!
Is the final close to what it looks like in real life?

[Dave]

Thanks Grant.

No, the final is definitely NOT how these fence lizards look in real life - they are nowhere near that brightly and intensely colored.

I included the first photo to show what I started with, and that version is very true-to life: a dull dark gray brown, although it varies a bit depending on the light, perhaps the age of the lizard, and maybe the gender.

One thing that is slightly true to life in the final version is the blue throat patch. This blue patch may be limited to the males, and when present is much more vivid than in my final version. I suspect it is either a display to attract females, or a threat display to intimidate rival males.

I wasn't going for a realistic final image, just trying out a technique that occurred to me for colorizing images.

[Rich]

Whew Dave, tired me out reading of all the layers and work you went through! Results were worth it though, good job. He would be unable to hide with a real life paint job like that! Raptor bird bait!

[dewarp]

Nice work Dave. That lizard would be proud of that one!

[Dave]

Thanks Rich and Peter. It was a fun exercise, but so labor-intensive that I doubt I'll use this technique often.

While on walks around my neighborhood I see these fence lizards regularly at 2 or 3 yards with these characteristics: some sort of wall, either vertical or horizontal, usually white or light colored, on which they bask on sunny days to raise their body temperature; adjacent to the wall will be some safe haven - thick growth such as hedges and shrubs or maybe dark recesses formed by cracks in the walls. In undeveloped areas, these lizards sun themselves on paths. rocks, sand fence posts; usually with nearby safety refuges similar to what's described above.

When caught in the open and unable to unable to reach safety, a fence lizard can detach most of its long tail, leaving it twisting and writhing to distract a would-be predator while the lizard scampers away. The tail grows back.

Nature is amazing: flora and fauna have developed such marvelous and ingenious structures and behaviors.

Some may remember the series of photos I took last year of a juvenile Great Egret walking from yard to yard in my neighborhood. Turns out the egret was hunting and it captured at least two unfortunate fence lizards.

OK, enough words; here's a recent photo...

   

[Luv2shoot]

Sorry, no time to comment.

Getting ready for Easter dinner. Having just the kids over.
I am thrilled because one is bringing deviled eggs and the other is bringing cheesy potatoes. Save me lost of prep time.
Yahoo.

Happy Easter all.
Will return later tonight.

LORELL

[Luv2shoot]

Dave,
I got to say that your creation turned out to look quite natural and it definitely brought attention to the little lizard who blended into the big rock it was reclining on in the first and original image.

Good work, Dave.

We need to get an April challenge going. Does Anyone have an idea?
LORELL

[Rich]

Dave, I like that you left part of the tree trunk in. Gives a goof sense of depth.

Lorell, get rested up!

[Dave]

Thanks Lorell and Rich.

Lorell, these lizards are a rather drab gray-brown, brightened on occasion when flashing the blue throat patch. It was fun working out a way to add some bright color.

Rich, I'm pleased that you commented on the tree trunk; I usually don't do a good job of composing in the camera, but this time I remembered to do so.