Need Help With Photoshop Manipulation

[Chriss]

So, I've been working on improving my photo manipulation skills lately. Everyone's complaining about how Photoshop's ruining photography these days, but frankly, I think it's added an artistic element to digital photography, as it allows for imagination and such.

Anyway, I need some help with photo manipulation. If you all wouldn't mind, just some tips on what needs fixing, what I could do better, etc. Or just tips on shading/illumination in general (I have trouble with these).

Here's the photo I'd like you to look at - I realize it needs a lot of work before being considered "good", and frankly I have no idea why I made it (it was 3 a.m. if that helps..). But yeah, just some general advice would be nice. Thanks! (And yes, for christ's sake, I have permission to use these images)

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx300/ChrisTheFirst/zebra.jpg

 

[rexbobcat]

PS has only "ruined" photography in the sense that photos that have graphical elements added are still called photographs, which they're not.

It looks fine to me. What exactly do you need help with...

I think that maybe the guy's shadow is at a different angle than the zebra's, but that's about all I see.

 

[Chriss]

PS has only "ruined" photography in the sense that photos that have graphical elements added are still called photographs, which they're not.

It looks fine to me. What exactly do you need help with...

True^

I dunno, it just feels sort of off to me.. Maybe it's because I was the one who edited all of it or whatever, but I feel like its lacking. In any case, I'm also just looking for some solid advice about photo manipulation in general. I'm not sure what step to next take to improve.

 

[Bynx]

Photoshop has ruined photography......what rubbish. If you alter a photo by adding graphical elements, its just a piece of artwork. Maybe good, maybe not so good. You have created a montage. Because the elements may not be in their natural position I'd still call it a digitally altered photo montage. Learn to close crop well if you intend to create montages like that. Some things are easy, some difficult. Watching light and its play on objects is important along with where shadows should fall. When the elements dont come together exactly as they would in nature, while we dont know why, our eyes and brain tell us there is something wrong. You havent dont a bad job with your pic. But as Dave pointed out your shadows are a little funky especially under the guy.

 

[Red_John]

I like it. Overall it's good I think. What you can also do, is in the end, create a stamp layer of everything you've done (control + alt + shift + e) and add a selective color. Go to the neutrals and play around with the sliders. That way you will add a color to the whole picture and it will help you blend the image so it will look more realistic.
After that I think you can also add a vignette using the levels adjustment layer and decreasing it's opacity.
But for me it's good.
I would also like to ask you what you used to extract the subjects (the guy and the zebra). Were they in a background or in a common scene? And did you used the quick selection tool to select them, and them refined the mask? I'm asking this because I'm also interested and start with photo manipulation cause I love it. So if you are interested maybe we can share some tips with each other. Keep up the good work

 

[Mully]

Great shot but maybe a little too much color, try reducing the color and see if you still like it. The over saturation of color makes it look less believable IMHO

 

[2WheelPhoto]

Even you think photochop has negative attributes, google "HDR photography"