Hi guys, it has been awhile since my last post. Once again you’re looking at two FS9 screenshots in which the aircraft have been cut from their original backgrounds and then blended into a photograph. Both the “Jenny” and “Wright Flier” are editing nightmares due to the intricate wiring that both holds them together and operate the aircrafts’ control surfaces. For some reason I have been drawn to these old birds, the more difficult the greater the challenge and satisfaction. I suspect my favorite subject is the Fiery Swordfish, which I’ve done more than a dozen times. Although it is certainly possible to retain the original screenshot wires by cutting around them, I personally find it better and faster to cut the wires off and then reconstruct them from scratch. When I say “better”, I consider the original wiring scheme too dark, too thick with a tendency to overwhelm the natural beauty of the aircraft. By recreating my own wires, I have the ability to soften their visual appearance by reducing the corresponding layer’s opacity. On the “Jenny” the wires have been reduced to 50% opacity. I reduced the wires on the Wright Flier to a mere 30% opacity. Thanks for looking guys, your comments are always appreciated……….. Ziggy

That first shot. Simply. Beautiful. It's moving in some way. I'd love to be flying that airplane right then. 10 stars out of 5

Thanks guys for taking the time to comment. Needless to say I appreciate the kind remarks. Andy, to answer your question it takes me an average of 10 hours per edit. Some very complex edits have taken quite a bit longer............ Ziggy

That first one is incredible.

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What do you use to edit? [/quote]
I use Photoshop CS-2, truly an awesome editing program, but pricy. You can certainly achieve similar results from a number of editing programs. GIMP comes highly recommended and is freeware............ Ziggy