well how clever is this? hehehehe.. wonderful idea

I agree Ernest..
cool idea!!..

its a great idea and to make it even stand out more I suggest you add some shadows below some parts of the edges of the stamp because stamps tend to get loose on the edges a bit the cutout could have been done a lil bit better or choose a different method of cutting off the edge. perhaps if u place a row of small circles next to eachother on the same height with a lil space between them and then used those to cut the edge of the stamp, that you can make that stamp edge cutout more realistic and less like it has been cut with one of those craft scissors with the swirly zigzag blades etc.. also you did a very nice work on the inkstamp on the stamp

the postmark stamp looks great! i think the actual stamp could use some work. The flowers and the stamp feel like two different color pallets are used. If you use the "Match Color" adjustment it will help shift the colors to match better (Image > Adjustments > Match Color). Just have the layer selected that the color needs to be adjusted, then in the match color, select the source, being the layer that you want to match the color to. adjust the sliders until you get the look that you want and you are good. ;] Great work overall! good luck!

missing shadows

I really like the mood of this image. Really like the black and white choice too.

the light on the flowerstem does not correspondent with the dark plants? on the ground. All the dark shading on the plants are comming from the front yet on the flower stem I am missing that dark shading

where to place the shadows? that depends where the light comes from its backlit so i guess the shadowing needs to be to the front. I have opened the original backgroundsource in high res and it can be hard to see but if you look closely you should be able to see the shading going to the right front.

hope i make sense. I think you picked a difficult source to adjust the light/shadows on by the way

edit: http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/2497/shadingsample.jpg the original source as it was

http://img546.imageshack.us/img546/5334/shadingsample2.jpg your version with the flowerstem

why the sarcastic tone of voice when i put time in trying to help? if i wanted to find fault i can do better then try help you with the shadowing.. have another look at your flower.. you missed cutting out parts of the sky.. I didnt needed to look at the highres for that even. http://img837.imageshack.us/img837/5346/flowercutout.jpg

Very nice image Author ... Just as it is!

very good work, luck

@Author

it is too bad you did not take the time to listen to Eladine's helpful words. before i saw the comments i was thinking the exact same. while you have done a good job of placing the flower in the ground, the ethereal back lighting for this flower would still cast a shadow, probably a long shadow to where the stem's shadow would probably be all that is seen in the image. I do wish you the best of luck, and i hope that many others have a less detailed eye than myself and Eladine.

Nice idea and great mood. Good luck.

nice colors , such a great work..

I like the idea author, but you may wish to take a look through some tutorials on lighting. it can be tricky to get the lighting right in such a large scene, but getting it right can make for a hugely better look. Also i am sad to see the flowers be placed so far from the main focus that it is a wonder why even include them, other than the fact that they were the source for the contest. Keep practicing and have fun!

great idea (Do you think you could isolate her a bit?, Outer glow blur or soft dodge on her edges, she's looking a bit flat to me, (But that could be my eyes, they suck).. great Idea and very good luck author (All IMHO of course) (the person in the muck is pretty funny LOL) good luck

Thanks for the comment i add some contrast and saturation also i soft dodge it. I looks a lil bit dif xD

n1ce work author..

If you lighten & desaturate the background a bit, the blacks in the soldier woman will stand out from the background. As it is, there's no depth. The skulls just look pasted on, and kinda silly. This image has potential.

I like the idea author, but it seems you bit off a little more than you could chew with this one. Keep practicing i see a lot of potential, with your eye for the details in the design. you still need to work on your eye for the workmanship. really the only object that looks like it was placed in well is the woman with the gun. all other images are either too blurred, or have some poor masking done. A tip for masking is to always use the pen tool to mask, then to feather your selection by about 2px (depending on the size of the image), and also to contract/expand the selection slightly.

You are right, it was not over i didnt have to time to send the finish image. I got lost 2 days and the edition timing was over! Thanx for the advice

Author, if you use your own photos they have to be posted uncut in a step-by-step guide.

fun image, great work. reminds me of 16bit video games... great retro feel for sure.