Fabulous piece author...Its shame about the last week contest,this one would be 1st without any doubt...GL

This is an amazing piece with a lot of detail and work put into it. My only issue is with the perspective of the furthest rocks (top right) which somehow feels wrong in relation to the perspective of the lady at the window. But I still love this to bits!

@Mad Funny you should mention that. It has been bothering me too so I have been working on it. Tried a variety of different layouts and I think this one is the best. Hard perspective on this piece. Thanks for the great observation and comment.

@erathion Yeah it was too bad I did not get it finished in time but just too many little details and not enough time. Thank you so much for the comment.

Fabulous work !

nice image ,GL

I really love entries like these. Thought provoking and well done. Just great!

SO SWEET ,GOOD LUCK

Beautiful entry...,the excecution is so realistic.., Good luck author...

I like your step 12, a really good tip. I am impressed with the all the detail here, you've really thought of everything. Her reflection in the window is perfect, just barely there, like it should be. A very powerful image with the girl on the edge of the rocks like this. Touching........

Thanks all!

Bravos, words cannot express! Stunning work.

I have a question about step 16: by Non desctructive.. you mean dodge/burn in the high pass layer / making another gray layer / using simple white/black brushes with layer blending or how? Feeling noob-ish here.

@greymval - ur not a noob just poor SBS explaning on my part You can do the dodge and burn either in a new layer (see below for direction for that) or If you are using the High Pass layer to sharpen (which is what I usually use it for) I sometimes do some Dodge and Burn work in that layer (and neutrilizing the sharpening where it is too strong). I don't usually do a lot of D&B there but when I only have a little to do I will utilize the High Pass layer rather than create another layer. (NOTE: High pass layer and neutral gray layers are both set on Soft Light Blend mode).

Direction for a Non Destructive Dodge and Burn layer (no HIgh Pass layers were harmed in these instructions)
You create a new layer (hold Alt key - click on the Create new layer icon - bottom layers palette>in new layers window pick Soft Light blend mode and check the Fill with Soft-Light neutral colour (50%grey) box). This will create a layer that can be used to Burn (using Blacks & Darker grays or Dodge (using White and lighter grays).

There is a rose in Spanish Harlem ....

Well actually.. There is a rose in Spanish Edge-of-a-Cliff and OMG if she opens that window she's going to fall and go boom.. and wait till she get her hands on that girl IN THE WHITE Night gown wondering around on all those sharp rocks... EEEEEEKKKKKKKK

(couldn't resist author.. LOLOLOL)

Very wonderful image, has that whole should be hanging in a castle feel

@ slushy

Actually it is more Heather on the Scottish lowlands .... and she has no intention of following her sister ... she is the sensible one (or restrained or sane or less crazy depending on your point of view)

Heather Does the Scottish Lowlands? ..(oh I'm bad.. I'm really really bad) smooch and FLEE

Flee, fi, fo, fum ... I see a slushy on the rum! (not a typo)! Mwwwhahahahah

Burp

Congrats, Arca...a well deserved placement!

Thank you all so very much!!!! Big hug!

Congrats for your first place, Arca! Lovely image!

Congrats arca,awesomely made entry.

Congrats for 1st

Congrats for 1st

congratulations...

Congrats Arca another beautiful piece

Congrats!!

Congrats, you deserve it = )

Beautiful work...congrants

Nice job Congrats on 1st Place

Reflections of this kind are a pain, we tend to avoid them so I won't judge you for trying. However you should at least mask the reflection on the window's frames ( those black lines).

only one author with this style, good job

very very nice work author...this is very hard to make with source like this...well done

very nice hard work.. good luck author

Very nice work.. Blossoms are great! And love the pattern on the background, a fantastic use of the source.

great!

Gr8 work

Congrats for 2nd

Congrats...

congrats

Congrats on 2nd!

No matter how I look at your image and the source image, I can't see that you've used the smoke from the source image. Maybe you could expand the SBS and show that?

THX cmyk for your suggestions! I've changed it!

very nice...final product is great author...love the smoke explanation in SBS...gl

BEAUTIFUL!!! This is certainly a fav in my book!

Congrats for 3rd

Congrats...

Congratulations!

thx thx thx!

Perfect! It makes me want to stretch my arm and try to touch a tree or pick up a car!

This is one of the most convincing pics around.

hahahahaha...i love it...even trees look like a toy model...great usage of tutorial and so cool final result...gl