I finished mapping the shots for one scene, ONE scene, and finally finished messing around with the famous bar. Anyway, I need some people for this scene. Gayl made us some beautiful people and I'm all weird and upset so I decided to take one of them and put her in a closed room and make eyeball shots.
Here's the girl. She looks sufficiently unhappy. Probably the bad lighting since the poses were from the solo romantic photobooth set. And her nose is strange, it sort of blobs onto her cheek. I don't know why. And I hate that black hole in the eye when they're looking sideways. I've tried to fix it in PS without success.
I'm curious how the author gets that glossy effect on the shots in Fortune and Romance. I don't want to duplicate the effect which I think works better on the type of story she's writing than it would for me, but it's really pretty.
I am still ISO the posebox I used to get this shot. I didn't take notes and I can't find it.
Hey Beth,
ReplyDeleteI just check the link to Topaz. It does look very delicious. Just curious, what software do you use now to process your pictures? Photoshop?
lepifera, I usually don't process my shots at all. Nothing. Zip. If I do some kind of vanity thing like this, I use Photoshop CS3 but I don't use it to polish or finish the update shots.
ReplyDeleteI lurk like crazy in Black Pearl Sims and try to figure out how they do what they do. It's decorating and not game play but the shots are incredible. That's where I got the link to Topaz. What I've seen there is really stunning. Topaz cleans up all the jagged pixel edges.
She looks amazing in those shots! I think that blob might be caused by the nose masks she is wearing. I'm not sure but that could be it.
ReplyDeleteDuff's pose...I wonder if it was a View pose with that body parts box making him sit? I never saw the pose notes on that piece so I can't be sure...
Holy shit Beth,
ReplyDeletethat first shot is phenomenal. How did you manage to get her to look at you like that??
Oh and if you're having problems with pixelation, maybe I could help? ^_^
And what's this about Nina and Dina? lol
ReplyDeleteI'm not exactly sure what you're talking about regarding the 'glossy' effect, but I have an idea of what it is and who you're talking about.
ReplyDeleteFirst part, I believe she's mentioned that she's made a custom eye mask.
Second part, she's very nice and I'm sure she would be more than happy to answer any of your questions. She has a formspring if you want to ask anonymously. :)
Mela, I don't feel right approaching anyone like that, no matter who they are. I'm sure it's the way the shots are finished in photoshop. I've seen that effect before. It probably wouldn't work as well for me since it seems to highlight the characters too much.
ReplyDeleteChristie, it's just a 'solo romantic photobooth' pose. They twist their heads around like that.
ReplyDeleteI was admiring the shots done by a writer who is doing something on the premades. The shots are really pretty.
Gayl, I know I altered the pose using a couple of overlays but it was definitely a pose box. I can't find my notes either. I can recreate it using View, I hope.
ReplyDeleteHm! I will have to play with that pose later haha.
ReplyDeleteOooo care to share a link to her/his work? I'd love to see and you know I am always looking for inspiration!
I don't have it linked but it shows up in simstorytellers. She updated this week. It's called Fortune and Romance. It's a cute retelling of the Nina and Dina premades, but I was really more interested in how she finishes her shots.
ReplyDeletehttp://community.livejournal.com/simstorytellers/
Hm yeah she does have very clear pictures for the majority. Although she is using primarily maxis objects or maxis match objects, which tend to have higher quality textures than cc (bc they're economized and cartoonish, which there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, but it's not what I go for in my illustrations.)
ReplyDeleteI asked her via formspring what she does to her shots so we will see :)
Speaking of Dina and Nina, I've been playing with them. Well...I have default skins by pooklet and let's just say the two girls are very much the wrong color lol! Ugh and whomever built their house needs to be hanged. It's just a nightmare to decorate that first room with the long ass diagonal entryway!
Throwing this out there: simtopi has great shots too:)
I've always loved simtopi's shots. They're complex, beautifully framed and use such a variety of exterior decor. You feel like you're in a real world, something I'm particularly fond of.
ReplyDeleteThe finish in those other shots was what interested me. Some of the creators on BPS use the Topaz software to clean up their shots, and the results are amazing. I can't afford the program right now but I would love to have it.
I deleted the premades years ago and deleted all the premade NB's too, but I remember that condo. The floor plan is bizarre. Isn't that the one with the door at the top of the stairs, on a landing?
Just thought of something else...an eye mask would be useful for those shots where the person is looking to the side. You can see that black hole where the sclera should be, and it's ugly.
ReplyDeleteI really find simtopis scenes amazing. I can't help but wonder how in the hell she gets some of her poses!
ReplyDeleteI feel like Photoshop is one of the top caliber software used in editing shots so I imagine whatever topaz can do, ps can do. I bet you could google ways to clean up your shots using what you've got. There are several easy ways to reduce pixelation..although I have never found that to be a problem in your shots. They're really gorgeous.
Yeah the house does have a landing. I'm thinking of using pleasantview for storytelling and redoing the hood and sims that are in it..idk why but I keep coming back to pleasantview even after deleting it more than three or four times. I'm also working on building a hood from scratch which takes forever.
Here's the link to Topaz: http://www.topazlabs.com/products.html
ReplyDeleteIt's pretty expensive, and appears to be a plug-in that works with PS instead of something that replaces it. The way it sharpens without adding a lot of noise to the shot is impressive.
From what simtopi has said, she spends a lot of time and effort, overlays, and a ton of creativity to get those shots! Some of them are absolutely outstanding.
I usually don't have much trouble with pixelization unless I'm taking shots out on the street and get other lots in view. I did have one awful shot I used anyway (the last one I took for the last update). There are jagged edges all over the place. I considered redoing it, but I'll never get the next one done if I start going back and redoing shots.
I'm anxious to see what you're doing!!
Hm! So it's a plug-in you have to purchase then?
ReplyDeleteI wonder if it can be picked up free from somewhere.
Yeah..her shots are crazy good. The expressions on her Sims are just..well it's that kind of detail that really makes these images priceless.
*nod* it does bug me that lots and some hood decor is blurred from other lot views.
I will try to get something done this week :) Maybe get an intro posted or something..we'll see if life permits!