Ahhh!! The lightbulb went off. The problem isn't the image of the ship, but rather the sky, water, background. So, why not chroma key it? Here's the results. A critical eye might say the lighting is not correct (it's the spotlights from the shore that illuminate the sails [grin]). Also, the water doesn't quite ripple right, but it's on helluva lot better than the original image.

Other solutions are welcome.



...Jerry

btw: I used Bob (farss) technique prior to applying the Chroma Key, thanks.

I've gone for using Channel Blend.

WITHOUT



WITH Channel Blend and some corrective Levels.



The sails and details of the boat have come through, and that shoreline is remaining blue-hazed, but the "canvas" of the sails has popped against that shoreline nicely.

Here are the Scopes:-



Grazie

I quite like this one too:



I used the SONY Soft Contrast. Could almost "hear" Captn' Jack Sparrow!

Grazie

Grazie,

Nicely done. Can you post an image of your Channel Blend settings?

...Jerry

Whoops, cross posting. The soft constrast looks even better. btw, from the HMS Bounty website, "Since her debut in “Mutiny on the Bounty”, HMS Bounty has appeared in many documentaries and featured films such as the Edinburgh Trader in Pirates of the Caribbean Dead Mans Chest"

...Jerry

I will. I just closed down for today. 12:45am, zzzzzzzz

Grazzzzz z z . ...

As promised earlier this morning - here yah go Jezzer!



Toodles

Grazie

Nicely done Grazie. I'm not thoroughly proficient with channel blend (could say the same with most of Vegas), so your contribution with the screenshot & scopes is much appreciated.
Reds Duncan

Also a bit of a problem with the sails being hard astern!

But NOTHING to do with my work!

G

Also a bit of a problem with the sails being hard astern!

Fixed (and blatantly infringing Jerry's copyright)...

@Nick, Love it, love it, love it!!

@Serena, Yeah, I could hear the diesels from the shore. There was almost no wind and I guess they wanted to get to Philly sometime soon.

Thanks to all for the help.
...Jerry

How did you get the sails to light up with the sun behind them?
JJK

"How did you get the sails to light up with the sun behind them?"Read the third post from the top:

"A critical eye might say the lighting is not correct (it's the spotlights from the shore that illuminate the sails [grin]). Also, the water doesn't quite ripple right, but it's on helluva lot better than the original image."

...Jerry

The "oops too much breadfruit" version that Fletcher Christian was hoping for in Tahiti...

Nick, I'm having trouble typing this as I'm laughing too hard - you've made my day once again.

We could make a contest of this! I envision some Particle Illusion FXs. Grand prize - a good laugh by all.

Here's some starting point clips if anyone is interested HMS Bounty.zip

...Jerry

aww that's cheating! took me ages to split the ship and the background!

Spielberg version...

A follow up on Jerry's answer to...

"
______________________

On thing that has fascinated me ever since I learned color theory in design college is observing how shadows or shadow mid-tones act, such as in a basic sunset-at-beach scene - they tend to take on the opposite color (blues to lavender/violet) of the light source (yellow and orange). This in part due to how our eyes process light and contrast.

Film-makers and especially 3D animation such as Pixar as well as anime push this to dramatic limits that can be very eye-catching and ambiance-setting I.e. blazing yellow-orange campfire or even just a single candle, and almost snow-by-moonlight blue tints to everything not lit up by the light source.

So one could even apply some of that practice to this image of the tall ship including the enhanced sails -- which in the latter would tone down the intensity of the white "spotlights from the shore" to look a bit more realistic while keeping the emphasis and thus enhancement of the overall presence of the ship.

I sometimes pull that off by leaning the highs in the Color Corrector towards yellow/orange and the midrange towards the blues/cobalt and then adjusting the Color Curves accordingly.. A second Color Corrector in the FX chain may also help to fine tune.

Neither captain was prepared to concede right of way...

I'll get me coat...

"Spielberg version..."Fletcher Christian to Captain Bligh. "We're gonna need a bigger boat." [grin]

And the particle Illusion version was even more spectacularly hilarious.

Nick, you you've missed you calling.

...Jerry (still laughing)

Apologies for scuttling your thread.