4/28/2005 8:52:03 AM

Greetings, Michele and Jeffrey!
First, great job, Jeffrey. Nice composite (I hope that is the right word)!Michele: Not sure how Jeffrey did it, but it looks like he used levels, not cropping and pasting. See how the clouds in the sky blend into the photo of his father? That tells me it was two layers (probably more for the whole picture) and the transparancy of the top layer was reduced from 100% to 50-60% or so (until it looked good - like it does). He also probably used a layer mask on the photo of his father.
Hope this helps.

4/28/2005 12:53:26 PM

Thank you very much, Michele and Robert. Michele, Robert is right. I first opened up my background photo of the sunset/river and dragged the photo of my father into it. I then applied a mask to my father's photo and using a softer brush, I first set the brush to 100% opacity and removed the main background area around him. I zoomed in close and "fine-tuned" the area around my dad. Once I had him cut out, it was just a matter of "blending" him in with the clouds using an opacity of about 10% or so. It started out as an experiment for my using masks in Photoshop. I did the same for the B-17 in the bottom part to make it look like it was flying through the clouds. I hope this helps.
Thanks, again! Jeff

4/28/2005 5:18:31 PM

This is so very beautiful and so touching also. I have always loved that poem since Ronald Reagan quoted part of it when Challenger exploded all those years ago. Your work with the photo of your dad and the plane and that poem combined are just magical.

5/19/2005 12:56:55 PM

I agree 100% with Marsha. This is outstanding!!! You've done a great job with this image. Being an aviator myself, I know this poem well.

5/19/2005 5:21:26 PM

Thanks so much for the kind words, Marsha and Michael. I wanted to create something to put on my Dad's grave on Memorial Day that I know he would like. Marsha, I was in college just a few miles from Christa Macaullif's (sp?) home town watching the Challenger launch with friends. I'll never forget that! Michael, I am also an aviator. I was a Naval Helicopter Aircrewman from 1974 to 1978 and got my B.S. in Aviation Management and became a helicopter pilot in 1986. Thanks again for your comments. Jeff

5/19/2005 5:45:56 PM

What a beautiful and moving tribute. I'm speechless.

6/8/2005 7:58:14 AM

Thank you very much, Odelia. Jeff

6/8/2005 2:03:41 PM

Jeff I have never seen a better tribute it put tears in my eyes when looking at your pick your very talented and I can see you loved your Father very much..

6/8/2005 5:38:17 PM

Thank you, Rita. I was very fortunate to have had the opportunity to care for him the last month of his life. He deeply loved our country and was very proud to have played an important part in defending us during WWII. He was even proud of me when I joined the Navy! (He having been in the Army Air Corps/Air Force). ;) Jeff

6/8/2005 5:48:15 PM

Jeffrey, this is SO well done! My grandfather will be passing away soon and, if I may, I'd like to follow your idea and try to do something similar for him. It would be perfect for a man who is respected by many and who has helped uncountable numbers of others.

Again, very artistic and quite striking.

9/23/2005 12:21:58 PM

Thank you very much for the kind words, Howie. I'm sure that your Grandfather would appreciate that. Create it from the heart and it will turn out perfect! I was missing my father very much when I did this for him, and didn't really think about what I was doing. It just happened.
Jeff

9/23/2005 2:25:36 PM