Study Group 11
Mark Southard

July - Greek Woman

How I did it -

Shot in Santorini , Greece Added new background , used gaussian blur to tone down, Used extrude filter on copy to get the look of a hood over her head--Then erased through this copy to see original face. Added simple black border through image>size.

COMMENTS:
 

Betty Billingham	I find your use of the extrude filter, especially in mono, ideal. Perhaps giving it a slight blur might be more in keeping with what appears to be a jolly and gentle person.
Bob Freiberg	Great portrait Mark! Great effects! I love the background. The hair seems to bother me though. Maybe keep her hair more natural? Everything else the same. Great image. Again, I love the portrait without the special effects... but that is not the nature of this group!
Leonie Holmes	I like your use of the 'extrude' filter which is sometimes overdone. The fact that you brought back the detail in the lady's face makes it a great image bringing the face as the focal point of the image.
Paula Davies	It makes a change to see a picture of an old Greek woman with a smile. Mostly in exhibition catalogues they appear bent double and looking miserable! Your idea of adding the extrude filter works well and makes an interesting background. I'm so glad that you erased the filter from her face. .
Sam Shaw	The extrude looks good on this portrait. I probably would use a soft brush at low opacity and try to clean up a little more around her cheeks.
Witta Priester	I haven't used the extrude filter, so it was interesting to see your image and then play with the filter a bit. Thanks for using it in your study group image. I like the effect of the filter on the background and her clothes, but I find it more difficult to like on her hair. Also, the whites and her face seem a bit overexposed to me.

Member's Biography
	Mark Southard I joined PSA in 1994; Served as International Publicity Director, then as Vice President - Conventions. I ran Conventions in Orlando, Florida and Toronto, Canada and selected Albuquerque, New Mexico and San Diego, California as future sites. Retired from Sears in 1993 after 35 years, mostly in corporate buying functions. My last assignment was as Managing Director of Purchasing for Northern Asia while residing in Seoul, Korea from 1988 -1992.
I am active in the Chicago Nature Camera Club, the Wright Camera Club, and the newest club in Chicago, the Pixel Image Camera Club. I also served in numerous capacities for individual clubs as well as for CACCA, the Chicago Area Camera Club Association. I teach basic black & white fine art printing at Wright College. Also give workshops on matting and framing and since 1995, have been a Consumer Use Consultant for Polaroid, giving workshops on Creative Art Photography, i.e. Image and Emulsion transfers and Time Zero manipulation. I use a Nikon N-90; a Nikon 8008; an Olympus point and shoot (for prints); a medium format Holga (costs around $15); and a lot of Nikon lenses, my favorite of which is the 105 macro. I also use a Nikon Coolpix 990 and a Dimage 7 (for digital infrared) The digital equipment consists of a Power Spec desk top model with 1gb of RAM and 120 gb hard drive. I also have a Nikon slide scanner, a Umax flat bed scanner, an Epson Photo Stylus printer and an Epson 2000 printer, plus a HP laptop. Software is Adobe Photoshop CS, and Elements. I am a native of New Mexico but have lived in Chicago for 35 years (minus the time spent overseas in Asia).