.

Integration in itself is nothing to be proud of or strive for.
Integration in itself should not be enough to warrant praise.

If the starting picture is a soccer ball, let your mind wander a bit.
Don't just google "man kicking ball" and replace one ball for another.

If the starting picture is a statue of a giant head,
venture a bit outside the box. Don't just find another statue
with a similar head and do a swap.

To me, this is the polar opposite of creativity.

Several years ago doing integrations may have impressed a
few people, but these days most grandmothers are
semi-proficient in Photoshop and can perform basic color shifting
and blending.

Aim higher.

And that goes for the voters as well.

Ive been battling this same thing for years now badcopper. (as sad as that is)

The problem is, no one is motivated to "Aim Higher" with their entries. Blame the voters.
Its the voters that must aim higher and demand at least a good show of ps work.

Some people have a knack for finding a good source that requires very little PS work to integrate the starting image and end with a stimulating entry. Nothing will change if members continue to be rewarded for this strategy with votes.

thought this was a thread about toilet habits......

I try to use the source as much as I can, and to use Photoshop as should be. But you cant blame those that want the votes, because to many thats the bottom line my friends. I beleive an all source entry should win every time, becasue thats photoshopping at its best. Just my view and if popular opinion changes so will my view

The problem I have is not knowing how to achieve the effects I want to do. Especially with the software that I have to work with.

I have been getting great ideas that I just flat don't know how to implement. I've searched tutorial sites for help but they're all fluff it seems.

Most of the sites I've perused are "here's how to make fire, here's how to make gold, here's how to make a button for your web page, here's how to do a quick mask, here's how to organize your layers..."

I haven't found anything on how to achieve the effects I want to do and since I don't know enough about layer blendings, channels, etc I don't even know where to begin for experimenting.

I have, IMHO, a GRAND idea for an upcoming source. But I simply don't know how to achieve it. Do you know how depressing that can be?

She aims higher

yes, but there really isn't anything we can do about it sadly. The inexperienced chopper will always give votes to chops that they think are better than theirs, even if you might think that same chop doesn't deserve any at all.

yup, gotta despise those chops that are funny, but horrible quality wise. You're right, if you think it's so funny, sa your "haha!"s and "lol"s in the comment section, but for quality's sake don't vote for it!

Now I feel scuzzy.

Of course, that's just my opinion, you guys can vote for whatever the hell you want, I don't like you any less because what you like might be different from what I like.

Uh-oh. This is turning into another "here's how you should vote" thread that seems to keep recurring. I paid my dues, figuratively AND literally, to get the ability to vote (notice I didn't say "right to vote"). Bottom line, for me, is that if I like the chop I'm gonna vote on it. If I don't then I'm not. It's as plain as that whether it's the skill, the composition, or the funny that I liked about the chop.

Granted I'd rather see chops done with skill before I'll vote on them. Sloppiness is what I won't vote on. If a chop is a cleanly done cut-and-paste with good work in the shadows and lighting then I'll throw a vote at it. Not every chop has to be a fantastically original transformation piece.

Griping that this voting fosters inferiority in the entries is bunk in my opinion. People are either going to strive to get better or they're not. If they don't get better they don't increase the average number of votes that they get (I'm prime example of that).

Besides you need to learn and work on the basics before you can move on to create those fantastic transformations anyway. Walk before you run before you fly.

Good points, badcop.

Unfortunately, the concept of "creativity" doesn't always... how you say... translate.

Come on people, its not life or death...have fun enjoy...chop to what ya got...and enjoy the other like minded people. Votes are votes and nothing more...they wont buy ya a car or get ya a job...it's just for fun...lets keep it that way...ok no every one take of your cloths and put on a pink and white soc and chop in the dark...I said that out loud again...got to stop doing that huh.

I find the wandering mind ends up with something like a man grabbing his crotch....

That works for me.

Good points as usual badcop. I'm guilty of all PSC sins.

And it's been a few years since my last confession.....