Hey, I'm a fresh off the boat newbie at photoshop--I've only been working on learning it (obsessively) for about a week. First of all, PSC is incredible! The tutorials are clear, and useful-- I'd love to see some more. I also love how nice and supportive everyone on here is. Browsing through the entries for the contests, it's obvious that there are many levels of skill amongst the users, but there's always something supportive for even the most meager failed attempts.
That's why I feel comfortable asking for help on my own failed attempt:



This is from the tomato contest. Here are two (of many) problems, I'm not sure how to fix.
1) The flower the dalai lama is holding (made from the tomatoes)--how can I fix the color to more closely match the rest of the statue? I could make it gold by adjusting the levels, but it still looked fake. After trying some color blending, I gave up and just gave it a glow so it would look, I don't know, holy... I'd rather it look like a part of the statue, but don't know how to give it that same look.

2) the red flower in the foreground. I liked the flower, again made from the tomato, but it just looks fake and photoshopped in. I tried a gaussian blur at different levels between .1 and 2, but it either looked too blurry or too vivid for its position in the photograph. Any hints?

I know I could search more tutorials on google, but I'm just not sure what I need a tutorial in! I can't wait until I can actually make something good enough to submit to the real contest!

Thanks

for the tomato on his lap
use a nice mix of different settings till it works
Curves
LEVELS
and occasinally hue/saturation
and try this tut
http://photoshopcontest.com/tutorials/19/photograph-color-correction.html

It's always good enough to submit, that's how you will learn people will help you here. I'm just past my first month here and just like you sometimes "afraid" to submit.. but you realy should. Don't think you will get laughed at, cause that's not gonna happen. You will get support and help when you need it.
I have seen other PS contest sites and even registered at 2 others but i never go there cause here it feels more comfortable.

Good luck on your chops, sorry i dont know how to help you with that cause i'm still new to the program to

The smurfie chick is correct. Submit your stuff and you'll get lots of feedback on how to make it better. The biggest thing you need to develop is a thick skin. Take criticism for what it's worth and learn for the next chop. I'm impressed that you used the tomato in so many different ways in your piece.



Did you try also adjusting the the hue/saturation as well as brightness and contrast? Mightybeet did a great conversion of a gold statue and gave me some good pointers a while back after I PM'd him. Similar techniques might help you too?



Again look at the brightness/contrast and saturation levels. I'm quickly learning that it sometimes takes many different steps to achieve a look you want.



Ain't that the truth for most of us! I'm constantly running into that problem. Basically I've resigned myself to doing whatever tutorials look like fun. Most of the time I pick something up that applies later on down the road.

I don't how exactly, but if I'm you, I'll try match color. Cut some parts of the buddha (gold) and match the color of the flower with that piece. Not always successful but it helps me sometimes.

Then brightness/contrast and hue/saturation are really help.

But I think it's ok with the glow.. it shows the heart of buddha..



the red tomato flower is ok. just match the perspective.

the sliced tomato needs reflection and shadow next to the pot. the color tone is ok i think.

just my two cents

All that we are is the result of what we have thought. If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him. If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never leaves him.

Buddha

wow! This topic came up again out of nowhere! Thanks all for the help! I think, however, that I've finally laid my first photoshoppin' attempt to rest after a couple of weeks here. You can check the finished product from that contest here:

http://photoshopcontest.com/view-entry/96007/lama-toms.html .

Actually looking back, I think the first one I asked for help on actually looked better than the finished product that I submitted to that contest. I can see so many mistakes in that first contest entry now! I guess that means I've improved a little, I just hope I can continue to improve. You guys are great; for all the help!