Our First Lacrosse Poster

[troybal]

My wife has taken one of the pics I have taken of High School Lacrosse and has done some Photo Shop work so that we can print a 12x18 or similar size for these two young ladies. They are the only seniors on the Varsity Team.

We would like your input on the poster in whole, does it look good or too busy, what would you recommend?
Thanks in advance. :)

Edit, removed pic see below post for new one :)

[Aaagogo]

the font's don't work for the vertical text, it took me more than 2 glances to try to figure out what it say and I gave up.

[troybal]

the font's don't work for the vertical text, it took me more than 2 glances to try to figure out what it say and I gave up.
Thanks for your input, the Z never comes out right using this font, she is going to try another font.

[FlyingPhotog]

I'd do away with the gradient within the names as well...

[aram535]

Sorry, I hope you take this as useful critism, but I like nothing about this poster.

Wouldn't be better if you used an action shot of the girls? Maybe more than 1, a series from different games perhaps?
A solid purple background? Really? How about a school crest or flag or something diffused in the background.
The gradient in the fonts just makes it harder to read.

[troybal]

Sorry, I hope you take this as useful critism, but I like nothing about this poster.

Wouldn't be better if you used an action shot of the girls? Maybe more than 1, a series from different games perhaps?
A solid purple background? Really? How about a school crest or flag or something diffused in the background.
The gradient in the fonts just makes it harder to read.

Of course taken as Useful Criticism that's why we posted.
We did not use action shots as the girls asked about taking this particular picture. So thought about using that one. Did not know what to use in the background as it was originally the field.
We will make some more changes.
Thanks!

[troybal]

We are going to work on a new one, thanks for the input fellers!
Since it is our first we are struggling on what the BG should be, but definitely agree on the fonts used.
I will post when we get the new one ready...

[troybal]

Ok here is the 2nd version, maybe I better stop giving my wife suggestions. She does much better lol.

She used the font - Arnprior, there are other fonts but we are using the defaults of CS4. Maybe we need to download others?

Tell me what you folks think.
Thanks

http://troybal.smugmug.com/photos/492123180_6Vfa7-XL.jpg

[Huskers69]

The second one looks MUCH BETTER !!! Liezel was too tough to read in the first one. It's still hard to read in the second one, but with a name like that........I guess it's expected.

[Thomas G]

The second version is the winner!

[aram535]

500% better. The font is still a little questionable, but if its the same font that they use than you can't do much about it.

The smallest CC would be to make a little bit better to give you a nicer transition between images. Use a longer gradient in Photoshop to combine the layers is what recommending - also blend more.

[troybal]

That is not the font that they use, we just chose that one. I am trying to find one that is better but we only have the default fonts in CS4. Unless someone could recommend a good font to download.
We are going to work a little more on the blending as suggested as well.
TR

[smmokan]

Thicker font, crisper images... good picture though.

[dsul413]

I agree that the second one is worlds better than the first.

[aram535]

All free font sites. I'm sure you can find a better font.

www.fontica.com
www.fontfile.com
www.dafont.com
www.highfonts.com
simplythebest.net/fonts
www.eternalfonts.com

[aram535]

Also I just noticed ... fix your horizons in the composite. The shots all have a different horizon level.

[troybal]

All free font sites. I'm sure you can find a better font.

www.fontica.com (http://www.fontica.com)
www.fontfile.com (http://www.fontfile.com)
www.dafont.com (http://www.dafont.com)
www.highfonts.com (http://www.highfonts.com)
simplythebest.net/fonts
www.eternalfonts.com (http://www.eternalfonts.com)

Thanks!
I found some yesterday as well and loaded them on the wifey's computer, she did not have a chance to work on it yesterday but promised she would work on it today. Cant wait to see it myself!
I will bookmark the font sites!

[troybal]

Also I just noticed ... fix your horizons in the composite. The shots all have a different horizon level.

I did not even notice that, need to kick myself.
Thanks!

[troybal]

I think we are getting closer, what do you think?

http://troybal.smugmug.com/photos/493667694_SrZWZ-L.jpg

[Aaagogo]

in design, it's always K.I.S.S

font wise, i believe that there's like 25-40 "standard" fonts to use, and very very very rarely do you do vertical text.

when feathering images, it helps to have the same exposure setting for the images, exposure can be tweaked during post.

[aram535]

Print it! That's a huge amount of improvement from 1->2 and even from 2->3. Nice job with the photo composite -- very nice transition.

[troybal]

Thanks Everyone! There was a Lacrosse game last night that I went and did, the wife wanted to go with me this time (she had never been to a Lacrosse game before) so she wanted to take this version with us and give it to the mother of the player.
The parents just loved it and were so excited, this opened the door for her to do other players and make a little bit of money on it so she is happy about that.
She is going to work on another player today and will work on the following.

1. Exposure of pics used
2. No vertical text
3. Use some downloaded fonts, bigger and bit wider.
4. Better blending
5. Use one background, going to go take a picture of the field they use with the school logo.

But again, thanks everyone for your comments!
TR.

[fred maurer]

Very informative evolution. Thanks for sharing this learning process.

[BaumannPhotography]

The vertical fonts gotta go. I think there is a great opportunity to do some more masking and creating some depth with the current images. You'll be amazed what that can do to something like this.

[Dermit]

Sorry I am late to this thread. I agree with Aaagogo about keeping it simple. I also agree about not liking the vertical text here. When compositing the images I like to use one image of the athlete as a larger, dominating piece of the collage, the main focal point. Then add other smaller, secondary elements/images of the athlete as supporting parts of the over all collage. In your design here all the images in the collage are too similar in size but they are also too similar in look. The first three images, looking from left to right, are almost identical, too redundant for my taste. By including so much redundancy you are diluting the viewers interest. This is a clear case of 'less is more'. For a look at a couple of my sports collage galleries I've done recently look at the following links...

http://sales.pixelcraftphoto.com/g/phillies

http://sales.pixelcraftphoto.com/g/senior_posters

[troybal]

Thanks for all your comments fellers! It is much appreciated.
My wife should have her 2nd poster done by next week, she has been busy with the baby. With all the recommendations I am sure we will see an improvement!
Thanks Again!
TR

[RobsLost]

1 more font site

www.abstractfonts.com