No, the blur step is the same, well, it doesn’t have to be but I used the same filter. The short range image has a couple extra steps in it. I guess I wasn’t clear but the steps are:
First image (long range viewable):
Filters->Blur->Gaussian Blur
I used 10x10, but if you want the change over point to be further away you should use a bigger number. Second image (close range):
Filters->Blur->Gaussian Blur
I used 10x10 again, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be the same.
Copy the image and paste it as a new layer. Then on either layer:
Layers->color->invert
Set the top transparency to 50% and flatten image.
After that you have two images. Copy and paste one of them into a layer on the other picture, set the top layer transparency to 50%, and you have the hybrid image.
The process of discerning the text will build anticipation and focus, zoning in really hard and then… BOOM, she sees the Big Question! Two extremes: concentration, then excitement. Simple, cheap, but awesome.
I don’t think that’s going to work. Making the close up images fucks up all of the colors. Look at the pdf gotpasswords linked to. The close image (leopard) loses all of its colors. The grass that was green in the lower left takes on the brown color of the background. Here is what the close image looks like after filtering.
I think you just got it backwards, right? Like, she walks in the store, sees the blurry frog, there’s something weird about that image, get closer, hrm, things are changing with that weird poster, closer, - OH SNAP! THIS DUDE GONNA MARRY MY ASS!
Ya know what? Time and time again. If it is a CLEVER idea, then it is a BAD real-life solution. I will still be asking around, and I will let you know.
First of all, the technique involves high and low pass frequency filters. In simplified terms, one image has fine details preserved but not the shaded areas, and vice-versa for the other image. Super-impose them. From close-up, the ‘fine detail’ image is apparent but not the other one. From far away, reverse applies.
It’s NOT easy to do using Photoshop or any other common photo manip software, but you can get approximate sorta kinda good enough results if you stick at it.
Second of all, what you want isn’t really feasible. You can take two similar images (such as two faces) and combine them in this way, and even then it helps a lot if you re-size them so they are similar-sized and align the eyes. But trying to do it with one naturalistic image (frog) and raw text isn’t going to work.
Here’s a different suggestion that’s actually just as much fun but easier to do and entirely practical. It’s adapted from Penn & Teller’s brilliant book, How To Play With Your Food. You both go for pizza. When her pizza arrives, as she tucks into the pie, she gradually becomes aware that underneath is your proposal message covered in polythene. All you have to do is print your proposal message smaller than a typical pizza and laminate it. Slip the pizza place a few bucks to make her pie and then slip it on top of your laminated message before they serve it up.
The technique described in the link shows how either images disappear depending on the viewing distance. However, for Fuel’s purposes, this isn’t necessary. He only needs one of the images to disappear when viewed from afar.
I took a few minutes and made something very convincing in Photoshop. Here are the detailed steps.
Get public domain image of cute frog from Wikipedia frog entry.
Import into Photoshop.
Create a new text layer and type in message. Adjust size, font and placement to taste. Colour is black.
Create a new layer and fill in with a pale colour.
Merge this layer with the text layer. Text will be rasterised.
Apply texture->grains filter. This is necessary to add some amount of random high-frequency information to the text.
Set transparency of text layer to 50%.
Apply the others->high pass filter. I adjusted it at 2 pixels, but test it out to figure what works best. The text should completely disappear at a distance, yet be legible at close range.
Merge all layers.
The result will be somewhat dark and lack contrast. Adjust levels so that it looks a little better. Make sure this does not affect the disappearing text effect, though.
Whoa! So, your solution is to hide the text in the image and have it come out when CLOSE. Well, that is the next best thing I suppose. That is a really good pic, Jovan! You really really cannot see that text beyond 10 feet from the screen! Can you change the font to a more casual, modern font?
Anyone else want to try their hand at this approach???
jovan - That’s really freaking sweet. I’ll admit when I opened it, I was like “what the hell is this? crappy text on a frog?” Then I actually got my ass up and walked backwards and was stunned at how well it worked! Looks like that could be a great solution!
Anyways - nice work. I’m off to play with that effect!
I just saw this post from almost 4 years ago and figured I would finally provide an update. I did get a student to make me an AWESOME pic of a tree frog and I did use jovan’s pic to explain it to this girl and she whipped up a really good looking picture. I proposed to her with the pic and she LOVED it. To this day she says it was the best proposal she could have imagined and we have the pic hanging in our bathroom to display it… it was in her house and her mom was video taping in the background and caught her face and my proposal and everything. It worked just as planned.
We are still married with 2 cute little rugrats. And we are closing in 30 days on our dream house here in South Florida. So, there you go, a happy ending made possible in large part by the SDMB!!! You guys are the bomb, but you already know that.
Hah! I was reading this, not realizing how old the thread was. I was thinking, “Geez, this might not work, and we may never hear how it turned out. I’m going to be left wondering…” blah blah blah. But I got to read about the happy ending. Congrats! You should post a picture of the final image.
I held up my laptop with the elephant/cheetah picture to my wife across the room, and asked her what it looked like. She said “Rhino” (she was pretty far away), then said “Why, what’s it look like to you?”
“A Cheetah.”
“What!”
And yeah, great story Fuel, and thanks for updating us.
