Good work on the splash! It does indeed look realistic. Good luck, author.

Author, if you don't post all the source links, your entry could be disqualified.

Actually, Langstrum, I think this should be okay. It's capturing the shattering of glass at high-speed, no? My only suggestions would be to remove the repeated glass as this is not something that would be captured in high-speed, and maybe rather a motion blur. Also, the shattered glass seems a bit of a mess and it's hard to distinguish properly.

Nice work on the splash!

Nice work doing all that from scratch!!

LOOOL nice work!! Good luck, author!

Congrats on first place, author. Lol.

Okay....WOW. This is amazingly awesomingly incredibly awe-striking. B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L. work, author. O.O

I see what Langstrum is saying, but I can forgive any problems with the DOF. The picture is meant to look cartoony and caricature-like from the start so I don't think the DOF is too much of a problem. IMO, of course. Very creative and very well executed. Good luck, author.

Very well done...but the idea just seems like a bit of a duplicate from the tutorial...

The fist should really be in contact with her face.

Brilliant idea and awesome picture! And the first entry, too!

Awwww poor ball. Simple, but effective. You really feel bad for it lol.

Okay, I see your point, Braska. I suppose it's a matter of opinion what looks realistic or not. We're conditioned to believe that these things are fake, so we consider this "unrealistic." Why? Why can't it be realistic? Yes, once again, great entry.

VERY NICE, but hard to see what's going on. Was this taken in space? And how could a hoax photo be taken in space? But nice job on the UFO.

Braska...that was the point of this contest. Lots of people can make a really stunning, dramatic, sci-fi scene, but can you also do it while making it look like a hoax photo? This contest isn't called "UFO" it's called "UFO hoax." Ignoring that rule makes the contest too easy. And it's just the one rule, not "500 different little stipulations."

Breaking News, along with others, follows the theme that "even in high-res, you should not be able to tell whether the picture is real or fake." Obviously, the over-dramatic lighting makes this look too fake for a hoax photo. I know, alot of people have forgotten about this rule by now. There's no doubt that this is still a great entry, but it could be more on theme in a more photo-esque scene. You did an awesome job on the UFO, btw.

Very nice! Great work and on theme.

It's not hard to be on theme: check out "Rooftop Sighting," "The Visitor," "Crop Circling," and "Breaking News." Still, the picture is an awesome sci-fi scene.
Just check out the latest entry "And then I looked up." Great example of a picture that looks as if it was taken by an average guy, of a UFO that seems pretty real.

EDIT: AHA! Knew it was you! I think your PS skills are pretty awesome alone...

Very nice...as I said with many entries here: "doesn't look like a hoax photo but very nice."

Hmm better. Try a bit more blur, if you want. When you zoom out so far, the blur is hard to see. It's only in high-def that it becomes clear. Of course, only if you wish. Good luck, author.

Okay I see your point with the blur. The craft just looks a bit unrealistic, even with the blur, being so close, it seems like it should have a bit more detail.

This is just...wow...wow...WOW!!!! This is one of the best entries I've seen on the site since I re-opened my account here 3 weeks ago. I see a winner here...I'm not exaggerating (I hope not). Amazing work, author. AWESOME.

Yes, Nator. Flesh color would make a great finishing touch.

Not bad...just looks a bit cut out. Try blurring the shadows a bit and maybe even some of the smaller crafts.

Nice one! Great work on the hair!

Lol anoop...yeah it could be really good if it wasn't for the blur. Consider trying to fix that as you'd have a great image. BTW I knew strange things always happened on that trail...see what happened there just last week? http://www.pxleyes.com/photoshop-picture/4b9ce35bdf6d0/Aw-Nuts-.html

Oh man...awesome work. That face is priceless.

Nice one! One of the few entries here that actually fits the "hoax photo" theme.

Nice effect! Well made.

Very cute, very nice effect, very well done. Gl, author.

Haha nicely creative! Good work!

Haha nice! Love how you added all the people into the photo and the UFO looks great! Gl, author.

Yes, 3D aside, I do agree with CMYK. It's a very nice sci-fi photo, but it's pretty fake, unfortunately.

It's meant to be a joke, Barnacle.

Lol love it...very funny.

Oh terribly sorry about that. O.o I missed that entry...moving on now...

To end my annoying rant, I guess I'll just say that I see both sides of the argument, your picture is still awesome, and I wish you luck.

Agreed. Nice work, but lacking the real look of a UFO. Maybe try detailing the orbs more.

Lol sorry this conversation is just hilarious...

Yes, and the light is coming from the top-right...the makes the shadow correct, no?

Ooookay...don't worry...I take people's sides only if I agree with them. Right now, I have no bloody clue who to agree with. O.o

Okay author now you're just sounding immature =.=

Okay thought some more about the other side of this argument: 3D is somewhat fair because you could have either pulled the UFO image off the internet or simply made it yourself. You chose the latter, which is perfectly fine, and the PXLeyes guidelines says so. But on the OTHER hand, author, didn't your "Last Chance" meter guard entry get pulled? (I'm really asking you this, it's not rhetorical.) Why exactly? Was it because you used too much 3D and not enough of the source? But then why is that a problem if PXLeyes allows the use of any program? This is what seems so convoluted. Because if they say that any program can be used, then what if you use Photoshop as minimally as possible? Wouldn't the entry get pulled then? So my question is: what is, in everyone's view, the limit that an external program can be used? I think I'll make a forum post about this soon.

Hmm better. Maybe try dodging and burning it a bit to make it look more like an orb, and maybe try cutting out a real pane of glass (if you can find a suitable one, of course) to use for the spacecraft. That should make it look pretty realistic if that's what you're aiming for. Also try a bit of guassian blur on the shadow. Shadows tend to be blurred more when they're more distant away from the object casting it.

Bit better now, but still kind of fuzzy. I think it's the clouds--it's impossible to blend them over all that realisticly. Perhaps a clear sky would make a cleaner effect? It's up to you. Also perhaps you should overshadow liberty entirely, as the UFO is directly above her.

Just to repeat again what I said, author, and to echo Langstrum, you have enough great PS skills to do a pure PS entry. If you do, you'll have alot less people giving you low votes because they don't think it's fair. I rest my case, and I don't mean you to change your entry, just think about it for the future.

Agree with Langstrum probably the whole tree could be lit a bit better for dramatic effect, but this is a great idea that I would've never thought of. Awesome, Gl author.

Agreed, Langstrum. Sorry if I rambled on too much. :p

Haha very cute. I like the added humor with the binoculars and the craft size (it's good tiny!). My only complaint would be is that it's obviously fake, and the contest states to make it as realistic as possible. With a bit more work you could be able to achieve this (only if you want, of course), and you'd have a really clever entry.

"High resolution photos are mandatory in this contest, even in hi-res people should have a hard time determining if the photo is fake or not..." I can go into high-res and see that this is obviously fake, but you nevertheless make a really cool picture. Nice one!