Which Wood Would You Choose?

I had been working on this image when I saw that the travel theme this week at Where’s My Backpack? is wood.  If you, after having looked this post over, have an opinion as to which version you prefer, I would love to hear about it in the comments.

Usually I show the original last, but this time that is what I will start with:

ISO 160 22mm 0ev f/5.9 1/320

I took this photo while on a short walk on a very cold day last week.  If you have visited my blog lately you will know that I am working on a project where the aim is to imitate the style of the photogravure.  I wrote about the creation of another winter image in this style here.

For the image above, I created a gold version and a blue version, scrolling down you will see them in that order:

ISO 160 22mm 0ev f/5.9 1/320

ISO 160 22mm 0ev f/5.9 1/320

Both photos were created in the same basic way in Photoshop but each then has it’s own variations.

First the basics.  Each of these is a three layered file.  The image, a gradient map layer, and a texture layer.  With the original image I went to the channels and created a new alpha channel.  With that active I selected the gradient tool and drug a reflected gradient from the middle of the photo down.  Then back in the layers panel, I chose Filter-Blur-Lens Blur and created the blur using a slider that is in that dialogue box.  Also in that dialogue box I had to check alpha channel as the source, in order for this effect to work the way I wanted it too. From there I created a gradiant map layer and added the color that I wanted to it.  Then I added a layer of texture, by bringing in a background that I had already.

Some ways that the two images differ is that the background texture layer is different on each.  Also the gradient map layer in each image is different.  It’s dark blue to light blue to white in the blue image and black to white in the gold image.  The layers are also stacked a bit differently and set to different settings.  In the gold image it is Gradient Map layer normal, opacity 48%. Image layer, normal, opacity 55%. Texture layer, lighter color, opacity 100%.  For the Blue image it starts with the Texture layer, multiply, opacity 51%, Gradient Map layer normal, opacity 100%. Image layer, normal, 100% opacity. If none of that particularly makes sense to you, I think the takeaway is that the layers can be placed in any order that is appealing to you, and that changes is blending mode and opacity can make a big difference.

The next step in this project is to print.  None of the photos I have created will be larger than 8×10.  Also, instead of photo paper I will be experimenting with a textured drawing paper.  This is something I have not really tried before so I looking forward to seeing what I come up with.

So, if you have made it this far and have an opinion about which image you prefer, please comment below.

Cheers!

 

Weekly Photo Challenge: Juxtaposition

In my Photoshop class we are working on a project that is supposed to channel the art of photogravure.  Photographs done in this style are often soft images with a sepia tone and a textured look to them.  To say that is really simplifying things, and the link I provided goes into much more detail and gives many examples if you are interested in taking a peek.

This week I have been busy creating a series of images that hopefully reflect that style.  Here is one:

ISO 200 18mm 0ev f/5.6 1/400

I will show you the original image at the bottom of this post so you can see where I started. It was very cold this week, but I went for a quick walk in a local park looking for an image like this that I could work with.  This photo I shot with my point and shoot camera, because I knew that it could capture an image like this one well.  I also knew that my final print for my project will be a small one, no larger than 8×10.

When I got home, I opened this image in Photoshop.  I created a duplicate layer and then used the Filter-Blur-Field blur to create focus on the plant but blur the background. Then I created a Gradient Map layer. My gradient goes from dark maroon to blue to pale yellow.  Then on another layer I brought in  a background I had that is a journal page.  So those are my three layers, they are stacked in the order that I mentioned them. The plant is in a normal blending mode with an opacity of 45%.  The Gradient Map layer is also in normal blending mode but set at 67%. The journal layer is set to blending mode multiply and 80% opacity.

Here is the original image I was working from:

ISO 200 18mm 0ev f/5.6 1/400

The theme this week for the WordPress photo challenge is juxtaposition, and my take on this theme is to create a single image out of the snowy scene and a journal page, something that you might not think of as being complimentary.  Do you think this combination works? What do you think of my editing? Feel free to leave a comment below. This photo has also been added to my Picfair portfolio.

Cheers!

Weekly Travel Theme: Silver

I’ve been traveling a bit lately and it is cold here in the Midwest.  I took this photo from a hotel room in Indianapolis, Indiana:

ISO 2500 50mm 0ev f/5.6 1/40

That’s actually a lake in the foreground, but it is frozen and snow covered now.  I’ll show you the original photo at the end of this post. I shot the original with the white balance set on cloudy, because it was cloudy and I knew would accentuate the blue in the scene.  It was cold, and I thought I would like the way the blue would turn out.  As it happens, I wasn’t crazy about it.  

I mention the white balance first because when I opened the original in Camera Raw, it was the first thing I changed.  From there I opened the photo in Photoshop.  Then I straightened the photo using the level within the crop tool.  From there I added a gradient map layer.  The gradient map is what allowed me to add the silver cast to this photo.  With the gradient map open, I chose two shades of silver.  That actually made the photo too dark. So, I changed the blending mode and dropped the opacity.  I would normally apply some sort of sharpening technique as a last step, but I decided I wanted the photo to have a slightly dreamy feel, and I thought sharpening might kill that effect.

Here is the original:

ISO 2500 50mm 0ev f/5.6 1/40

Quite a different feel to the two different photos don’t you think?  Do you like the silver that I have added? Silver is the theme this week at Where’s My Backpack? Perfect for a cold scene like this.  Feel free to leave a comment below and I hope this finds you warm.

Cheers!