Photo-Editing Challenge: Feathers

Feathers is the theme offered by Sonel’s Photo-Editing Challenge.  This week I am working on a series of images inspired by Photogravure.  I’ve written about how to create this effect here, using a winter scene and a journal page, and here using a photo of a tree.

This time around I used a shot I captured outside my office after a recent snow.  Here is the original photo:

ISO 640 50mm 0ev f/9 1/250

If you are thinking that you have seen this photo before on this blog, you are right.  I wrote about another edited version of it here.  This time around, here is my final photo:

ISO 640 50mm 0ev f/9 1/250

If you have read my other posts you know the basics of how I approached the editing of this photo.  So, like the others it has a blur filter layer, a gradient map layer, and a texture layer.  What I added to this particular one was a final levels layer.  On that layer I brightened the photo and then added a mask to the layer.  Then I inverted the mask, so that the lighten version was not showing.  Then I took a brush, that was soft and had a jitter to it, and I brushed across the mask.  The effect this had was to add bits of light in a organic manner.  So, this ended up being a four layer file in Photoshop.

What do you think of the final version? Feel free to leave a comment below. A version of this photo is available for sale on Picfair.

Cheers!

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!