Post Processing Challenge February 16, 2019

"Another weekly challenge.

If, anyone else would like to post next week please give it a go, upload a High resolution jpeg. Just indicate your intentions by Thursday or early Friday.

Remember there are no rules you can do what you wish in your interpretation, please can you give information of the steps taken and software used to add interest.

It is not meant as a competition just a bit of fun." (Gerald Cafferty)

Love has been in the air this week.

Great photo, @PuntaColorada! Like @Ken Ratcliffe and @Bill J Boyd, this photo seemed to me to cry out for a B&W version. This is my first (below).

The steps I took were a bit chaotic but included (in Photoshop):

- Adjusting the frame to make it a bit less "90 degrees"

- Sharpening some outlines with a High-Pass filter

- Doing a B&W conversion in PS and then a 2nd one in Nik Silver Efex with inital "Copper" toning and a bit of 'border vignetting'

- Adding in a 2nd toning (browns) in PS for shadows, mid-tone and highlights (I should have bumped up the toning in Silver Efez!)

- Adjusting tones (general, people and faces) with Curves

I applied all adjustments at 50% opacity or usually less (generally 30%, sometimes 15%).

A blue version ...

My last one for today. I really like the idea of adjusting color palettes in photos. In Photoshop, I've found 3 basic ways of doing this. The first is using Photshop's native 'hue/saturation filter', the second is by using 'color lookup tables' or LUTs. The third way is to apply a color palette from a different photo (of perhaps a painting). I used the third method for this one and applied the color palette from Dutch photographer Erwin Olaf's photo "Hope" (2005). I really like the way he uses very specific color palettes for each of his photo series! Whether you use Luts or copy a palette from a different photo, it's always a bit of trial and error and hit and miss. Some 'copied' colors from a different photo translate well, others don't. Some Luts add value, most don't. But I liked this effect of darkening the background and adding more green into the blues.

This was at a historical home in a botanical garden on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River in Quebec.

I had a devil of a time taking this picture. My plan was to take a shot of the portrait. These two would not move out of the way and then.....

As soon as they left, a bus load of tourists arrived who were taking selfies with everything using their iPads. I don't know how many I took for them. Once they saw I had a camera, the requests flooded in in a language that I didn't understand at all (I think it was Korean).

I have the unfair advantage of having the shot I was originally going for but at a closer distance. I loaded the two as layers in PS, aligned them and then masked the amorous couple, used an clipped adjustment layer to convert to B&W and another for levels, and lowered the opacity of the layer to 'ghost' it. I also did some sharpening on the eyes of the portrait, a heavy vignette and a black border stroke.

I would call this 'Lonely and Longing for Love Day After Day'

I wanted the wonan's hair to be the same color as in the painting to imply a family connection. So, I used a mixer brush in three layers with varying opacities. Then, some minor distortion corrections and cloning to remove the objects in front of the door (rather than cropping).

Yesterday, I was browsing through my 20-year old book on Graphic Design (no, I've never been either through training or work experience by any means a graphic designer!). This book is now completely outdated with regard to design styles and - above all - digital design techniques and available resources. But it made me think more about how photos are used in different 'Design' contexts. Amateur photographers tend to focus on their 'personal interest' photos, Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure that most professional photographers (including those that sell stock photos) think much more about the "contexts" in which their photos will or could be used.

This version is my completley dreamed up 'potential use' of this photo. Ignore my limited graphic design skills. It's only intended as an example of the differemce between "a photo" and an in-context" photo.

Amazing challenge image, Punta! I had a great deal of fun today.

(1) Cropped from all sides using PSE15, followed by the use of levels. Then I used 2 color presets in Color Efex: Back to PSE for sharpening and altering perspective. PS This the first time I used these presets.

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Used PSE15's camera distortion correct filter to create fisheye effect. Then adjusted color, saturation and tonality. Finished with NIK Output Sharpener.

(3) Used create concave effect (camera distortion filter) PSE to alter aspect ratio to landscape, then used the liquify filter to extend the dancers' feet downward. Finally, I partially changed the dancers' face to white, which also affected other areas of the frame. Finished with sharpening.

Amazing challenge image, Punta! I had a great deal of fun today.

 

(1) Cropped from all sides using PSE15, followed by the use of levels. Then I used 2 color presets in Color Efex: Back to PSE for sharpening and altering perspective. PS This the first time I used these presets.

 

 

[ATTACH=full]1283397[/ATTACH] .

I love looking at the post process results and how much creativity is displayed here! I also get the feeling that a lot of learning about the software we already have happens in the process (particularly for me). That is the true reward.

tom_r. I understand.

However, in Quebec (where I took this picture) , Europe and South America, kissing on the cheek is the normal way of greeting or saying good bye.These people may have even been blood relatives.

Here in Uruguay (my new home), handshakes are usually only between complete strangers and offering your hand to somebody you know is an insult, or a clear give away that you are north American (non-Quebec). Man-man, woman-man, woman-woman: everybody kisses on the cheek.

This was a very public place and they knew I was waiting to shoot the portrait so there was no intrusion. The particular shot may have implied more and I exploited that in my interpretation, but; it was after a long casual conversation that appeared to be not in the least passionate (no other contact).

BTW, in Canada, consent is not required to take photos if the subjects are in public places. The understanding is that if you are in public, you may get your picture taken.

Hope that helps.

I understand and respect your feelings towards this photo, @tom_r. Looking forward to seeing your DD photos next week!

I'm in no way disputing the legitamacy of your feelings, just adding that many photos by well-respected street photographers are of personal scenes: individuals, couples and families 'in the moment'. Some of those by HCB, Garry Winogrand and Martin Parr to name just a few. I personally like this 'street-style' photo capturing the easily shared body language between two people in a public place.

I am abstaining from participating in the challenge this week. Apparently it's just me, but I feel like an awkward observer of a personal scene. No offense meant to Punta who has stepped up and supplied many photos while I have supplied none.

Hi @PuntaColorada, I'm just hoping that tom_r's comment didn't get under your skin too much. I do truly respect his personal feelings/reaction but they're his personal feelings with which anyone can agree with or not. I don't, and from the responses to the challenge so far, most active DD members don't either.

I really liked your photo and - whichever photo you choose to post - you have no need to defend or justify it. If indvidual members feel awkward with a photo, that's on them, not on you.

Best wishes,

Mike

Hi @PuntaColorada, I'm just hoping that tom_r's comment didn't get under your skin too much. I do truly respect his personal feelings/reaction but they're his personal feelings with which anyone can agree with or not. I don't, and from the responses to the challenge so far, most active DD members don't either.

 

I really liked your photo and - whichever photo you choose to post - you have no need to defend or justify it. If indvidual members feel awkward with a photo, that's on them, not on you.

 

Best wishes,

 

Mike

Thanx Mike

tom-r's comments were absolutely welcome. I hope to get the same kind of honest feedback on whatever I post wherever I post it. I really had not considered that the photo could be construed as an invasion of privacy, so to speak. My explanation of the scenario was only offered to put the event in context, not to counter how tom-r felt about it. I exploited and suggested that the scene was more than a greeting when I said 'Love is in the air this week." That probably was uncalled for and I have learned from it.

Please don't read too much into this. I think this matter is now dealt with.

Well, I haven't done one of these in about forever, but I do lurk, and when I saw this, I wondered what I might do if I was actually processing it myself (and I'm also bored today). So, I took what i thought were the important elements, and cropped the shot to include only those. Steps went something like this in PSE 13 (and I probably did some stuff the long way):

1. Crop

2. Clone out some of the flower leaves that were left

3. Adjust color by removing some of the red

4. Add a high pass filter and invert it to soften the faces of the couple. Overlayed as 'soft light' then adjusted opacity to suit my eye

5. Add a high pass filter with normal overlay, and adjusted to suit my eye.

And please feel no obligation to 'like' the image. One can fall into a chain of reciprocal 'liking,' which is why I don't do 'likes' out here unless it is in regards to a comment.