Post Processing Challenge May 9, 2020

There are no rules as to how you apply your post processing to this image; but, please let us know what you have done so we can all learn.

If you would like to post a candidate image next week, please ensure it is of sufficiently high resolution for manipulation by the participants (3000px on the long side, 300dpi for example).

 

Most of all, let's have fun while we are learning or demonstrating how we use our post-processing software, imaginations and interpretations.

 

A roughed grouse.

 

Nice image, Punta. Heavy crop in LR to get rid of lots of clutter. Film Noir filter in NIK’s Silver efex Pro2

Nice image, Punta. Here's a peacocky version done with Topaz RemixAI, a Smart Photo Editor frame, and lots of little adjustments of detail and vibrance.

Another great image from Punta. I wanted to remove the out of focus branches in front of the grouse. I tried content aware fill in Photoshop, but it did not do a good job. So, I used a lot of, hopefully subtle, cloning. Then I wanted to separate the grouse slightly from the background, so I added a background layer, converted it to black and white using NIK SilverEfex using high structure, used it as a luminosity mask, and painted out the mask effect in the areas surrounding the grouse.

My version is quite staid. I just wanted to get a close-up of the roughed grouse in which the bird was showed in all its glory against a more subdued background, so:

- cropped to landscape

- de-saturated leaves (greens) and gaussian-blurred background

- saturated (yellows) and sharpened (HPF) bird

- slightly enlarged catlights in bird's eyes

 

What particularly struck me about this photo is how well camouflaged the grouse is, so I decided to try to enhance its invisibility (unhance its visibility?) by doing three things (and being careful not to change anything on the bird): increasing the apparent depth of field so the intended subject of the photo would be more ambiguous; setting up the bush as a potential competing center of interest; and adding some more darks in the background so that the only major high-contrast moments (an eye magnet) aren't next to the grouse.

 

Depth of field:

1. In Lightroom I used an adjustment brush to increase contrast, texture, clarity, sharpness, and white point everywhere but on the bird.
   
2. In Photoshop, I cloned in parts of other branches over the blurry one superimposed on the bird to bring it into focus; I relied heavily on the clone-stamp panel to change the angle of the clones so that I could match the original branch path. I also cloned in some texture and shading over it using the clone stamp at low opacity.
   
3. Back in Lightroom, I used an adjustment brush to shade the underside of the branch to make it look more realistic.
   

Increase interest in the bush:

1. In Lightroom, I increased the luminance and saturation of the greens using the HSL panel.
   
2. There were some leaves that were flat grayish, so in Lightroom I used an adjustment brush to increase saturation, contrast, and clarity in those.
   
3. I used another adjustment brush to further increase clarity and contrast over the entire bush.
   

Add more darks:

1. In Lightroom, I used a feathered large adjustment brush to reduce exposure over the top third of the photo, then automasked the negative adjustment brush to remove the effect from the green leaves.
   
2. I went back in later and used another adjustment brush to increase contrast and reduce black point in the same area.
   
3. It turns out I was overenthusiastic in increasing clarity and contrast in the background, so I’d created some nasty haloes. In Photoshop, I cloned out enough of them to make my gaff less obvious.
   

I attempted a close-up trying to maintain resolution and add a little (hopefully not too much) sharpness: PS for crop, Topaz Sharpen AI and Topaz Gigapixel AI.

There are no rules as to how you apply your post processing to this image; but, please let us know what you have done so we can all learn.

If you would like to post a candidate image next week, please ensure it is of sufficiently high resolution for manipulation by the participants (3000px on the long side, 300dpi for example).

 

Most of all, let's have fun while we are learning or demonstrating how we use our post-processing software, imaginations and interpretations.

 

A roughed grouse.

 

[ATTACH=full]1340903[/ATTACH]

 

Punta, this fine image demonstrates instates quite clearly the effectiveness of camouflage. Thanks for challenging us!

The second . . .

 

The second -

 

Quite honestly, since my brain is functioning strictly in low gear, I forgot the steps I took in creating each of the following 2 versions. I can say that the first is straightforward. The second is my attempt at an abstract/artistic one.

 

#1

 

Ok, this last version of mine reminds me of one of Michael's above just like my close-up reminded me of Mike's nice version.

This is my close-up submission turned into an impasto painting in Topaz, followed by a Buzz Sim IV application and an addition of a frame. By accident, It ended up looking a little like a bird near his nest effect.

Michael--I like yours better!

 

 

Ok, this last version of mine reminds me of one of Michael's above just like my close-up reminded me of Mike's nice version.

This is my close-up submission turned into an impasto painting in Topaz, followed by a Buzz Sim IV application and an addition of a frame. By accident, It ended up looking a little like a bird near his nest effect.

Michael--I like yours better!

 

 

[ATTACH=full]1341210[/ATTACH]

 

Tom, in comparing our 2 versions, clearly you used vignetting to a greater degree. Yet, our version is somewhat more realistic/representational in that the bird is much more recognizable than it is in mine. Although you like mine more, I like yours more!

 

Quite honestly, looking at mine, I now feel that I didn't think it through before I created it. Bottom line - it's strictly amateurish.

Tom, I reworked mine a bit. Starting with PSE15, I cropped from the bottom, but not as much as the 1st one. Then in Color Efex, I added a white border. Also using Color Efex, I used the darken/lighten center filter to hone in on the bird; then I added a dark vignette. Back to PSE, I first used the dodging tool to bring out more of the detail in the darkest areas and then used the sponge tool to saturate the colors of the bird. Finally, I used one of the artistic filters to add both texture and more sharpening.

 

I welcome everyone's input, but especially Tom's since we liked each other's versions better than our own!

 

Michael-- It's a very cool effect. I think I'd like it even better if the grouse were a little more visible.

For those of you not familiar with the 'Roughed Grouse', AKA 'partridge' in northern Ontario, it is not one of the smarter species of bird.

In fact, it is a card carrying member of the 'Non-so-bright Birds' group. A corvid, it ain't.

Predation ranks as the leading cause of the demise of individuals, followed closely by running into freshly washed windows and getting run over by cars. Hunting claims only a small number.