Hey Andy, Have Any Suggestions?

[wxwax]

Andy, I've seen you take decently composed shots taken in nondescript lighting, and transform them in Photoshop. Could you take a look at these?

I shot them in DC last weekend, in flat, grey light. I was wondering if you might have a suggestion for what they might ultimately become. You don't have to tell me how to get there, I can have fun trying to work that out for myself. What I'm sorely lacking is the vision. Any thoughts?

If so, thanks. If not, I know where you live.... :wink Pics link to the originals.




http://wxwax.smugmug.com/photos/3379758-M.jpg (http://wxwax.smugmug.com/gallery/92849/1/3379758/Original)


http://wxwax.smugmug.com/photos/3380043-L.jpg (http://wxwax.smugmug.com/gallery/92849/1/3380043/Original)


http://wxwax.smugmug.com/photos/3380450-L.jpg (http://wxwax.smugmug.com/gallery/92849/1/3380450/Original)

[Andy]

i just downloaded the origs and i'll start messin with them.

back later

:andy

[wxwax]

Yikes! Seriously, I didn't mean for you to do any work. Other than thinking and a little typing, that is!

[Andy]

here's your shot from the camera
http://wxwax.smugmug.com/photos/3379758-M.jpg

1. so, i looked at it and the first thing that had to go was that horrid steel shed in front :puke1 :puke1 so i just cloned it out.
2.next, i noticed you were about 1 degree off of level so i fixed that (view>gridlines, select all, edit>free transform).
3. i copied the background layer and then did a b&w conversion (*)
4. add a layer mask and take away the b&w (restore the color) to the lovely cherry blossoms that frame the shot up top
5. i added a toning layer (**) of some morroccan mocha (dark brown) at about 22%, and used a layer mask to remove it from the upper part of the photo (the sky is nice and grey, so that works just fine).
6. in a separate layer i bumped the saturation of the cherry blossoms to about 40%, masking away the increased saturation for everything else
7. now i flattened but i wasn't quite happy yet so i made a layer copy and
8. added a two-tone color layer of violet on the upper part and some pink to the lower part. faded this (using opacity) alot, down to 25%. just a snidge really.
9. ok still not done - i needed to blur the blossoms a bit more. flatten and then copy the background again, create a layer mask, and filter>blur>gaussian blur at 1px (i was working on a 800x600px image, so on a fs image you'd need to blur maybe 4 or 5px -- to taste) then use the layer mask to brush away the blur on everything *but* the blossoms.
10. presto, switcho, we're done.

http://williams.smugmug.com/photos/3384925-M.jpg

and for giggles, here's a version without step number 8

http://williams.smugmug.com/photos/3384926-M.jpg

now, this was all done in about 10 minutes. to do this properly and really get the work done right around all those blossoms would probably take 30 minutes and wax - i love ya man but - hey, it's saturday night and i'm trying to um, to er...uh.. well dw is waiting for me :lust :lust :lust :lust

your thoughts? :andy

[wxwax]

I think it's great! :clap Thanks, much more than I was expecting. I'm going to retrace your steps tomorrow, and mess around with different possibilities.

Thanks Andy, your help is very much appreciated. :bow

[wxwax]

A different approach, mimicking Andy-man.

http://wxwax.smugmug.com/photos/3402666-M.jpg

[Andy]

A different approach, mimicking Andy-man.

http://wxwax.smugmug.com/photos/3402666-M.jpg

intersting, and good!

i was going to suggest going the other way, shadowing the man and umbrella and highlighting the rest .... try that, could be good to?

i haven't had time to work on these other two. maybe tomorrow :andy

[wxwax]

i was going to suggest going the other way, shadowing the man and umbrella and highlighting the rest .... try that, could be good to?
:andy

I shall try that. And don't worry about working on the others... I just want to pick your talent, is all!

[rutt]

Andy's approach inspired me. I used the cloning trick (didn't know it would be so easy and effective in a situation like this.) Then I steepened the LAB curves and sharpened on the L channel (a classic Dan Margulis move.) I think the result is lighter than Andy's and the colors (espcieally the sky) seem more plausible to me. What do you guys think?

http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/3395939-M.jpg

[pathfinder]

Andy's approach inspired me. I used the cloning trick (didn't know it would be so easy and effective in a situation like this.) Then I steepened the LAB curves and sharpened on the L channel (a classic Dan Margulis move.) I think the result is lighter than Andy's and the colors (espcieally the sky) seem more plausible to me. What do you guys think?

http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/3395939-M.jpg
I think this is very nice and I like the sky also.

[rutt]

I like the shot with the fountain and man with the umbrella before manipulation quite a bit. I wouldn't apply too many gimics; it's a fetching picture the way it is. Everything about this picture looks good to me. Color balance, sharpness, exposure, full use of gamut.

[Baldy]

:bow :bow :bow What a great thread!

[ian408]

Andy's approach inspired me. I used the cloning trick (didn't know it would be so easy and effective in a situation like this.) Then I steepened the LAB curves and sharpened on the L channel (a classic Dan Margulis move.) I think the result is lighter than Andy's and the colors (espcieally the sky) seem more plausible to me. What do you guys think?


Nice work. I like balance better.

ian

[hutchman]

I wanted to give this a try. I like a more natural result, but with something that seems more 3D.

Original -

http://wxwax.smugmug.com/photos/3379758-M.jpg

My attempt -

http://hutch.smugmug.com/photos/3417140-M.jpg

I sharpened it (too much it appears now!)
Increased saturation in a mask then hid most, only keeping the blossoms.
Added a little color with about 40% opacitym again to the blossoms only.
Added a Gausian Blur level and masked out all but the blossoms again.

Not much differece. Hmmm, maybe I should have left well enough alone.

Hutch

[wxwax]

Andy's approach inspired me. I used the cloning trick (didn't know it would be so easy and effective in a situation like this.) Then I steepened the LAB curves and sharpened on the L channel (a classic Dan Margulis move.) I think the result is lighter than Andy's and the colors (espcieally the sky) seem more plausible to me. What do you guys think?

http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/3395939-M.jpg


Rutt, I personally like it very much. And I think your goal is different to Andy's work. Yours feels like it's still shooting for what might actually be there. Andy is interpreting the photo into something altogether different and aesthetically pleasing.

Both are winners in my book. :nod

[rutt]

Rutt, I personally like it very much. And I think your goal is different to Andy's work. Yours feels like it's still shooting for what might actually be there. Andy is interpreting the photo into something altogether different and aesthetically pleasing.

Both are winners in my book. :nod
Just for fun, I tried to intesify the blossoms without too much impact on the rest of the scene. I like to avoid selections if at all possible, because I think they usually detract from the realism of the overall image. I acheived these goals with some plate blending.:

http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/3425220-L.jpg


Duplicate
LAB, steepen Magenta side of A curve, Yellow side of B curve (result kind of ugly)
CMYK, copy steepend image from 2 into a layer of original
Blending options -- blend if this layer (make range from full magenta to 3/4 tones.

[wxwax]

Soooo, weeks later, I take Andy's advice and mess around with colors. My first attempt.

http://wxwax.smugmug.com/photos/3793106-M.jpg


I also take Andy's suggestion and make umbrella man mono, and the fountain color.

http://wxwax.smugmug.com/photos/3791522-M.jpg

[Andy]

Soooo, weeks later, I take Andy's advice and mess around with colors. My first attempt.

http://wxwax.smugmug.com/photos/3793106-M.jpg


I also take Andy's suggestion and make umbrella man mono, and the fountain color.

http://wxwax.smugmug.com/photos/3791522-M.jpg

you all are doing some great efforts here! very cool thread this is turnign out to be

[Andy]

I think this is very nice and I like the sky also.

fine job on the main pic but i rather like the cloudy grey sky of the orig piccy in this case. just my taste..