Digital Darkroom Assignment for the Week: 4/30 - 5/7

[cletus]

This weeks assignment: Affecting Mood

Use the photo editing software of your choice to affect the mood of an image. Some techniques you might use are:


Conversion to black and white
Exposure adjustments
Focus adjustments
Color adjustments
As with previous DD assignments, this assignment has two goals: To find a way to affect the mood in your images, and to help you become more familiar with your photo editing software.

[wxwax]

:thumb Excellent assignment! It should be a learning experience.

[AltPro]

Working on my study of "Exeter Place" Plantation, here in Suffolk, Virginia.
"Log Outbuilding"
ginette

[wxwax]

I was fooling around with my new pen and tablet, did this, thought I'd stick in here, just 'cause I'm so proud of myself. It's not really appropriate, because it doesn't create a mood. But it does take a brightly lit photo and turn it into a newspaper image.

http://wxwax.smugmug.com/photos/3856856-M.jpg

[ginger_55]

I take pictures of baptisms for my church

[wxwax]

Feeling blue?

http://wxwax.smugmug.com/photos/3858982-M.jpg


Or are you in the pink?


http://wxwax.smugmug.com/photos/3858983-M.jpg

[AltPro]

Working on my study of "Exeter Place" Plantation, here in Suffolk, Virginia.
"the Gate"
color
ginette

[AltPro]

Working on my study of "Exeter Place" Plantation, here in Suffolk, Virginia.
"the Gate"
Color and QuadTone
ginette

[AltPro]

Working on my study of "Exeter Place" Plantation, here in Suffolk, Virginia.
"the Gate"
B&W, QuadTone and Color
ginette

[wxwax]

Nice work, Ginette. I especially like the grubby last one. If you do this as I do it, you've been doing a lot of detail work. Nice job. :thumb

[wxwax]

Getting freaky.

http://wxwax.smugmug.com/photos/3706526-M.jpg http://wxwax.smugmug.com/photos/3859656-M.jpg

[wxwax]

http://wxwax.smugmug.com/photos/3742851-M.jpg http://wxwax.smugmug.com/photos/3860120-M.jpg

[AltPro]

Nice work, Ginette. I especially like the grubby last one. If you do this as I do it, you've been doing a lot of detail work. Nice job. :thumb

Thank You Sid...
Yup... oodles of detail work... But fun, in the end. I suspect one of those "pens" everyone talks about would make it much easier, and faster?
Helpful tip to anyone who wants to do this kind of work.
Save each layer as a separate file, then you can copy and place or paste, into another image.

Sid.
Really Love the enhanced version of Freaky! Nice Pen Tool work. Umm, strange architecture though... Where would I find it were I to visit?:rofl
ginette

[ginger_55]

I love this picture. I have done extensive work just removing shadows that were the result of my flash throwing more light than expected. They were distracting, though, so this did improve the mood of the picture, if not the mood of the people in it.

I also lightened lightened the picture, just to the point of contrast and lighting that I liked.

ginger

How does one get two pictures in one reply? I do have a filtered one, too. I will reply with that, maybe, but there must be a simple way to upload both files, not that large, on the same reply, others are doing it.

[ginger_55]

I really tried to make the mood worse, after the fact, last night. Black and white was almost better. For some reason I couldn't get it to do sepia, but I don't think that would have made the mood worse either. Probably the colors, even to the colors in the frame in the first picture, actually improve upon this unfortunate family.

I did kind of like this filter effect. But it may have improved the mood, by softening the features a bit.

ginger

[lynnma]

I was fooling around with my new pen and tablet, did this, thought I'd stick in here, just 'cause I'm so proud of myself. It's not really appropriate, because it doesn't create a mood. But it does take a brightly lit photo and turn it into a newspaper image.

http://wxwax.smugmug.com/photos/3856856-M.jpgWell it does create a mood really sid.. a gritty, painful, oh my butt hurts and I'll never get up this hill mood.
Nice shot...
Howdya like the tablet?

[SavannahMan]

I love this picture. I have done extensive work just removing shadows that were the result of my flash throwing more light than expected. They were distracting, though, so this did improve the mood of the picture, if not the mood of the people in it.

I also lightened lightened the picture, just to the point of contrast and lighting that I liked.

ginger

How does one get two pictures in one reply? I do have a filtered one, too. I will reply with that, maybe, but there must be a simple way to upload both files, not that large, on the same reply, others are doing it.
I believe uploading limits you to one pic per reply. (might be wrong) Linking to a photo you have stored on another website is unlimited.... this may help (http://digitalgrin.com/showthread.php?t=92).

[cletus]

http://wxwax.smugmug.com/photos/3742851-M.jpg http://wxwax.smugmug.com/photos/3860120-M.jpg
Looking good Sid!

[AltPro]

Taken this afternoon with my twin son's in tow...
"Old Farm House near Tuckers Swamp"
ginette

[AltPro]

Taken this afternoon with my twin son's in tow... Only a few miles from our home.
"Through the Open Window"
Off Rt 258 near Cut Thru Rd, Windsor, VA
ginette

[AltPro]

Taken this afternoon with my twin son's in tow... Only a few miles from our home.
"Through the Open Window"
Off Rt 258 near Cut Thru Rd, Windsor, VA
ginette

[AltPro]

Taken this afternoon with my twin son's in tow... Only a few miles from our home.
"Through the Open Window"
Off Rt 258 near Cut Thru Rd, Windsor, VA
ginette

[wxwax]

How does one get two pictures in one reply? I do have a filtered one, too. I will reply with that, maybe, but there must be a simple way to upload both files, not that large, on the same reply, others are doing it.

Hi Ginger. You cannot attach two photographs in the same post. The only way to get two photos in the same post is to link to them (i.e. have them on the web sonewhere, and paste the links into your post.)

In case you missed it, it's all explained here. (http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=92)

You did nice work getting rid of the flash shadows... with that white wall, it must have been a challenge.

[wxwax]

Well it does create a mood really sid.. a gritty, painful, oh my butt hurts and I'll never get up this hill mood.
Nice shot...
Howdya like the tablet?

Cool, thanks. The tablet and pen are much better at accurate detail work. I'm surprised at how quickly I became comfortable working with them. Relatively inexpensive, too.

[ian408]

Cool, thanks. The tablet and pen are much better at accurate detail work. I'm surprised at how quickly I became comfortable working with them. Relatively inexpensive, too.
The only "wierd" thing is the tablet is 1:1 with the screen where a mouse can
be used to navigate the screen in a very small area.

ian

[lynnma]

Taken this afternoon with my twin son's in tow... Only a few miles from our home.


"Through the Open Window"

Off Rt 258 near Cut Thru Rd, Windsor, VA



ginettethats cool Ginette, I like that..

[wxwax]

The only "wierd" thing is the tablet is 1:1 with the screen where a mouse can
be used to navigate the screen in a very small area.

ian

Yes, I agree. Now I understand why the artists at work make big arm motions with the pen where I make small motions with the mouse.

[lynnma]

http://wxwax.smugmug.com/photos/3742851-M.jpg http://wxwax.smugmug.com/photos/3860120-M.jpg
ooooo Sid.. nice one :clap

[AltPro]

Another window, another ghost...
I must be going into too many old vacant farmsteads...

[AltPro]

Shadows of another time...
Adjusted
ginette

[AltPro]

Shadows of another time...
Original

ginette

[lynnma]

I have'nt been able to get out and shoot except for a hike with my friends.. so I tried a black and white conversion...

[lynnma]

the black and white...

[wxwax]

Another window, another ghost...
I must be going into too many old vacant farmsteads...


How come I only see the ghost in the first one? :lol3

I like your conversion.

[wxwax]

the black and white...

Nice one, Lynn, esp. changing out the background to make it look like an official portrait.

[wxwax]

OK, nobody laugh.... I'm trying to mimic Andy, but I have a loooong way to go.. The idea was to take a shot from today's grey day, and try to warm it up. As they say to the less gifted kids on the short bus... let's give him a big hand for effort, folks.

http://wxwax.smugmug.com/photos/3904831-M.jpg



http://wxwax.smugmug.com/photos/3904755-M.jpg

[lynnma]

OK, nobody laugh.... I'm trying to mimic Andy, but I have a loooong way to go.. The idea was to take a shot from today's grey day, and try to warm it up. As they say to the less gifted kids on the short bus... let's give him a big hand for effort, folks.

http://wxwax.smugmug.com/photos/3904831-M.jpg



http://wxwax.smugmug.com/photos/3904755-M.jpg:clap :clap :clap :clap

[cletus]

Wall of the Gallatin Missouri Courthouse.

Original:
http://ab0wa.smugmug.com/photos/3916570-M.jpg (http://ab0wa.smugmug.com/photos/3916570-L.jpg)

I wanted to make the image feel rougher and harsher:
http://ab0wa.smugmug.com/photos/3916599-M.jpg (http://ab0wa.smugmug.com/photos/3916599-L.jpg)

The recipe:


A pinch of Unsharp Mask
1 cup Color Burned Fill Layer
1 cup Curves
2 tablespoons Hue/Saturation

[AltPro]

How come I only see the ghost in the first one? :lol3

I like your conversion.
Sid:
I figured some of the locals might take offense to my 'adding" ghosts to their old farm houses... Just having a bit'o'fun... So only the DG gang is privy to some of these.
Thanks, though...
ginette

[cletus]

Color original:
http://ab0wa.smugmug.com/photos/3921541-M.jpg (http://ab0wa.smugmug.com/photos/3921541-L.jpg)

B&W Conversion (posted on dgrin before):
http://ab0wa.smugmug.com/photos/3146562-M.jpg (http://ab0wa.smugmug.com/photos/3146562-L.jpg)

Enhanced B&W. Tried for a more "sinister" look.
http://ab0wa.smugmug.com/photos/3921568-L.jpg

[cletus]

Pretty simple flower shot, nothing too exciting.
http://ab0wa.smugmug.com/photos/3923058-M.jpg

After three Photoshop commands (no selections & no masking):
http://ab0wa.smugmug.com/photos/3923067-M.jpg (http://ab0wa.smugmug.com/photos/3923067-L.jpg)

[AltPro]

Color original:
http://ab0wa.smugmug.com/photos/3921541-M.jpg (http://ab0wa.smugmug.com/photos/3921541-L.jpg)

B&W Conversion (posted on dgrin before):
http://ab0wa.smugmug.com/photos/3146562-M.jpg (http://ab0wa.smugmug.com/photos/3146562-L.jpg)

Enhanced B&W. Tried for a more "sinister" look.
http://ab0wa.smugmug.com/photos/3921568-L.jpg
Eric,
I really love the feel of this photo, and wanted to play with it a little... Hope you don't mind.
ginette

[wxwax]

Man is not a rational creature. That's my only excuse.

http://wxwax.smugmug.com/photos/3937246-M.jpg


http://wxwax.smugmug.com/photos/3936051-M.jpg


http://wxwax.smugmug.com/photos/3937115-M.jpg

[wxwax]

Thus is what made Kim Novak fall out of the bell tower.

http://wxwax.smugmug.com/photos/3937538-M.jpg

[ian408]

Thus is what made Kim Novak fall out of the bell tower.

http://wxwax.smugmug.com/photos/3937538-M.jpg
The first and this one are pretty cool shots. I like the way the stairs dominate the image. Nice!

[rutt]

... for that architecture assignment shot. But on the way, I had some interesting ps shenanigans.

Inside FUSN (Unitarian Church of Newton), before and after:

http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/3944948-M.jpg (http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/3944948-O.jpg)

http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/3944944-M.jpg (http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/3944944-O.jpg)

Multiple RAW conversions, plate blending (with darken, blend if) and selective sharpening (not the windows) brought out the stained glass detail. (I still think this is boring.)

[rutt]

Churches are the most obvious architectural features around here. This is the so called "Second Church" of Newton. The first church is the Old South Church in Boston's North End, so this one is pretty old itself (but perhaps the building is not so old.)

Before & After:

http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/3944946-M.jpg (http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/3944946-O.jpg)

http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/3944939-M.jpg (http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/3944939-O.jpg)



LAB
Duplicate layer
Select 1 layer, curves, adjust for sky (steepen and skew A toward magenta, B toward blue)
Select other layer, curves, adjust for building (steepen, bring up detail)
Set blending options with blend-if to get the sky and building I want.
Flatten
Duplicate layers
Select L channel, top layer
USM -- really hit it hard, 450, 4.2, 4)
Duplicate sharpened layer
Blending options for middle layer -- blending mode darken
Blending options for top layer - blending mode darken, opacity 30%
Viola
Steps 9-12 are a Dan Margulis trick that allows you to control the ligth halos and dark halos of USM separately. Often you want strong dark halos, but the white halos you get are way too much.

Anway, it's still a boring wide algle looking up at a church and steeple. I suppose I could have blended in a more drammatic sky, but it would still be the same shot.

Back to the drawing board.

[rutt]

I submitted this one to the Contrast Assignment a few weeks ago, but perhaps it's more interesting here. This is the Waltham Watch Company factory on the Charles Riveer in Waltham, MA, before and after:

http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/3637663-M.jpg (http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/3637663-O.jpg)

http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/3659604-M.jpg (http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/3659604-O.jpg)

I used multiple iterations of LAB curves and plate blending to get the sky, building, and windows I wanted, all adjusted differetnly.

I was inspired by one of my all time favorite paintings by the great surrealist, Rene Magritte. It's called Empire of Light II:

http://www.dry-wet.com/Posters/m-04-15l.jpg

[rutt]

I shot about 3 weeks ago for the ex-buildings thread. Applied classic LAB curve steepening & L sharpeniing, but had to be careful because it was a P&S picture and the minimum amout of in camera sharpening is still some sharpening.

http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/3400465-M.jpg (http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/3400465-O.jpg)

http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/3400476-M.jpg (http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/3400476-O.jpg)

[lynnma]

I submitted this one to the Contrast Assignment a few weeks ago, but perhaps it's more interesting here. This is the Waltham Watch Company factory on the Charles Riveer in Waltham, MA, before and after:

http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/3637663-M.jpg (http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/3637663-O.jpg)

http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/3659604-M.jpg (http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/3659604-O.jpg)

I used multiple iterations of LAB curves and plate blending to get the sky, building, and windows I wanted, all adjusted differetnly.

I was inspired by one of my all time favorite paintings by the great surrealist, Rene Magritte. It's called Empire of Light II:

http://www.dry-wet.com/Posters/m-04-15l.jpgI really like this one... beautiful.

[rutt]

Not as radical as Celtus' flow transformation, but nearly always useful for flowers, foliage, etc. Lab steepening. Move into LAB. Move the endpoints for both ends of the A and B curves inward, but not down.

http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/3904803-M.jpg (http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/3904803-O.jpg)

http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/3962394-M.jpg (http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/3962394-O.jpg)

[wxwax]

http://wxwax.smugmug.com/photos/3967697-M.jpg http://wxwax.smugmug.com/photos/3968608-M.jpg

[rutt]

http://wxwax.smugmug.com/photos/3967697-M.jpg http://wxwax.smugmug.com/photos/3968608-M.jpg
I like it both ways, and even side by side.

[rutt]

http://wxwax.smugmug.com/photos/3967697-M.jpg http://wxwax.smugmug.com/photos/3968608-M.jpg
OK, I give up. How did you get these things to come out side by side?

[ginger_55]

HAHA, I don't know which picture I will use, why do I have to write this first.

Alright, this is The Old Dog On The Porch

The porch is more than 50 yrs old. The dog is timeless

[ginger_55]

This is an old little house sitting on the edge of the march as one approaches the island, These houses were built 50 yrs or more, ago

[ginger_55]

I did some things, some more things, to the House on The Edge

[ginger_55]

I looked to the marsh by turning a bit, I saw a fence, to nothing, on the edge of the marsh

[ginger_55]

I played with that fence, a gateway to beauty

[ginger_55]

This steeple is visible out to sea. It has been guiding ships to the Charleston, SC harbor since the 1800s

[ginger_55]

A closer look at that old steeple the sailers have seen for 150 years or more

Those boys who died on the rocks, they saw it, most who saw it lived

[ginger_55]

Just a few shenanigans to show how the world is going. Even the water was
moved, so people could live where the birds used to fly, the shrimp grew up here, oysters were harvested. Now this is where people live.

I used a long lense, did some things with the picture, increased the contrast, other things, just enough to show you Progress On The Marsh. This is not old and it should win no prizes, ever.

[ginger_55]

I think it was just one filter, the picture so close to the original, yet it felt
like more. I dared not touch it further, it is here for you to see, 50 yrs +

[LiquidDye]

Hello Dad....

[Bryan]

Here is my first attempt at a technique I have read here not long ago.

http://gifford-family.smugmug.com/photos/3984815-M.jpg

The weekends trip to Disneyland. I have a new mission to get a good Dumbo Shot. Everytrip all year, I am shooting Dumbo! That darn thing moves quick!

[cletus]

Here is my first attempt at a technique I have read here not long ago.

http://gifford-family.smugmug.com/photos/3984815-S.jpg

The weekends trip to Disneyland. I have a new mission to get a good Dumbo Shot. Everytrip all year, I am shooting Dumbo! That darn thing moves quick! :clap :clap :clap

Very well done Bryan. It didn't even occur to me to use the snapshot look for altering the mood of an image. It takes what might have just been a good vacation shot, and turns it into something that makes a statement. I look at your image and the word Fun just jumps right into my head.

[wxwax]

Hello Dad....


:wave Hiya Dye, that's a cool shot. Just when you're looking for a dividing line, there's the young girl. Very nice.