Before & After #69

[suzyb]

This game is to help those of us who are trying to learn new tricks when it comes to editing.

Here's the breakdown of the game. I will post a picture that I choose, resized to exactly 1024 pixels maximum on the long side. Outside of being resized it has to be unedited...meaning no adjustments to any levels, it has to look like it did as it came out of the camera.

The game will last 48hrs and whoever can produce the best edited image (as judged by me) will be picked and it'll be their turn to post their unedited picture for all of us to take a crack at.

The participants must have their "Image Editing OK" turned on and they must provide at least a simple breakdown of how they edited the image, some entrants are a little vague on this point, please give us all details so we can learn and share tips. For instance if you use the unsharp mask tool or Smart Sharpen, provide us with the adjustments you used so others can try them out.

You can post multiple images, but the first image you post will be the one that is judged - all other images will be considered for knowledge and tip use only.

Also, please keep all comments, be they positive or negative, to yourself until after the game has ended.

If you happen to be the winner of the game please start the next one with the title of the game and the following number. For example…the next game should read (Before and After #70.)

This is all about having fun so have at it!!!

This will end on Thursday, June 12th at 8:00pm (mountain).

Here's one I took in my backyard. I posted my version of it around here somewhere and didn't get a single comment. It must suck THAT bad! ;)

OK...Work your magic!

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3139/2569380308_8315d024ef_o.jpg

[ZeroOne86]

Very cool photo here's what I did...

-Cropped
-High Pass w/ an overlay setting and reduced opacity
-Colorize w/ Nik Software
-Levels
-Hue/Saturation
-A warming photo filter
-A surface blur to reduce some of the noise in the background
-Curves
-Vignette
-Border

[thekid24]

I may have missed some steps...forgive me...I will be sure to edit the post if I catch a step that I missed.

Cropped image
-Used selective color, curves, channel mixer to change colors of photo
-Used lasso tool, feathered at 75
-Adjusted levels to create shadow
-Copied layer
-Gaussian blurred copied layer
-Erased around the flowers that now appear to be more in focus
-Opened up texture
-copied texture over flower photo
-set blending mode to Soft light
-vignette the photo...and

DONE

[SilverHCIC]

Great photo to work with. Had several ideas, but decided on the softer, subtle desaturated approach:

1. High pass filter @ 2 pixels w/ softlight blend
2. Copy layer, convert to duotone
3. Copy original layer again and desaturate blossoms
4. Layer mask to merge desaturated layer with duotone background
5. Vignette
6. Crop
7. Add transparent border using blossom color for border
8. Resize to post
... Probably a much easier way to do this, but I'm stuck in the dark ages :rolleyes:

[Beau Hudspeth]

Ugg, ok, here goes :D

Rotated
Stretched the sky
Recolored the blossoms with hue/sat layer
darken blues with selective color - added black
Filter: Alien Skin Splat: Resurface
Done to overlay layers set to 60% gray for the canvas and coped three times for added depth
Masked off the branch and blossoms so canvas is only on the sky areas
Paint base the image with Fantastic Machines PaintEngine - Brush Strokes
Copied the painted layer in to a channel
Created a 60% gray overlay layer above the painted layer and ran: Filter - Render - Lighting Effects: Directional
This created the illusion that the paint had thickness and depth.
Masked off all the blue to have the effect only show on the branch and blossoms
Duplicated that layer to add greater 'paint thickness'
Created white vignette with an action from my set (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=278899)
Created matte with Alien Skin Splat: Border
Created frame with layer effectshttp://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb213/ViciousVP/Post-Production%20Examples/hold-27.jpg

[SQuiP]

Cropped, lowered saturation, slight hue adjustment
Layered pattern, opacity 14%
Layered canary, opacity 100% - history smoothing
Duplicated layer for scratch marks (variety dodge brushes)
- low saturation
- Contrast high
Sharpened foreground flowers - blurred background
Noise reduction
Vignette and border

[Ocron]

I liked this shot, lots of possibilities. Here's what I did...

- In ACR bumped up Recovery, Detail and Vibrance
- cropped
- Shadow/Highlights, +6 highlights, Luminosity blend mode
- Shadow/Highlights, +10 shadows, Luminosity blend mode
- CEP soft focus filter, mostly masked out foreground flowers
- blurred a copy and set to screen blend mode at low opacity (just to blur a little more)
- Shadow/Highlights, +10 highlights only on real bright parts of the foreground flowers, Luminosity blend mode
- Noise Ninja pass, defaults execpt brought sharpness down to 25
- light vignette centered on foreground flowers and frame

http://ocron.zenfolio.com/img/v0/p687374507.jpg

[Lee123]

I love this photo...so many possibilities...

- Selected and moved the flowers from the bottom right to a more central location.
- Cropped image
- Added some crawly critters (caterpillar, butterfly, cocoon, ladybug)
- Increased saturation and lightness a little
- USM
- Vignette
- Selected main flowers, inverted selected with a 90px feather, added Gaussian blur
- Border

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3063/2570329821_e091dc4bfa.jpg

[BitterSweet]

I didn't do much to the actual picture it self because it was really nice the way it was I just added texture and a bit of color really.
-cropped
-did a slight surface blur for the background
-Found a rice paper texture and put in on overlay
-Bi-color filter on just the flowers
-Added some Kanji (Beauty, Love, Happiness & Life) also on overlay filter
-did a darken/lighten filter on everything
-added border with the rice paper again

[suzyb]

I used to think finding a picture to post for one of these challenges was the hardest part... but it's actually choosing a "winner". These are all really great!

I'm going to give the honors to BitterSweet. I like the theme you created for this picture and I think the texture you added really compliments the flowers and the coloring you gave them.

Beautiful work, everyone! Thanks!

I'm looking forward to #70, Tracey!

[BitterSweet]

Thanks Suzyb and Congrats on all the edits guys they were all great. I really like TheKid24 and SQuiP's edits.

The next one is now up.

[SilverHCIC]

Congrats BitterSweet. ... I also thought the theme was nice. Adding the Kanji characters was a good touch. I never would have thought to do that. ;)

[BitterSweet]

Congrats BitterSweet. ... I also thought the theme was nice. Adding the Kanji characters was a good touch. I never would have thought to do that. ;)


Thanks. I thought the flowers looked like cherry blossoms so the whole chinese/japanese them came to me. I wanted to have a chinese brush painting on it but couldn't find a good one.

[ZeroOne86]

Congrats Tracey as well as to everyone else, great job.