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November 16, 2010

Tuesday's Photo Challenges

Note to self: Get the yard stuff put away before it get berried under snow.
Okay now that I have that out of the way, it time to share my photos for the Tuesday's photo challenges.
I have to say that I am obsessed right now with editing photos in Photoshop.  My usual work flow was to edit my photos in ACR, take them to Photoshop and sharpen then leave them alone.
This past two weeks I have been taking Kim Klassen's Skinny Mini Course and can I be honest here, my photo editing process has a new twist.
My photo today is of a dead, dry zinnia from my summer flower garden, ( these should have been cleaned out by now). I really miss the color that flowers add to a yard, miss them all ready and winter/fall has just started.
Here is the original image straight from ACR with only exposure adjustments made.

Surprising how something so lifeless can be pretty.
Here is the same image after applying textures, blending modes, levels adjustments and a few other steps.  I am not a pro by any means, hence Kim's Course.

Photo editing steps are as follows -
  • Background copy - Blend Mode: Normal - Opacity: 100%
  • Adjustment Layer - Solid Color 391d0a - Blend Mode: Soft Light - Opacity: 100%
  • Adjustment Layer - Gradient Map: Black to White - Blending Mode: Screen - Opacity: 35%
  • Adjustment Layer - Gradient Map: Black to White - Blend Mode: Normal - Opacity : 100%
                                When working with the two gradient maps, if you click on the gradient map icon in you lalayers pallet, then click on the adjustments gradient map bar the gradient editor will pop up.
Your page will look similar to this -
By clicking bringing you cursor down below the black and white bar it will change to a hand.  With you cursor in the middle of the bar and you cursor in hand shape click once.  You now will have a black box below the scale.  Double click on the small black box, now you have select stop box up.  By clicking any where in the select stop box you can change the intensity of you gradient scale.  This is a great trick for working on Black and White photos.

Steps Continued
  •  Applied Kim Klassen's light paper texture - Blending Mode: Light - Opacity: 100% - Masked off all but the sky - soft black brush
  • Applied Kim Klassen's light paper texture - Blending Mode: Light - Opacity: 100% - Masked off all but the sky - soft black brush
  • Copied Background  - Blend Mode: Soft Light - Opacity: 100%
  • Adjustment Layer - Levels - tweaked till dark, lights and contrast looked proper
  • New layer - added brush signature
  • Image - Duplicate - Re-sized - Saved for Web
I am really enjoying learning, experimenting and sharing this new found knowledge.
Touch Up Tuesday's at the Paper Mama
Photobucket
life with my 3 boybarians

12 comments:

Betty Jo said...

Awesome work and results! Aren't you glad now you hadn't pulled the flowers up yet? I adore photoing dried flowers, weeds, etc.

Anika said...

This is such a great tutorial, thanks!!

Sereina said...

I love the texture.

Charlene said...

This is a lovely photo with great texture. Thanks for sharing your steps.

Ashley Sisk said...

You started with a beautiful image...the edit is quite lovely.

Pitterle Postings said...

I love the texture. Not sure I know how to do it, but hopefully I will have some time this weekend to experiment. Your photo looks amazing!

jillconyers said...

Great shot to start with and I love the "look" adding the texture gives it.

Erika said...

Nice edit ~ love the texture! Thank you for the tips too.

Anonymous said...

It's amazing how beautiful dead flowers can be! Your processing really shows them off to their fullest!

leigh hewett said...

Great editing...looks like fun to play with a photo like that.

Unknown said...

Love the Texture!

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