Photoshop Workflow

Blue Light Special – Lower Antelope Canyon, Arizona – Creative White Balance and Exposure Blending

 Antelope Canyon, Antelope Canyon Photography, Arizona, Colorado Plateau, Grand Circle, Landscape, Landscape Photography, Lightroom, Navajo Lands, Photography Composition, Photography Technique, Photography Trips, Photoshop Technique, Photoshop Workflow, Robert H Clark Photography, Slot Canyon, Sony α900  4 Responses »
Oct 142011
 

Blue Light Special, Lower Antelope Canyon, Arizona. Creative White Balance Setting and Photoshop Exposure Blending.

Hi everyone and welcome to today’s post. Fall color is just around the corner and we may see the full display by the end of next week. So while I wait for nature to take its course in the next few weeks I am bring you some intense color of a different type. Many of you who follow this blog, and my work, know that I have shot quite extensively in Antelope Canyon. I love the sinuous curving formations and how light plays off the sandstone walls. It is light that brings the canyons to life. I other posts I have talked about some of the lighting in slot canyons including bounce, or reflected light, chiaroscuro light, and blue light. All can have a dramatic impact on your shot. Today I am going to show you what happens when you apply some creative White Balance Settings in-camera during your exposures.

But first just a small bit on Color Temperature which , in photography, is often associated with White Balance. Essentially color temperature is a characteristic of the visible light that we see, or in some cases, we don’t see. Color temperature is conventionally stated in the unit of absolute temperature, K, on the Kelvin Scale. Color temperatures over 5,000K are called cool colors (blueish white), while lower color temperatures, 2,700–3,200 K, are called warm colors (yellow white to red). In photography, the daylight or normal color temperature, is deemed to be 5000K. If you set your White Balance selector on your camera to Daylight Setting you will be shooting at 5000K. But what happens when you go indoors and shoot with incandescent lights on a 5000K setting? Your image will appear very warm and red/orange. If you lower your White Balance Setting to Tungsten, somewhere around 3200K you can compensate for the warmer color and render the scene more naturally. In this case you are bringing the color down from the warmer side of the spectrum to the cooler side.

You can use this information to do some creative White Balance shooting in your photography. Today’s image was shot in two separate exposures-one at 5500K, what I call my “normal” White Balance for slot canyons, and one at 2500K to bring the warm tones down to a bluer color. I can then combine the two files to create a dynamic image expressing blues in the shadows and oranges in the warmer highlights. When I looked at the “blue” image I noticed I picked up some slight magenta tones which gave me the opportunity to process a third, magenta toned, image to use in the composition. The resulting blending in Photoshop would give me an image that moves from blue to magenta to orange. So lets take a look at the files I processed to achieve the final image.

Image 1: Canyon shot at 5500K White Balance Setting.

Image 2: Canyon shot adjusted to 5800K in Lightroom.

Image 1: This is the first image shot with a White Balance setting of 5500K. I typically shoot just at a WB of 5500K for most of my work and make adjustments depending on the light conditions. You will need to check your manuals for setting a custom WB. On the Sony a900 I can set this right from the main menu screen. On the Nikon D3x I can set this from the WB controls on the back of the camera. Both cameras also give you the opportunity to adjust the color temperature further with by hinting the color towards the Green or Magenta side. Setting this to zero is fine.

 

 

 

Image 3: Canyon shot adjusted to 3500K in Lightroom.

Image 4: Canyon shot at 2500K White Balance Setting.

Image 2: In RAW processing of Image 1 I increased the WB to 5800K and made some adjustments to the Green/Magenta Tint using the slider in Lightroom. The intent here was to brighten up the warm tones.

Image 4: This is the second shot in my bracket set and was made with the camera WB at 2500K. This is below the Tungsten Setting of 3200K. In a situation like this, having shot so much in slots, I go for a lower K-number as I can get much cooler tones in the shadows. You can just note a hint of magenta color in the far part of the image. This led to processing out a third image to accentuate this color.

 

 

Image 3: This is the Magenta file processed from Image 4. For this I simply raised the WB in Lightroom to 3500K and adjusted the Tint Slider more towards Magenta.

You will notice that after all the adjustments the final files used for the blend all have the same relative luminosity and tonal consistency. Other than the various changes for WB and Tint the RAW processing for each file was the same. I applied the same development to the curves, noise reduction, and pre-sharpening. This must all be the same so the file set can blend together properly. When I was satisfied with each file I returned to the Library Module in Lightroom, selected the three files and then went to Photo > Open as Layers in Photoshop. All three files were processed and placed in Photoshop in a Layer Stack. The Layer stack for this image is shown below.

I ordered the files going from warm to cool in the Layer Stack. For this processing I preferred this as I wanted to paint on top of the warm file as I felt I could see the changes better visually. I added a Layer Mask filled with Black for the Magenta and Blue Layers. Using the White Reveals and Black Hides concept I went from Layer Mask to Layer Mask painting in and out the color changes until I reached a blend I liked. I used a soft brush and adjusted the size and opacity as I worked on the various layers. It is important when blending files like this to pay attention to the Blend Zones – the areas where the colors overlap. Here you must be subtle and work the masks to eliminate hard edges.

Photoshop Layers for Blue Light Special.

Each of the Layers also had a Selective Color Layer where I adjusted the color intensity. Keep in mind this is a salt to taste function. For this file I wanted more intensity in the colors so I pumped up the blue and magenta. I finished off the file  by setting the White and Black Point, adding several Curve adjustments, Dodging and Burning, and Creative Sharpening. Dodging and Burning is an important Layer as painting in darker and lighter tomes adds additional detail and helps to blend in color at Blend Zones.

Technical Details: The image was shot with a Sony α900 and a Zeiss 24-70mm lens at 28mm. The image was exposed at ISO 100 at f16 for 1.0 seconds.

If you have any questions on this post just send me an e-mail. Thanks as always for visiting and supporting this blog.

Bob

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Tidal Pool and Sea Stacks – Bandon Beach, Oregon

 Adobe Lightroom, Bandon Beach, Color Burn Technique, Landscape, Landscape Photography, Nikon D3x, Oregon, Oregon Coast, Pacific Ocean, Photography Technique, Photography Trips, Photoshop Technique, Photoshop Workflow, Robert H Clark Photography, Singh-Ray Filters, Split Neutral Density Filters, Twilight Photography  4 Responses »
Oct 022011
 

Tidal Pool and Sea Stacks, Bandon Beach, Oregon. Image shot with a Nikon D3x and a Nikkor 17-35mm lens at 24mm. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f11 for 1.5 seconds.

Hi everyone and welcome to today’s post. Today’s image was shot at Bandon Beach along the beautiful Oregon coastline. I only had time for two shooting sessions at Bandon-afternoon/evening and sunrise. I arrived at Bandon in the early afternoon to a howling gale, high tide, and blowing sand from dunes along the back of the beach. I was hoping to get some dramatic clouds to work into my compositions but I was greeted with clear skies. Scouting for possible shots was a challenge in the contrasty light and I was constantly pelted by sand and debris. I was already tired from the drive and found the beach’s welcome less than hospitable. When you feel this way it is best to back off and just breath a bit. I went back to the hotel to check the weather conditions and the hotel owner told me that the wind would abate for the evening. He promised.

And indeed the wind died. The tide rolled out and left an expansive beach full of tidal pools and amazing rocks covered in mussels and starfish. Though I was hoping for some dramatic clouds I was treated to some amazing pink and magenta twilight light. I found this rock encircled in a tidal pool and set against a back drop of illuminated sea stacks. In the far distance you can see “Face Rock” lying in repose in the Pacific Ocean.

Tidal Pool and Sea Stacks. The Processed RAW file brought into Photoshop.

Technical Details: I used a Singh-Ray 3-Stop, Soft Edge, Split Neutral Density filter to balance the light. The WB was set to 5500K. RAW processing was done in Lightroom with final finishing in Photoshop. Take a look at the RAW file below and you can see the dramatic changes achieved through layer manipulations in Photoshop. The images below illustrate the starting point and some of the details from my processing to achieve the final image.

I almost always start with a Cleaning Layer. I perform some digital gardening in Lightroom but deal with the more difficult spots with the Cloning Tools on a separate layer. I dealt with some color cast issues in the next Layer. Keep in mind that with my first layers I am almost always dealing with Global Image Adjustments. My Detail Image Adjustments are made after Global. So for the color cast I felt the file was a bit too magenta and this was killing off some of the blues in the shot. I used a Curve Layer and adjusted the Red Curve and made a further correction in a Selective Color Layer.

Tidal Pool and Sea Stacks. Images zones worked to achieve the final image.

At this point I began looking at my more specific Detail Image Adjustments based on final vision for the file. In Area 1. I wanted to make some very specific adjustments to bring out the Contrast, Luminosity, and Color in the sea stacks. In Area 2. I wanted to bring out the Contrast, Luminosity, and Color in the rock. And in Area 3. I wanted to make a global Color change to the pool and pick out some minute details.

For Area 1. I used tow Curve Layers, one for increasing the Contrast and one for increasing the Luminosity. By Contrast I am referring to the relative difference between Darks, Midtones, and Lights. Here I am simply making subtle adjustments to the  3/4  Points (darks) Mid Tone Point, and the 1/4 Point (lights). Essentially I am making a slight “S” Curve. For Luminosity I am referring to the overall brightness. This is achieved with another Curve Layer where I am sliding the White Point over towards the Mid Point (see the screen captures below for the dramatic effect this achieves. Since I only want to apply the effect locally I use a Black Layer Mask and paint through to reveal the change.

Screen Shot of the Luminosity Adjustment Layer.

The screen shot below shows the Luminosity Layer turned on to reveal the dramatic difference to the overall brightness of the sea stacks. You will also notice the difference in the sea stack reflection in the water. Painting in the change on the foreground rock also dramatically raised the level of brightness and detail. I had what I needed in overall Contrast and Luminosity so I added a Mid Tone Contrast Layer. This is essentially a targeted High Pass Filter Layer applied to the Mid Tone components of the

Scree Shot of the Luminosity Adjustment Layer turned on to show results.

file. You can search my site for posts on how to make this layer. This was followed by Creative Sharpening applied to a “Merge Visible” Layer. Both this layer and the Mid Tone Contrast are essentially tweaking out contrast against the edges to increase the apparent sharpness of the image. The last piece of the work flow are my Dodge and Burn and Color Burn Layers. I dodge and burn my files extensively. It is essentially painting with light and dark on an Overlay Layer with a 50% Fill. Using a soft brush at low opacity I paint in details where light and shadow meet. It is a painting layer that sculpts the file.

The Color Burn Layer is where I can add and intensify the colors of the files. I have written a post on this as well. Please search the site for the details on how to perform this technique. Hopefully this post has given you some insight as to how I processed this image and some of the various techniques I use to achieve the results. As always if you read this and have any questions please use Contact Form link in the Site Menu and send me an e-mail.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Bob

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Glen Avon Falls No. 2 – Beaver River, North Shore of Lake Superior

 Adobe Lightroom, Adobe Lightroom Workflow, Black and White, High Dynamic Range, Lake Superior, Lake Superior Photography, Landscape, Landscape Photography, Minnesota, Nikon D3x, North Shore of Lake Superior, Photography Technique, Photography Tools, Photography Trips, Photomatix HDR, Photoshop Technique, Photoshop Workflow, River, Water, Waterfalls, Wide Angle Photography  6 Responses »
Sep 102011
 

Glen Avon Falls, Beaver River, North Shore of Lake Superior. Shot with a Nikon D3x and a Nikkor 17-35mm lens at 17mm. See story for capture details.

Hi everyone and welcome to today’s post. Today I am returning to Glen Avon Falls on the Beaver River. This is the companion shot to the composition I posted on August 22 and was taken the following morning from the top of the rock chute and just below the upper falls. On this day a light morning mist filled the river below the lower part of the falls and diffused the sunlight rising just behind the large rock on the left. I want to talk about this image in regards to some recent discussions I have heard concerning HDR photography. So if you don’t want to hear me get on my soap box then please stop reading here.

As a former 4 x 5 shooter I used to compose my shots and expose for one take. I had to use whatever means necessary ranging from composition to use of filters to get the shot in one take. Even today, as I have professed in this blog, I am still kind of a one shot guy. Get it right in camera can save hours of time in post production. But I have found that digital offers me a far greater opportunity to “craft” a shot that quite honestly would be nigh on impossible to do in one take. The above image is a prime example. I am shooting almost into the sun with a misty, shrouded fog, dark rocks, and rolling water. In terms of exposure I could get close but not where I needed to be to hold detail in the rocks, water and the mist. The solution is to expose for each and combine the files. My argument is that this shot is an example of HDR-high dynamic range photography. I am extending the capture range of the shot, which could not be covered by the sensor, through multiple exposure brackets.

HDR photography in its broadest terms is generally exhibited through what I might refer to as “wacked-out, over-processed, haloed, grunge” shots where multiple exposures are cooked in an HDR software. If it sounds like I don’t like this style then the answer is yes. I do enjoy looking at those that are well crafted but for the most part much of what I see is akin to velvet paintings. And before anyone jumps on me for that statement please understand that I do not begrudge anyone their art or practice thereof. If it makes you happy then I am all for it. There is plenty of room at the table for all of us to share what we do and love.

But the recent argument I heard, and I won’t say where to protect the innocent, suggested that the concepts behind HDR are not legitimate, partly because it is associated with the over-cooked look” or the “I did not capture it in one take argument” is puzzling to me. Is the fact that I shot and combined three exposures to craft the above image mean it is not a legitimate photograph? In my honest opinion it is legit. This photograph is not over-cooked, or wacked-out through over processing in an HDR program. It is true to my vision for this image and represents what I saw and experienced that morning. It is in fact a high dynamic range shot crafted through multiple exposures. HDR software such as Photomatix, Oloneo, and even Photoshop HDR are excellent programs to help you extend the dynamic range of a shot. All of them allow you, the photographer, to make processing decisions based on your perceived vision of the image. Wack it out if you want or keep it natural. Its your decision. The Glen Avon shot I posted on August 22 was processed in Photomatix. That shot, processed in Photomatix’s Fusion engine, is not over-cooked, in my opinion, but rendered in a natural look to create an image based on my vision. Today’s image was created through layer blends in Photoshop. Both images have a similar look but were achieved using different tools from my toolbox.

The argument that goes along with this that I, or anyone else who shoots in this way, and does not get it right in camera, is either lazy or not skilled just floors me. This might be true for a percentage of shooters but I just don’t think it holds water. If I was lazy and not skilled I would take one shot in .jpg, let the camera make the decisions, and move on. The image above took planning. It was scouted and included test shots for compositional decisions. Then on the day of the shot I had to deal with the light, the water, compose the final composition, think about the foreground, the corners, how I envisioned the final image, processing decisions, color or black and white, and the list can go on. It is the same for all of the other skilled photographers I know who use these techniques. HDR capture and processing is but one tool in our kit. I don’t shoot everything this way but its there when I need it for difficult situations. But to say it is not legitimate because it was not captured in one take or is practiced by lazy, un-skilled photographers is just bunk. I will now stand down from my soapbox.

Technical Details: Three images were combined to make the final shot. Exposures were at 1/4, 1/2, and 1 second. The RAW files were processed in Lightroom and moved to Photoshop where I used layer masks to paint in the parts of the shot I wanted. Once I had the file components to my general satisfaction I made the conversion to black and white. Just so you know I envisioned the shot at capture as a black and white. From there it followed a typical path with curve layers for various parts of the image, dodging and burning, and a mid-tone contrast layer.

Walk in beauty.

Bob

 

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Lower Antelope Canyon – Portal Beyond

 Adobe Lightroom, Adobe Lightroom Workflow, Antelope Canyon Photography, Arizona, Colorado Plateau, Desert, HDR Photography, Landscape, Landscape Photography, Lower Antelope Canyon, Navajo Lands, Nikon D3x, Photography Technique, Photomatix HDR, Photoshop Technique, Photoshop Workflow, Slot Canyon, Slot Canyon Photography  4 Responses »
Jul 312011
 

Portal Beyond, Lower Antelope Canyon, Navajo Lands, Arizona. Shot with a Nikkor 24mm PC lens. Image shot at f13 in five bracketed exposures then combined in Photomatix Pro.

Hi everyone and welcome to today’s post. I thought I would slip in a quick post today that I prepared for practice for next weeks workshop at Lake Superior. We will be teaching some HDR techniques using Photomatix Pro and I worked up this image shot in Lower Antelope Canyon in the spring. The image was shot in five bracketed exposures, each 1-stop apart, using the bracket controls on the Nikon D3x. After import into Adobe Lightroom the 5 exposures were selected and exported to Photomatix using the LR Plug-In. I processed the file using the Photomatix Fusion controls which gives you a more realistic rendering. Finishing was done in Adobe Photoshop and included a series of steps to bring out details in the shot. This included a Multiply Blend Layer to add tone and contrast to the highlights, a Midtone Contrast Mask, and some extensive dodging and burning on an Overlay Layer set to 66% and filled with 50% Black.

Thank you for stopping by today.

Hozógo nasádo (Navajo): Walk in Beauty

Bob

 

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Hopi Point Sunrise – Grand Canyon National Park

 Adobe Lightroom, Adobe Lightroom Workflow, Arizona, Colorado Plateau, Colorado River, Desert, Grand Canyon, Grand Canyon National Park, Grand Circle, Landscape, Landscape Photography, Lightroom, National Parks, Photography Trips, Photoshop Workflow, River, sunrise  No Responses »
Jan 312011
 

Hopi Point Sunrise, South Rim, Grand Canyon National Park. Shot with a Nikon D300 and a Nikkor 28-70mm lens. Image exposed at ISO 200 at f18 for 1/20 of a second.

Hi everyone and welcome to today’s post. In past posts I have eluded to the fact that I often revisit files in an effort to tweak out more detail through better processing. This image is one of those that has been processed several times and each time I do I get a little closer to realizing my original vision for the shot. The image was made from Hopi Point located on the West Rim Drive on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. The large formation in the foreground is known as “The Alligator” and the formation to the right is part of “The Tower of Ra”. The shot was made just after sunrise and illustrates just how intense the sunlight can be as it illuminates the canyons buttes and landforms. The intensity of the light striking The Alligator was difficult to balance with respect to other formations in the shot and for some time how I wanted to process the shot escaped me. Shooting red rock formations such as these can pose some problems in terms of the luminosity of the image capture. In this case the light was so intense that much of the buttes detail was lost in a wash of intense color. The trick was to retain the beautiful sunrise color but dial back the colors luminosity and recover the detail. The way to do this is to reduce the color saturation slightly and then dial back the color luminance. Using the sliders in the HSL/Color/B&W panel in Adobe Lightroom I selected HSL and clicked on Saturation. Here I reduced the saturation in the Red and Orange channels. Next I clicked Luminance and reduced the Red and Orange channels. The net result decreased the color intensity and enabled me to recover some beautiful detail in the rocks. Working the Color Sliders along with manipulating the Curves achieved a good RAW file to import to Photoshop for final finishing.

Proper RAW file development is one of the cornerstones in creating a good image and you should not rush through this process. After selecting an image to work on I always start by “zeroing” the image to return it to the RAW state captured by the camera. I almost never rely on the established development Preset in Lightroom. From there I set the White and Black Point and manipulate the Curve Sliders while also working with the Fill and Recover sliders. It is a back and forth process where I am looking to bring out the maximum detail in the shot. Once I finish the major curve manipulations I look to adjusting the color saturation and luminance. In some cases I work these sliders along with the curve sliders. The final step is to apply capture sharpening and noise reduction.

Thank you for stopping by today.

Bob

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Half Dome Light and Yosemite High Country – Revisiting the Black and White Process

 Black and White, California, Landscape, Landscape Photography, Mountains, National Parks, Photography Technique, Photoshop Technique, Photoshop Workflow, Sony α900, sunset, Yosemite, Zeiss Lenses  No Responses »
Jan 082011
 

Image 1: Half Dome Light and Yosemite High Country, Yosemite National Park. Final image after reprocessing to add contrast and punch.

Hi everyone and welcome to today’s post. Today I am going to revisit the black and white version of Half Dome Light and the Yosemite High Country. Before I get into this I would like to thank all of you who visited the blog and commented and voted on your preference for color versus black and white. I started this blog ostensibly to get some visibility to my website and make connections to other photographers and folks who love landscape photography. To that end, a year down the road, more people are visiting my website and I have made some great connections. But something more powerful is happening. Recently I have been getting more critical commentary and dialogue about my photos as well as discussions on techniques and places to visit. A sense of community is beginning to develop which transcends everything that I thought would happen. When you put your work out in the public forum you open a door that invites the viewer into your world. It can be scary. The  ”what if”s begin to surface. What if someone does not like my work? What if I receive negative comments? What if I am wrong about a technique? What if, what if, what if. We should not buy into this fear based position. Though I have been shooting for almost 35 years I think of myself as both a teacher and a student. It seems every day I learn something new. As a student I find the “what if’s” powerful and exciting. What if’s are teaching moments that help you along the journey of photography.

Today’s post comes under the heading of “what if”. I process a lot of images and there are instances when I am unsure about the photographs direction. I call this “getting stuck in the curves”. I never really think an image is finished. In fact I revisit them often in an effort to tweak out more detail, better sharpening, better color, etc. But sometimes I just won’t go far enough. When I converted the color version of today’s “revisit image” I stayed with the same curve sets and only applied a PS Black and White Layer. I did a few other minor manipulations but after staring at the image for several hours my eyes became accustomed to the result. When I posted the image I thought it looked pretty good. But as it turns out I did not go as a far as I could.

In a comment about the post, photographer Michael Trupiano, recommended some constructive suggestions on how he thought the image could be better. So here are Michael’s “What if’s”: What if the mid-tone contrast was increased. He thought the image looked a little muddy. What if the sunlight striking Half Dome and the snow on the far peaks was brighter. And what if the sky could pop a little more. Now the main problem here is that what looks good on my monitor may look different on others. I take care to calibrate my monitor and ensure that I am preparing good jpg files for display. Additionally I still believe the print is the final word. If it looks good in print then that is the final word. But still, after thinking about Michael’s comments and looking closely at the file, I think he had some good points. In order to achieve a better result I had to add several new adjustment layers and tweak a few others. So lets take a look again at the original image, (Image 2, below) I posted at: http://roberthclarkphotographyblog.com/2011/01/02/half-dome-light-and-yosemite-high-country-yosemite-national-park/

Image 2: Half Dome Light and Yosemite High Country. Original Black and White Conversion in Photoshop.

Now let’s take a look at the areas that I worked on in the image, (Image 3, below). Area 1: Increase contrast and drama in the sky with two new curve adjustments to increase darkness in the 3/4 tones and punch the 1/4 tones and highlights. Area 2: Darken this area to provide better separation. This was done through a Dodge and Burn Layer. Area 3: This was the real critical zone Michael commented about. This needed a real contrast boast that required a new curve layer to darken the 3/4 tones and lighten the 1/4 tones and highlights. In addition some additional dodging and burning was performed. And finally Area 4: Here just a little dodging and burning to lighten Half Dome. In addition to these adjustmentss a small amount of manipulation to the 3/4 tones on the “Darks” Luminosity Mask helped the contrast in the area below and behind Half Dome.

Image 3: Areas reworked to increase image contrast and punch.

So here is the final image with adjustments, (Image 4, below). I think you will agree that the overall increase in contrast in the mid tones and 3/4 tones and punching the highlights has made a dramatic improvement to the image.

Image 4: Half Dome Light and Yosemite High Country, Yosemite National Park, Final Image.

I want to thank Michael for his insightful critique. I really appreciate him taking time to visit the blog, being part of the community, and providing his comments. The result is truly a better image.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Bob

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Badlands – Big Bend National Park – Photoshop Color Burn Technique

 Badlands, Big Bend, Big Bend National Park, Color Burn Technique, Desert, Landscape, Landscape Photography, National Parks, Photography Technique, Photoshop Technique, Photoshop Workflow, Sony α900, Texas, Zeiss Lenses  8 Responses »
Nov 272010
 

Volcanic Rock and Badlands Landscape, Big Bend National Park, Texas. Shot with a Sony α900 and a Zeiss 24-70mm lens. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f8 for 1/2 of a second.

Hi everyone and welcome to todays post. This image was shot in an area of Big Bend National Park that featured a rugged and beautiful badlands landscape. The area was rich in mineral deposits which was evident in the colorful banding in the rock strata. This image was shot in three focus brackets and combined in Helicon Focus software. I am going to use this image to talk about a Photoshop technique, called a Color Burn Layer, that I use on many of my images to tweak out some color detail. I talked about this at the Big Bend Workshop and some of participants have asked for more detail on how to do the technique.

First a few details. I typically employ this technique when I have an image that has some subtle color and where it might be difficult to isolate via a selection. It is what I would categorize as a regional or selective adjustment and therefore I will always apply it in a non-destructive layer at the top of my layer stack after I have performed all my global adjustments. So lets take a look at the technique.

In the screen shot below is the image before I applied the technique. I have circled several areas within the image that contained some color detail that I wanted to accentuate. this included some very subtle green toned minerals, the violet in the volcanic rocks and some subtle rose colors in the rock. All of these can be adjusted and colored using the Color Burn Layer technique. So now lets go step by step through the adjustments and settings.

Badlands image showing areas to be colored with the Color Burn Layer Technique.

Step 1: Add a new layer at the top of your layer stack. Label this new layer Color Burn. Double click on the new layer and bring up the Layer Style dialog box. Go to Blend Mode and select Color as the layer blending mode at an opacity of 100%. This is the Color Burn Layer you will work on and all your color work can be done here.

Step 2: Go to your Tools Palette and select the Eye Dropper. Using the Eye Dropper click on the color you want to modify. You will get a circle showing the light and dark value of the color. In the screen shot below I have clicked on the green color in the rocks in the middle of the image. The color I have sampled with the Eye Dropper will also appear in your Foreground/Background Color Picker  Box in your Tool Bar.

Step 3: Click on the Foreground Color Box and you will bring up the Color Picker. The Color Picker will show the Color Values from Light to Dark of the sampled color. A small circle will indicate the color you have sampled from the image. In the screen shot below I have circled in red the sampled color. To effectively modify the color you need to pick a value that is lighter than the sampled color. In this case I chose a brighter green indicated by the red arrow. Click OK to select the color and close the window.

Step 4: Make sure you still have the Color Burn Layer selected and go to your Tool Palette and select the Brush Tool. Make sure the Brush is set to 0 hardness. Selected anywhere from 2% to 5% for the Brush Opacity. I generally use 3% on average. You want to apply the effect gradually. Go back to the area you want to modify and brush the color over the area you want to modify. Slowly build up the color to where you are satisfied. You can also sample other colors and apply them in the same way using the same Color Burn Layer. For the final image I used combinations of green, violets, oranges, and rose pinks. You can also add your color selections to your Swatches in the Color Picker just in case you want to repeat an application.

And thats all there is to it. It is a simple and effective technique that can add some additional color punch to your image. If you think you over applied the effect then simply use the eraser Tool over the area and then reapply. If you have any questions please give me a shout and I will be happy to answer them.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Bob

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Antelope Canyon – Ghost Beam

 Antelope Canyon, Colorado Plateau, Desert, Grand Circle, Landscape, Landscape Photography, Navajo Lands, Photography Technique, Photoshop Technique, Photoshop Workflow, Slot Canyon, Slot Canyon Photography, Sony α900  2 Responses »
Aug 082010
 

Ghost Beam, Upper Antelope Canyon, Navajo Lands, Arizona. Shot with a Sony α900 and a Sony SAL 20mm lens. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f16 for 1.5 seconds.

Hi everyone. Just back from some needed time off away from photography and the office. I am continuing to work through some of the light beam shots from my last trip and so todays post, entitled Ghost Beam, is a continuation of this work. This image was shot in Upper Antelope Canyon and features one massive beam of light and a more subtle beam just visible in the back chamber on the left. As with all my light beam shots I captured multiple exposures but settled on this image because I liked the wavy ghost like character of the light. In order to resolve a couple of exposure issues typical with these shots the RAW file was processed twice in Lightroom to open up the shadows through an increase in fill and another file to reclaim some of the highlights in the beam and the canyon roof at the top of the image. The two files were blended in PS. I like to open up my shadows in slot canyon shots because it helps to define the forms. Too many shots like this suffer because the shadows are clipped and over power the resulting shot. This of course is a personal preference in the way I process images but I simply want open shadows. I also do not want my highlights clipped but in this type of shot it is inevitable as the hot light is far beyond what the sensor can capture. This is one of the reasons that a shot like this is best composed from a lower angle as it tends to flatten out the hot highlight areas where the beam hits the floor and allows you to capture the upper sections of the canyon where the beam enters the chamber.

The file followed my usual workflow including curve adjustments through luminosity masks, contrast masks, color correction, and dodge and burn and color burn.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Bob

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Toadstool Hoodoo – Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, HDR Processed with Unified Color’s HDR Expose

 Colorado Plateau, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, High Dynamic Range, Hoodoo, Landscape, Landscape Photography, Photography Technique, Photoshop Technique, Photoshop Workflow, Sony α900, Utah  No Responses »
Aug 042010
 

Toadstool Hoodoo, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Shot with a Sony a900 and a Sony 20mm lens. Image is an HDR blend from three exposures all shot at f16 at 1/2 stop intervals.

Hi everyone. I will be gone for the next few days and have been diligently trying to get this image prepared for today’s posting. Generally speaking I am not a proponent of most HDR processing primarily because I do not like the over-processed look common to many of these images. But I am intrigued by the possibilities of using the software to to accentuate the shot through blending of several exposures. I had the opportunity to secure a copy of Unified Color’s HDR Expose software to make some test images. This image, from the Toadstool Hoodoo’s in Grand Staircase-Escalante, was processed through the HDR Expose software and is a composite from three separate exposures.

I found the software to be very easy to understand and you can see the changes happen almost immediately. The three files for this image received some initial processing in LR before being transferred to HR Expose. Transferring is very easy with a drag and drop of the RAW files into the HDR Expose window. This automatically launches the merge function. And here is the really nice part. Once the software has crunched the numbers the resulting image is not that “wacked out” non-tone mapped image you get from other software. For all intents and purposes it looks just like a flat RAW file prior to image enhancement. The software gives you a great suite of slider based controls to adjust Brightness/Contrast, Shadow/Highlight, Sharpness, Saturation, White Balance, Fine Color Tuning, Dynamic Range Mapping, and Veiling Glare. The Veiling Glare tool can help remove some of the atmospheric haze associated with many merged HDR images. It essentially helps to add contrast and detail back into the image.

Toadstool Hoodoo after merging in the HDR Expose Software and prior to final processing in Photoshop.

Learning the controls takes some time but there is a great manual that explains most of the steps, tools, and processes along with some video instruction through the website. The video instruction is better at explaining the various tools within the program. The program is easy to use and I think the results are great. It blends well into my own workflow and the merged files can be exported in a variety of formats including tiff, jpg, bitmap and the softwares’s BEF format. The software supports a full range of Camera RAW formats and the program supports color managed files. This image was exported to Photoshop as a 16 bit, Profoto RGB, tiff file.

The exported files have none of the usual color shift problems associated with HDR images.  32 bit image editing with full fidelity is possible without having to resample the image to 8 or 16 bits. Additionally there are plugins for Lightroom and Photoshop that support the native BEF file format.

I really like the possibilities with this software and it supports my vision and workflow methodology. I am only beginning to tap into the power of this program. The processing of the final file was complex and involved quite a few luminosity layer/curve masks, color adjustments, dodging and burning and color burning. The last bit of sunlight striking the hoodoo was fleeting and gone within a few minutes of setting up for this shot. I wanted to capture the luminous glow I saw that evening and I think the HDR blend helped in achieving the final image.

Its quite a departure for me to process an image this way but I do like results. Is it a little over done? Maybe so but I like the fact that I could really pull out the details in the hoodoo and rocks and hold on to the glow. What do you think? Drop me a note and let me know. I will continue to work with this program to get a better understanding of the controls and see what else I can achieve. To find out more about HDR Expose visit the Unified Color website.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Bob

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Coneflowers – Lensbaby Photography

 Flower Photography, Landscape, Landscape Photography, Lensbaby, Lensbaby Photograph, Lensbaby Photography, Photography Technique, Photoshop Technique, Photoshop Workflow, Sony α900, Uncategorized  No Responses »
Jul 192010
 

Image 1: Coneflowers - Final Image Processed in Photoshop. Image shot with a Sony α900 and a Lensbaby Composer at f4.0 at 1/250 of a second.

Hi everyone. I thought I would leave the slot canyons for awhile and post another Lensbaby image from my garden flower series. I am showing three stages in this image; the RAW capture, the Lightroom processed image, and the final composition completed in Photoshop. The image was shot in the early morning with the sun rising just off the image’s right hand side. The beautiful sidelight gave the flowers some nice illumination and added depth to the shot. The image was shot hand held with the focus on the two flowers in the center of the image. I used the f4.0 insert on my Lensbaby Composer and the camera white balance was set to 5200K. I composed the shot in a way that would give me cropping room for the final composition. The quality of light is what makes the shot beautiful but it also contributed to an exposure issue-that of balancing the white of the petals with the shadowed areas within the green leaves. Watching the histogram and the “blinkies” I had to clip the white highlights and the shadows just a fraction which pushed the majority of the mid-tones just to the left. I knew I could recover these in the RAW processor. Not optimum but pushing the histogram more to the right would have seriously clipped the highlights and I may not have been able to recover them.

Image 2, below shows the RAW file before processing. Not too bad but it can certainly be improved, especially in the shadows and mid-tones. And while I do like the hint of magenta colors in the top I thought the overall image could be improved by cropping in to eliminate some of the darker parts at the bottom of the shot. In looking at the image, right away I loved the quality of the light. The coneflowers really stood out and I liked the light striking the vertical stems which added a nice dynamic line that played against the curve of the flowers. With all that in mind my plan was to crop in on the shot and bring out the mid-tones for more depth. I also needed to recover a small bit of the highlights in the petal and add just a bit of fill recovery for the clipped shadows.

Image 2: Coneflowers, RAW capture before processing.

Image 3: below shows the image as processed in Lightroom before exporting to Photoshops. Here you can see the subtle recovery of highlights and shadows and the final crop. Additionally some small adjustments were made in the overall color with the sliders. Not a lot however as I prefer to use the selective color controls in Photoshop for final tweaking.

Image 3: Coneflowes, image after processing in Lightroom.

So lets take a look at all three images side by side: The first image is the RAW file, the second image is the Lightroom File, and the third image is the final Photoshop File. The results at first glance may appear subtle. The overall crop helped to eliminate the dark dead space at the bottom of the shot. But keep in mind that I shot this with an eye towards cropping in on the flowers. The Lensbaby Composer is not a zoom lens and though I might have moved in to the shot just a bit it would have altered the focus point. The second image also shows the slight recovery of the shadows with the Fill Slider and the highlights on the petals through the Recovery Slider. The third image is the final rendering from Photoshop. Here the shadows and mid-tones have been adjusted through a luminosity curve mask.

The shot below shows a screen capture of the layers I used in Photoshop. The Background Layer was duplicated and a Gaussian Blur at a 20 pixel radius was made. Though the Lensbaby at the f4.0 aperture insert already produces a nice selective focus blur I wanted to add just a bit more. From there, three separate luminosity curve masks were made for the mid-tones and shadows. The luminosity masks isolate certain tonal and value ranges in the image and from there I apply the curve adjustments through the mask. I won’t go into how these are made but if you are interested please visit Tony Kuyper’s website where you can download his tutorial’s on the masks. They are an excellent way to apply curve adjustments to a targeted tonal range. After the curves I applied a mid-tone contrast mask and then added my Dodge and Burn, Color Balance, and a Final Color Layer. This is a fairly typical Layer Stack for my work. I always do global curve work first followed by selective adjustments. I almost always use a Dodge and Burn Layer. This is an Overlay Layer with a 50% Grey Fill set to an opacity of 66%. You can paint on the mask using the Brush set to a large feathered radius. Painting with Black darkens and painting with white lightens. You should set the Brush to a low opacity and build up the effect.

Coneflower Photoshop Layers

Well, this was quite a bit to go through. Hopefully you followed along and got a glimpse of how I process some of my shots. If you have any questions or comments just drop me a note. Thanks for stopping by today.

Bob

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