Make Light Real

Neil July 18th, 2008

My thanks go out to the Professional Photographers of Ontario for hosting a wonderful half day workshop for their members with me as their speaker at the Ashbridges Bay Yacht club in Toronto.

I was able to present to the group a motivational lecture, an on-location shoot, and an image review and quick post processing example after dinner.  However to extend your experience, I’m going to provide you with some original Canon 1Ds raw files shot that day to try your hand at lab color mode post processing, as well as altering the mood of the photo with a lighting overlay image you can download from the Create Cart:

Have a brand new free texture from me as you check out from the cart - there are a few more free ones and several sets of high resolution texture and lighting files if you are interested.

Now on to the full raw file downloads:

Download Test file one (13mb Canon CR2 raw file): Blue background accentuated by a tungsten gelled main flash, if you weren’t there you can download this screen cast movie file to learn to process your files for rich and vibrant blues : or view this post page on photoshop manipulating the blue in images.  This image would be a fun one to try out the texture - if you try it - post a link in the comments to your blog page, flickr page, or other way to see your results. In this image we use the principles of Make Light Real:

• provide a clear subject - by making the subject brighter than the background
• create compelling color and contrast - by altering the flash color temperature with a gel to warm it
• compose the unexpected - I waited until the boat was in the right place to add the added ’story line’ to the photo

Download Test file two (13mb Canon CR2 raw file): another gelled image of the model on the rock, this is would be a great candidate for the lighting overlay you downloaded from above.

Download Test file three (13mb Canon CR2 raw file): a strong test of balancing the very dark nigerian model with the bright summer sky on the lakefront.

Have your fun with these images and post your versions to the comments and I’ll do my photoshop edits and post back in about a week.

• Free stuff , Hear the Shadows , Inspiration , Motivation , Photography Lighting , Photoshop , Real-light Overlays , Tutorials , Workshop , learning
• Comments(0)

Neil June 24th, 2008

Above is the image with the One Action applied - without any further lightening or darkening.

Below is the image with Veritas Vignette #13 applied in Overlay Layer Mode.

Below is the image with Veritas Vignette #13 applied in Hard Light Layer Mode.

Purchase the images in the vignette package in the create cart, and they will be ready for immediate download for you to use in your hot summer wedding images!

• Photoshop , Real-light Overlays
• Comments(0)

Neil June 11th, 2008

If you’ve not played with curves you’ll want to have a listen to this clip from the 365 days video podcast as I’ll be running some more advanced photoshop curves tutorials soonish.

• Curves Power , Photoshop , how to
• Comments(1)

Neil May 16th, 2008

I realized again how much I love the color blue when VFXY had a blue theme week.

Ever wonder why blue is such a wonderful color?

Blue is the hardest color for camera sensors to capture, and the hardest color for CMYK printers to print.

So how we deal with it in Photoshop is of utmost importance.

We’re sitting here on this beautiful blue jewel hanging in the galaxy, wouldn’t it be great if you captured some of that uniqueness in your images?

If you’d like to continue learning about the possibilities to accentuate and control the blue channel, purchase the Beautiful Blues Screen cast Training video.

• Color Theory , ONE Action , Photoshop , Tutorials , Video , how to
• Comments(4)

Neil May 9th, 2008

Dark Descent texture set is available for purchase, it makes stuff like this:

Your can purchase the Dark Descent texture set from which the above image was created. Or you can download your free subscriber bonus image (not found in the set). Want to see more cool dark and grungy images that have been created from this set of textures? OK….

Ok so for this one you have to login to my new store to get the download, and of course it’s still free.

Also released today is the subscriber’s bonus download. For $1/mo you can become a subscribe and get a few extra bonuses.

 

• DIY , Free stuff , Photoshop , Real-light Overlays
• Comments(1)

Neil May 9th, 2008

Here’s a free download of an image not available in the downloadable texture set Vertitas Vignette

Click through to Flickr, to download the high resolution version. And if you like this image, consider purchasing the $29 set of 20 images in the Create Store.

• Free stuff , Photoshop , Real-light Overlays
• Comments(0)

Neil April 25th, 2008

JoeyL Tutorial Review - Behind the Scenes | An American Peyote Scribble

Well, if you haven’t been ‘up’ on a recent internet fad, there was a buz about a Photographer calling himself Joey L…..he was interviewed glowingly by Strobist, and self produced a tutorial DVD to teach others how he produces his shoot. Just so you’re informed on the pop culture behind this review. I’m about to review this review in talking about the creative process….

“This is the first Photoshop tutorial I’ve ever bought, and it was purchased for the following reason: I’ve become comfortable with the basics of Photoshop, using the clone tool for basic corrections, levels and saturation control for various tonal adjustments. Basically using those tools to enhance the feeling I wanted to communicate with the images taken using my cameras. I’ve been looking for a learning package to help me take things to the next level and to expand beyond the basics of enhancing an image and start using Photoshop as a tool to create a specific visual impact with my digital images – beyond what can be accomplished with cameras and basic lighting.”

Now that’s a good reason to get yourself a PhotoShop tutorial. Maybe it’s just cause this guy’s a climber, but he’s definitely articulate and intelligent.

” Did the JoeyL DVD contribute in the aim of fulfilling my creative desires? “

That’s a great question, I sometimes find the same desires in my life as I’m hard pressed for creative time when business tasks take up 90% of my day.

” The creative process was a main draw when I finally sent my credit card info for the DVD, knowing full well that $249 was just dropped electronically. In my opinion a description of the creative process is probably the weak point of the tutorials. “

An American Peyote was disappointed by the DVD - and while I feel for Joey, I’m not surprised that the creativity mark was missed. Why?

While Joey the photographer certainly has a style - it’s a level 6 style - one that is recognizable and marketable. The current trend is in love with anything dark, or low key a little bit pictoral. A style is repeatable, and marketable in a DVD, and powerful enough to convince an intelligent person to spend $249, but real creativity is almost too hard to see. Real creativity hides among the interaction between a self and a medium ….like in Tao 33.

Creativity is a process.

A process of pouring out oneself into a medium: for understanding, for expression, for communication, for documentation.

Technique is a gateway to open up the flow of creativity.

“During the lessons Mr. Lawrence talks through his thinking process in adding various layers and how to do different adjustments. Adding layers and blending and the use of manipulating shadows and adding light to images is well explained. This is exactly what I was looking for, since it shows you how to enhance lighting effects in Photoshop which were absent or difficult to produce in reality.”

But to learn creativity, one must learn to be open.

Evidently the reviewer did open up after watching the video again a few times “In this capacity I’m very happy with my decision to drop $249 on the JoeyL DVD tutorial and would do so again.”

One day I’ll have a DVD worth spending $300 on, that will leave it’s customers open, educated and inspired. But creativity is never something that can be bought, only something that can be initiated or opened as I impact you, or you draw from the universe. I wish a creative blessing for my climber friend, and that JoeyL learns to communicate what wells within him. So let this review remind you as you’re tempted to buy the latest DVD, to instead go out and watch the sun set, feel the grass in your toes or hug your daughter. Open up to the flow, instead of spend your cashflow.

• Creativity , Inspiration , On Art , Photoshop , Reviews , Tutorials , Workshop
• Comments(1)

Neil April 5th, 2008

I found these pictures in a Model Mayhem thread where a bunch of photographers were trading retouching tips

I saw these pictures, which look to be shot with a consumer digicam and on-board flash.

View the big one on flickr

Here is a before and after view of what I did with the image, finishing with a little texture overlay and warm B+W tone. I chose to abandon the color since the background was so bad and dark. I could have adjusted the skintones in color, but with that eye makeup - I would still have found it a difficult picture to like. By adjusting to B+W and using the fine tuned tonal controls over density in the Luminance channel, I was able to draw the attention straight to the eyes. The texture is a good way to add blur and interest over a nondescript and non-essential background. The texture appears visually as a surface element creating a sense of space between the print and the background. Thanks to the power of LAB color mode and the one action workflow I didn’t waste all day.

View the big one on flickr

Again here, I just want to emphasize that the ONE Action will always promote you getting to the essence of any particular shot. With the power of lab color, you can get at that essence more quickly and with less effort. As a point of discussion, I used the transform controls to level and improve the symmetry of Lilia’s face. After that I helped shape the upper cheek bones by lightening them, and providing a nice shadow under them to accentuate the and slim the face. Same process on the neck…. I applied a texture overlay here to help the head float in a luminous background that overlaps the shoulders. I only spent 5 minutes to achieve this affect with the ONE Action and my library of textures, but I’d charge my client at least $40.

• ONE Action , Photoshop , learning
• Comments(0)

Neil March 12th, 2008

I’m including a You-Tube quality screen cast of the walk through using the ONE action:

Included in your purchase of the ONE Action set is a high resolution walk through video to help give you your bearings on using the LAB color space for your photoshop workflow.

• ONE Action , Photoshop , Tutorials
• Comments(0)

Neil March 7th, 2008

This last week I was playing with a texture file from a marble building I shot a while ago in Rochester NY on a portrait set I shot in Texas, which was explained in this post on using photographic flash in open sun.

You can download the 16 megapixel texture file directly here, and see all the texture files available for free download in my photo pool.

If you like these texture files and want to support this site, buy a CD of the lighting effects:

• Creativity , Free stuff , Photoshop , Real-light Overlays
• Comments(2)