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Untitled - barn
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By duplicating and off-setting the same image over itself and using layer blending modes an image can become much more emotional than a traditional image. Reminiscent of experimental traditional photographic techniques this Photoshop image begs to be printed.
Instruction:
Click the link to the jpg to see the full image and a comparison to the original source photo.
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Informatics complex at night
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By photographing subjects in unusual conditions (this example: at
night during the rain) you can add drama to images that otherwise
might be ho-hum. This one was taken without a tripod, but the
watercolor effect helps to crisp the soft edges and usually a
hand-held low-light image is not successful. The rain and the
lighting is what really gives this image it punch. The watercolor
effect is justified by the subject of the rainy night. Every aspect
of an image should work toward telling the story you are trying to
portray. If it doesn't help the story it should not be used. A
version of this image was used as the cover for an issue of the
Informatics magazine.
Instruction:
Click the link to the jpg to see the full image.
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Abstract
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This image was one of my first attempts at creating "digital sculpture." It is a photo of one of my pottery pieces extracted and layered with blending modes. Lighting effects were then added. While the piece is not a great example of digital sculpture it is a very moody image.
Instruction:
Click the link to the jpg to see the full image and a comparison to the original source photo.
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Invasion
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Compositing multiple images can create very complex images laiden
with meaning and interest.
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Click the link to the jpg to see the full image and the source
images used in the composite.
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Tangled Trees
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The source for this image is from a toy camera with a plastic lens. It used 120 film and was a joy to work with! The Photoshop manipulation I created from it pays homage to the alternative traditional technique of Polaroid transfers.
Instruction:
Click the link to the jpg to see the full image and a comparison to the original source photo.
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Transformation
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Sometimes a great image is just seeing what is in front of you.
This one is not really manipluated in Photoshop - just color
balanced and cropped. Metaphor can be found if you just look around
with new eyes...
Instruction:
Click the link to the jpg to see the full image.
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The Calm
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Here is a great example of creating an extremely compelling and dramatic image from a mediocre source photo. To convert an image from color to black and white in Photoshop it is usually best to use the Channel Mixer. I then developed my own technique of blancing the image for various parts of the photo (in this case, the sky, the grass and the trees) individually and using the History brush to paint in areas of tonality. The resulting image is much more visually arresting than it would be if you tried to do a tonal adjustment to the overall image.
Instruction:
Click the link to the jpg to see the full image and a comparison to the original source photo.
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Texture experiment
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Here is an image that utilizes copies of the same image set to
different layer blending modes. Combinations of Photoshop filters
were added to the various layers. The PSD contains 16 different
layers and just the one source photo. Experimentation in the key to
unlocking the power of Photoshop. You can never experiment too
much!
Instruction:
Click the link to the jpg to see the full image and a comparison to
the original source photo.
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Tree study
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By using multiple images and blending modes in Photoshop you can create images that are much more than just photos. This one is an example that uses the Gestalt principle of seeing more than just the sum of the parts. By disconnection the tree and adding the depth of other images, this picture evokes mood and is more than just a picture of a tree.
Instruction:
Click the link to the jpg to see the full image and the source images used in the composite.
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The Faerie Grove
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This image was created using several shots of various focus levels
at the same location. The photos were then combined in Photoshop
using different layer blending modes. The resulting image is very
painterly, but it is 100% photography.
Instruction:
Click the link to the jpg to see the full image.
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San Fran Speed
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This image (only color balanced and cropped slightly in Photoshop) was taken by placing a point-and-shoot camera on top of a trash can (as a make-shift tripod) and taking a long exposure as the subject drove past. Taken with a Canon PowerShot S50; the settings were 0.8 seconds at f/4.9 with a focal length of 21.3 mm. I could have chosen to balance the color to take out some of the red/orange but it acurately reflects the mood of the moment. Sometimes it is best to not balance an image "prefectly" (at least according to the numbers) in order to preserve the feeling of the image. Lots of images look sterile for that reason. Automatic adjustments should usually be avoided for this reason. Foggy images are a perfect example of images that auto-correct horribly, as was this one...
Instruction:
Click the link to the jpg to see the full image.
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Abstract 2
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This image is also created with just photos and layer blending
modes in Photoshop. The source photos were all shot using
experimental techniques: long shutter speeds and moving the camera,
zooming while shooting, purposfully shooting out of focus, shooting
reflections, etc. The main point of each shot was either color,
composition or shape, not ticky-tack sharp focus. Try experimenting
and see where you get - half the fun is in the voyage.
Instruction:
Click the link to the jpg to see the full image.
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Mack
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This image was created by scanning in a small old polaroid print that had some damage, restoring it and creating an interesting composition. The paper texture of the background and the paper clips were created from scratch in Photoshop and the negative and solarized image were heavily manipulated, but the positive image was only restored. I scanned the original image at 1200 DPI to assure a good quality large print.
Instruction:
Click the link to the jpg to see the full image.
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Forgotten
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Sometimes the light in an image is the most important part. It can
transcend mundane objects into things of beauty. This was shot at
Central State in Indianapolis.
Instruction:
Click the link to the jpg to see the full image.
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Photoshop Planet Tutorial
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![File Icon]( "File Icon")
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Here is a step-by-step tutorial that will teach you how to create a planet from scratch in Photoshop.
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Abstract texture
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This is another example of what can happen when you play with
multiple images and layer blending modes in Photoshop.
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