Tag Archives: layers

Images, Tips and Tricks

I’m not that tough, really!

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Don’t try this effect on your mom (click to enlarge).

Part of being a photographer is finding ways to express your creativity. I thought I’d experiment with a “selfy” shot that I did a while back to give it some more character. Ok, those of you who know me are probably saying, “dude, you don’t need any more character.” But I digress. Let’s have a little fun.

The original shot was done using my Nikon D3s and 105mm f/2.8 AFS G VR Micro-Nikkor lens (a very good portrait lens). I used a single SB-900 Speedlight off-camera on a stand, controlled by the Nikon SU-800 commander. The out of camera result was this:

I used a single off-camera SB-900 speedlight for the original image.

I brought the image into Photoshop, where my goal was to apply plug-ins effects via layers for complete control. Now it was time to get down and dirty! I duplicated the background layer and I used single-image tone-mapping in Nik Software’s HDR Efex Pro 2.

Single-image tone-mapping in HDR Efex Pro 2 creates quite an extreme look.

Yes, this is extreme, but hang on… Continue reading I’m not that tough, really! →

Images

Photo of the Day: Keepin’ Busy

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Keepin' Busy (click to enlarge)

It’s getting to be warm enough here in Colorado for the flowers to bloom and the bumblebees to return. I captured this image last year on a casual hike up in the high country, near Divide. I processed this image in three steps:

  1. RAW conversion in Nikon’s Capture NX 2
  2. Softening and color adjustments in Color Efex Pro 4.0, using my custom “Flowers” recipe
  3. Flypaper Texture overlay in a Photoshop layer

Thanks for looking!

 

Save 15% on Flypaper Textures with code JASONO

 

Tips and Tricks

Photo Tip: Partitioning Effects in Photoshop Layers

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I’ve been spending a lot of time in Photoshop these days, not because I need its specific editing features, but because it’s the most competent creative environment for the majority of my effects filters. When I’m getting creative, that means I’m probably going to dig into my bag of digital filter tricks, especially the Nik Software plug-ins.

Continue reading Photo Tip: Partitioning Effects in Photoshop Layers →