Fantasy Looks Photo Effect Editing. Photoshop CC Tutorial

Fantasy Looks Photo Effect Editing

Before

Started with this underexposed photo of Gladys with too much unwanted background opened in Camera Raw Filter. Adjusted the dials and brightened the image to suit and opened the image in PSD. First I needed to brighten parts of Gladys because it is a little dark.> Create a new Adjustment Layer CURVES>Add Layer Mask>Blend it to SCREEN>Invert the Layer Mask-ctrl I>Zoom closer into the image>Choose a soft brush>White over Black>Adjust brush size to suit>Paint (brighten)dark areas across Gladys>Select curve adjustment layer>Create a new Adjustment Layer BRIGHTNESS/CONTRAST>

After

Lower brightness to suit>Retain NORMAL blend>Invert layer mask-ctrl I>Set soft brush>adjust brush size to suit>Brush to darken areas around the image>right click on layers>merge visibles>Dublicate Layer> Use Pen tool to select Gladys>Close path>Right Click on image> Make Selection on drop-down menu>feather radius at 1>deselect background layer>create layer mask on background layer copy>reselect background layer>reload selection by holding ctrl and left clicking on layer mask>Select>modify on drop down menu>expand on drop down menu> expand to 20-30>select background>deselect background copy>click edit on menu>fill on drop down menu> contents aware on fill dialog box>boom she is gone>click on select menu>deselect on drop down menu, ctrl D>activate background copy>select layer mask> select brush tool> with white over black>paint away discoloring smudge around lower end of Gladys>activate background layer>drag background layer down to create background copy 2>click Filter menu>click blur gallery on drop down menu>click tilt blur on drop down menu>adjust blur lines on image>adjust blur size, color, brightness in dialog box>click the check mark on menu list>create new layer above background copy 2>select brush tool>adjust size of brush to 385>make a soft brush>select color for sunset(orange)>brush spot you want light to source from>Click Edit on menu>click Free Transform on drop down menu or ctrl T for resize box> expand resize box to suit>Blend with Overlay>try several times to achieve to suit>Blend with Screen>click check mark in menu above>activate background copy>create new layer above background copy>right click on activated new layer 3>click create clipping mask on drop down menu>click Edit in menu above>click fill in drop down menu>select 50%gray in drop down menu>click OK>there will be a gray silhouette>change Blend Mode to OVERLAY>image is back>select the Burn Tool and burn dark areas to suit>select dodge tool and lighten areas to suit>select background layer mask>Right Click on layer mask>Click on Apply Layer Mask on drop down menu>Select Smudge Tool> set to suit on high strength to edit hair>activate Layer mask 4>select Dodge Tool>Set to suit>highlight the hair>activate layer mask 4>create new adjustment layer>click Solid Color on drop up menu>Reduce opacity to 47ish>Click Color Fill layer mask>Select Brush Tool>with Black over white>set size to suit>at 100 opacity>Paint image to highlight the light source>select layer mask with black color>Create new layer mask>select brush tool>adjust size of brush to 385>make a soft brush>select color blue for night>brush spot you want light to source from>Click blend at Overlay>Click Edit on menu>click Free Transform on drop down menu or ctrl T for resize box> expand resize box to suit>try several times to achieve to suit>Click Screen to Blend>click check mark in menu above>can try to repeat process to enhance more>create new layer mask>Click Curves adjustment layer>Select blue and red to highlight light source more>Save

Frequency Separation YouTube Tutorial

Frequency Separation Tutorial
Photoshop Tutorial: How to Retouch Skin Flawlessly with Frequency Separation

Context
I am forever looking to improve on my PORTRAITURE genre after seeking advice from the professionals who seem to all agree that Portrait Photography is where a budding photographer can actually have some headways financially.
Research
In the course of seeking to improve on my portraiture photography, I came across Los Angeles-based photo illustrator and commercial photographer Lee Varis 's Frequency Separation Tutorial on Vimeo. After watching the video, I found it enlightening and easy to follow and even with the very difficult procedures, I was able to easily copy the actions to improve my photographs.
Form
With willing guests/models at a wedding I recently attended and armed with my Canon 60D and my EF 50mm 1.8f II, I proceeded to take several beautiful shallow depths of field portraits. Without too much disturbance I was able to align the models to backgrounds where the colours, flowers and shapes can benefit greatly the portrait of the models in the foreground.
Content
I learnt to fix shiny skin using Frequency Separation by basically placing TEXTURE and COLOR/TONE in two separate layers, which allowed me to re-shape the photo whilst leaving the texture intact.

Self Directed
Frequency Separation Retouching Technique

Open Image and make a copy and do some spot healing to clear any unwanted blemishes.
Open a second copy and label it 'Texture' and label first copy 'Blur'
Turn off texture layer and highlight the blur layer.
Layer>smart object>convert to smart object
Filter>Blur>Caussian blur>Info box>set the radius to about 8 pixels an ok.
Turn on and highlight texture layer.
Image>Apply Image>apply image box>Select 'Blur' Layer>Blendingto'Subtract'>
Scale to 2>Offset to 128>Ok.
Change Blending to 'Linear Light'. Highlight the Blur layer and create a new layer and label layer 'recolour'. Zoom in closer to portrait and sample around the highlights with the eyedropper tool and brush away the highlights with the brush tool at opacity 22%. Select the Texture layer and create a new layer. Position the pointer mid-bottom of the new layer with the ALT button to initiate the right angle arrow then click the right mouse button. Label the layer, 'Retouch'
Set Foreground colour tool to white and opacity to 6%. With 

the brush tool, paint some light into the dark areas. Brighten the whites of the eyes and the teeth. Also, brighten the catchlight in the eyes.
Create a new layer, set the foreground colour to black, select the Gradient Tool and select the 2nd foreground gradient picker. 
Group all the other layers. 
Set the blending mode to Soft Light and drag the four sides to form a gradual halo.
File>Save As>Photoshop,PSD, PDD>Ok
Layer>Flatten Layer
File>Save As>type drop down>JPG, JPEG>Save>set image option to 4.9M, less than 5M>Ok> Click off the X to end.

Landscape Photography

Patrick Marson Ong Photography

Oil and Water don't mix

In the Womb

In the Womb

These images had haunted me for five decades and I had never imagined the possibilities to replicate them to such precise likeness. Several times in the past, I had tried to verbally describe the inside of the womb as I remember it to be, "yes!, you heard me right," I remember my time in the womb.

RESEARCH

The usual initial start to a research is YouTube How to Tutorials and that is where I went to learn how to make and photograph floating bubbles in colorful liquids. I had imagined the possibilities of replicating what had haunted me for all of my life. I watched different tutorials of photographers and their various approaches to archiving these images.

Oil on Water Tutorial

FORM

My set up was pretty much as depicted in the tutorial, where I had used my flash gun attached to a wireless transceiver and receiver. I had found an old magnifying glass I had lying around which surprisingly enough had a circumference exactly that of my 50 mm Prime lens. I then cut an old bicycle inner tube and used it to bind the glass to the lens to form my macro lens. 

Inside the womb

SELF DIRECTED

With the camera mounted on the tripod, I manually adjusted the focus by adjusting the tripod and locked the camera in position when in focus. The orange color was achieved by placing an orange cloth under the dish.

Camera Setting;

ISO 100

Av F/8.0

Tv 1/100

Processed with Photoshop;

Raised the right end of levels to 215

The Womb

CONTENT
Learning Oil on Water photography technique.
Placing of lights
Positioning of reflected colors
Macro photography
Refresher and practice

Split the womb

CONTEXT
A unique experience that had haunted me for my entire life had inspired this photo shoot. When researching the technique, I was confronted with the possibilities that it was possible to create my haunting images. This is what I saw when I was in the womb.

Light Painting

RESEARCH

Came across this image from Evan of Photoextremist.com when researching Light Painting Photography on YouTube Orbs - Light Painting Photography Tutorial. The photo stood out as being unique, well composed, placements of the variety of colours and of course the multi-colored orb in mid-ground. I find the tutorial easy and clear to follow and motivational which has prompted me to try and replicate this photo.

FORM
Drove out to Henderson rather than Queen Street store of Surplustronics.co.nz in Auckland to look at buying a cylinder magnifying glass for a setup I'm putting together for macro photography but came across these Outdoor String Lights - with AutoTimer - Blue which was on my list to buy. I brought it home

I installed the supplied 3 x AA batteries and went through the 8 pre-programmed sequences and everything seems fine. I wound the 8-meter wire into a compact state so that all the 80 LED lights were all concentrated together using electrical tape to help bind the lights tightly together. A meter or so of wire was left out and a strong line was attached to the compacted lights which ran along the meter or so wire left out for this purpose. The strong line is taped along the wire to take up the wire tension up to where the switch box is. This will form the swing line but the length is set to suit. A dry test run went smoothly, swinging the line and getting used to the weight and learning to swing on the spot.

 

I had thought that keeping the 6 lights on the swing wire was a good idea but they formed circular streaks around the orb. NA: The yellow line is the swing line that takes up the slack of the wire and I have rubber bands keeping the battery and timer pack together as the screws weren't doing the job properly. Everything is tightly bound together with orange electrical tape.
My Tripod was used to stabilise the long exposure to eliminate motion blur along with my 24mm wide angle Tamron lens on my Canon 60D DSLR.
SETTING;
Manual
Tv; 30s
Av; f4
ISO; 100

SELF-DIRECTED

My Grandson came out to the front of the house to help me with my project and I let him have a go at swinging the fairy lights. We had several practices at creating light orbs which turned out to be fun and sometimes hilarious. On reviewing the finished product, I found several factors that could help with improving with my next light orb project but on a whole with minimum effort, it turned out well.

1. The 6 light on the swing wire will definitely need to be taped away as it formed unwelcomed streaks.

2. The ambient light from the street lamps reflected off the house hindered on the isolated atmosphere I was seeking.

3. Need to add coloured gels over some of the bound fairy light to create different coloured light in one orb.

4. I will try the BULB Mode to give me long shutter opening to action more swings.

5. I will try experimenting with the aperture setting to see if I can get a sharper light streak.

6. Will need to scout for better-isolated location and make the effort to compose my photo and add some coloured gel lights to the surroundings and background.
7. Will make more fairy light swing line but will make the smaller about half the size of the last project with white lights and several coloured gels.
8. Will experiment with and fabricate other light brushes and orb making wheel gadgets.

CONTENT
Learning night photography
Learning long exposure
Learning light orb photography
Learning how to make led fairy light swing line.

CONTEXT
Practising and Learning Long Exposure, Light Orb, Light Painting Photography.
In preparation for a future photo shoot, I am planning overseas.

Curves Simple

Simply Curves

Bits for Retouching

Phillip McCordall Explains Pixels and Bits

Understanding Pixels and Bits

Understanding Pixels and Bits by Lynda .com

Focus Stacking or Focus Blending

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Exposure Time Calculator

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