Blacktop - how to do what you've been doing?
- Thread starter sonicbuffalo_RIP
- Start date
Hi Chris, I'll be glad to.
First I did what I usually do. I'll import the image into LR with CA and profile corrections enabled automatically at import.
On the barn shot I took 3 exposures, not because I wanted to do an HDR thing, but to make sure that if I needed to do a little blending it was there for me.
I ended up blending the 0EV and the -1Ev in PS. I really liked the way the sky was in the -1EV shot.
After this, I exported the blended shot to Color FX Pro, which is part of Nik Tools.
When I'm in Color Efex Pro, the first thing I do is go to the "Graduated Neutral Density filter. With this filter you can adjust the upper and lower tonalities of the image. You can blend them ,shift them and rotate them to your hearts content.
Once I got the exposure to my liking I added a little glamour glow filter. I used it on the sky, and the large grassy area in the front of the image.
The thing about this filter is, that it is very easy to over do it, then your image will come out way too soft and not very pleasant looking..
I also used the reflector FX filter. This filter allows you to basically have the sun shine on any part of the image.
If you look at my barn shot, you'll see that the sun is shining mostly on the right side of the image, especially on those 2 trees and the hay bale on the right.
One thing about using these effects, is that old adage. "less is more" You really want to be very subtle. A touch here or a touch there will make a huge difference. Too much, and you'll have a very unnatural looking image.
After I was satisfied with the way the image was looking, I saved it back to PS, where I did some selective sharpening.
When I first got PS a few months ago and discovered unsharp mask, I was going crazy, and a lot of my shots were over sharpened. Especially shots with a lot of detail, like trees and twigs and such.
One thing I never sharpen is the sky. I prefer a more softer natural looking sky to some of those harsh dramatic looking skies, but that's just my taste.
After I was satisfied with the sharpening, I saved the image back to LR, where I did a few minor tweaking on the overall exposure, adjust the whites and the blacks, then I saved it on my HD as a Jpeg.
That is pretty much it in a nutshell. I probably forgot to mention a few things, but there you have it.
If you have any particular questions about a certain part of the image, feel free to ask.
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Photo examples of what's being described would be helpful.
The shot is in my 52 in 15 thread.
sonicbuffalo_RIP
Senior Member
@Blacktop.....how much is Nik Tools? Did you buy the whole package? Or just a module or two? I really like the effect. Thanks for describing the workflow on those shots. Maybe you should post the shot you were describing here in this forum so everyone doesn't have to run back to your 52. If you want to, that is.
Great detail Pete - most appreciated.
I too liked the soft look of the photos and was wondering how you did it. I don't have Niks!!! Grrr...
Just wondering how you do selective sharpening in PS?? (might have to google this and watch a video or two)
Besides the PP the photos themselves are beautifully composed.
Question on the 3 shots ... did you use a tripod?
I presume you did and this is where I sometimes fail - slow down already Lawrence!
PS For some reason I have never managed to master the unsharpen filter in PS
I too liked the soft look of the photos and was wondering how you did it. I don't have Niks!!! Grrr...
Just wondering how you do selective sharpening in PS?? (might have to google this and watch a video or two)
Besides the PP the photos themselves are beautifully composed.
Question on the 3 shots ... did you use a tripod?
I presume you did and this is where I sometimes fail - slow down already Lawrence!
PS For some reason I have never managed to master the unsharpen filter in PS
If you are interested in the Nik Collection, Jake previously mentioned looking for a coupon code. You can generally save 15% off the overall cost.
Thanks Lawrence..
I wish I could do a tutorial like some people, but I just can't articulate my thoughts as well as a few other members here. Sometimes my brain goes a hundred miles an hour and I'm all over the place..
As for selective sharpening in PS, I just use the "quick selection tool" and unsharp mask. I am really new at this so I'm just doing it as I go along learning this stuff.
On the tripod. No I did not use one. I pulled off the side of the road, and there wasn't really much room to do anything other than to squeeze by between the car and the property owners fence.
I think I paid a 120 dollars for the whole thing.
Horoscope Fish
Senior Member
Could not agree more. NIK Tools is now as important to me as Photoshop itself. Once the whole Control Point-thing clicked for me, I thought my head would explode. Viveza is my new go-to processing tool and I couldn't live without the Output Sharpener, dFine Noise reducer and Silver Efex for monochrome conversions. NIK Tools could cost three times what it does and it would still be worth every penny.
,,,,,
Yes. Once you understand how control point works, it's a whole new world.
One thing I would like to say though. Using these effects should be used like spices. I'm talking teaspoons, not tablespoons.
Horoscope Fish
Senior Member
Agreed. It's nice you have the ability to customize them but, much like sharpening, a little doth go a long way.
....
sonicbuffalo_RIP
Senior Member
I would have guessed you were using the graduated filter in LR. I think you could achieve similar results with it. I just watched a Lynda.com video on using it. Do you use the graduated filter or radius filters in LR? Lynda.com has some excellent videos on using the Develope Module and all that it has to offer.