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11/09/2010 07:20:53 AM · #251 |
Originally posted by vawendy:
I think I'm enjoying it, because I feel like I'm finally creating something artistic. I wish I could do things like Nixter and Ursula, create a piece of art, but I just capture what's there. I'm not saying it well, because I don't know how to put it into words. The best way to describe it is: I'm not a 1x.com person. I love the photos there -- I think they're truly, incredibly artistic. I would love to be able to do things like that. But I can't. I doubt that there's anything in my portfolio that would interest them. But somehow the overlays seem to take the photos into a more artistic realm. I still haven't figured out what works, and what I like, but it's fun feeling that I can do something artistic. |
I can't believe this ! I'm refering to the 1x.com part, of course there are some spectacular photos in that web, some very impressive but I'm also VERY touched by some of your photos, photos that reach me, photos that awaken my feelings.
I'm a huge fan of beauty, beauty helps me in my everyday life and of course I truly enjoy mega artistic photos, but some not for the technical qualities, only for what they show : amazing landscapes, stunning people or objects.
But well, maybe you're right, maybe you're not a 1x.com person... ...you're a very generous person (I know it first hand), with artistic feelings, who tries to improve herself each day. Is there anything wrong in that ? I don't think so ! |
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11/09/2010 07:43:08 AM · #252 |
Originally posted by Mambe:
Originally posted by vawendy:
I think I'm enjoying it, because I feel like I'm finally creating something artistic. I wish I could do things like Nixter and Ursula, create a piece of art, but I just capture what's there. I'm not saying it well, because I don't know how to put it into words. The best way to describe it is: I'm not a 1x.com person. I love the photos there -- I think they're truly, incredibly artistic. I would love to be able to do things like that. But I can't. I doubt that there's anything in my portfolio that would interest them. But somehow the overlays seem to take the photos into a more artistic realm. I still haven't figured out what works, and what I like, but it's fun feeling that I can do something artistic. |
I can't believe this ! I'm refering to the 1x.com part, of course there are some spectacular photos in that web, some very impressive but I'm also VERY touched by some of your photos, photos that reach me, photos that awaken my feelings.
I'm a huge fan of beauty, beauty helps me in my everyday life and of course I truly enjoy mega artistic photos, but some not for the technical qualities, only for what they show : amazing landscapes, stunning people or objects.
But well, maybe you're right, maybe you're not a 1x.com person... ...you're a very generous person (I know it first hand), with artistic feelings, who tries to improve herself each day. Is there anything wrong in that ? I don't think so ! |
That's so very kind of you to say. I wasn't looking for recognition -- I was just thinking out loud. There are certain photographs that I look at that scream "art" to me. Something that goes beyond photography. These, for example:
I've been trying to figure out why some things are just photographs -- albeit lovely photographs -- and why some are actually art.
It's just been fun that the textures make it feel like I'm creating art.
sorry -- didn't mean to get off topic.
Message edited by author 2010-11-09 07:44:05.
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11/09/2010 07:49:32 AM · #253 |
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11/09/2010 08:08:54 AM · #254 |
Back on topic:
Message edited by author 2010-11-09 08:15:05.
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11/09/2010 08:10:53 AM · #255 |
" El ojo que ves no es
ojo porque tú lo veas;
es ojo porque te ve. "
Antonio Machado, poet 1875-1939
Traslation- "The eye you see is not an eye because you see it, it's an eye because it sees you." I really like how it sounds in spanish, sorry not directly related but this came to my mind when I read your reply.
How we, as people, perceive Art is something that fascinates me. What makes us fall under the charm of one piece of art and makes us ignore another one ?
How reason and feelings lead us to decide that "this is Art" and/or "that doesn't work" ?
By other hand I agree that textures gives us a control that sometimes wasn't possible at the moment of taking the photo, textures is a tool that allow to give another twist, a way to add more feelings or a story behind the photo (to say so).
I'm enjoying this side challenge a lot. Yesterday I spent around one hour watching this  , quite a magical hour for me.
Message edited by author 2010-11-09 08:11:26. |
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11/09/2010 08:46:57 AM · #256 |
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11/09/2010 09:35:45 AM · #257 |
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11/09/2010 10:15:01 AM · #258 |
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11/09/2010 10:53:07 AM · #259 |
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11/09/2010 11:04:16 AM · #260 |
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11/09/2010 11:22:48 AM · #261 |
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11/09/2010 11:36:13 AM · #262 |
Originally posted by vawendy:
I've been trying to figure out why some things are just photographs -- albeit lovely photographs -- and why some are actually art.
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Maybe one thing is when you can see the person that made the pictures in the pictures, then they become more than just pictures. Someone mentioned that pictures are a mirror of who we are, when we look at them. But they are also a mirror of who we are when we make them. When this mirror works, then the pictures work. Maybe that's one factor.
Maybe adding textures allows you to mirror better what you're trying to say with your pictures. |
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11/09/2010 11:56:05 AM · #263 |
Originally posted by vawendy:
I've been trying to figure out why some things are just photographs -- albeit lovely photographs -- and why some are actually art. |
I don't think there is any one reason, Wendy. Ursula's observation is one factor, but I think when I look at something that says "art" to me, it's that the photographer captured something "extra", a meaningfulness that goes beyond just a graphic representation of something.
On a completely separate note, I have a technique question for all you brilliant people. I often see "added gradient" to notes, and I know there is a way to make a layer go from light to dark (or vice-versa). But when I try to apply it, all it does is create a gradient layer of color, instead of creating an gradient of the image. I don't know if I'm explaining it right, but please PM me with any answers. THANKS! |
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11/09/2010 12:07:48 PM · #264 |
Originally posted by tanguera:
On a completely separate note, I have a technique question for all you brilliant people. I often see "added gradient" to notes, and I know there is a way to make a layer go from light to dark (or vice-versa). But when I try to apply it, all it does is create a gradient layer of color, instead of creating an gradient of the image. I don't know if I'm explaining it right, but please PM me with any answers. THANKS! |
Do the gradient on a mask. Let's say, you have a photo that's too light on one side, and you want to even out the light. One way to do it is to create a copy layer, add a mask, use your gradient tool on the mask to block out the darker side, set to whatever way you want to use to even out the light, and there you have it. One thing that's very neat and useful is to use gradient masks in combination with channel masks, e.g. colour or luminosity masks. It's a much subtler way to go about stuff. To use the same example of an image that's too light on one side, and you're evening out the light with a gradient. That gradient will darken not only the lights but also the darks. If you use the gradient in combo with a light mask, then you will affect only that side and only the light values. I hope that makes sense. It works beautifully!
PS -- I hope that's what you were asking about?
Message edited by author 2010-11-09 12:20:52. |
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11/09/2010 12:28:00 PM · #265 |
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11/09/2010 12:38:58 PM · #266 |
 Another one for today. |
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11/09/2010 02:43:28 PM · #267 |
Originally posted by ursula:
I hope that's what you were asking about? |
Exactly, although I'm a bit fuzzy about a "light" mask. Also, when I try to apply a mask and then erase parts of it, I just simply can't get it to do it. I can erase the image layer itself, but then I'm stuck if I want to try something else. Weird how it's some of the more basic stuff that I struggle with...
And THANK YOU! |
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11/09/2010 02:58:55 PM · #268 |
Originally posted by tanguera:
Originally posted by ursula:
I hope that's what you were asking about? |
Exactly, although I'm a bit fuzzy about a "light" mask. Also, when I try to apply a mask and then erase parts of it, I just simply can't get it to do it. I can erase the image layer itself, but then I'm stuck if I want to try something else. Weird how it's some of the more basic stuff that I struggle with...
And THANK YOU! |
I'm not sure what a "light" mask either...
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11/09/2010 03:53:55 PM · #269 |
 
I couldn't decide which version I liked best. |
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11/09/2010 05:10:20 PM · #270 |
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11/09/2010 06:13:49 PM · #271 |
Originally posted by ursula:
Originally posted by tanguera:
On a completely separate note, I have a technique question for all you brilliant people. I often see "added gradient" to notes, and I know there is a way to make a layer go from light to dark (or vice-versa). But when I try to apply it, all it does is create a gradient layer of color, instead of creating an gradient of the image. I don't know if I'm explaining it right, but please PM me with any answers. THANKS! |
Do the gradient on a mask. Let's say, you have a photo that's too light on one side, and you want to even out the light. One way to do it is to create a copy layer, add a mask, use your gradient tool on the mask to block out the darker side, set to whatever way you want to use to even out the light, and there you have it. One thing that's very neat and useful is to use gradient masks in combination with channel masks, e.g. colour or luminosity masks. It's a much subtler way to go about stuff. To use the same example of an image that's too light on one side, and you're evening out the light with a gradient. That gradient will darken not only the lights but also the darks. If you use the gradient in combo with a light mask, then you will affect only that side and only the light values. I hope that makes sense. It works beautifully!
PS -- I hope that's what you were asking about? |
I *think* by "light mask" she means "luminosity mask"...
Anyway... try this approach to darken one side of the image progressively, only in the lighter areas:
1. On base layer hit cntrl-alt-tilde; this will give a feathered selection of the brightest areas in the image.
2. Cntrl-shift-N creates a new layer, empty; set it to multiply mode and check the button for "fill with multiply-neutral color (white)"
3. Set black as foreground color and white as BG color in the toolbox color picker
4. Select the gradient tool and be sure it is set to linear gradient, foreground to BG (that will be black-to-white)
5. With the multiply layer set as the active layer and the feathered highlight selection showing, draw the gradient straight across from the too-light side to the OK side.
6. Fade the layer opacity as needed.
R.
Message edited by author 2010-11-09 18:14:08. |
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11/09/2010 08:11:21 PM · #272 |
| Thank you Bear. I'll have to do this when I have some time to study your notes. Half of what you wrote is still gibberish to me. The learning curve is SO $%&)(#*$ steep!!!!!! |
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11/09/2010 08:18:02 PM · #273 |
Originally posted by Bear_Music:
Originally posted by ursula:
Originally posted by tanguera:
On a completely separate note, I have a technique question for all you brilliant people. I often see "added gradient" to notes, and I know there is a way to make a layer go from light to dark (or vice-versa). But when I try to apply it, all it does is create a gradient layer of color, instead of creating an gradient of the image. I don't know if I'm explaining it right, but please PM me with any answers. THANKS! |
Do the gradient on a mask. Let's say, you have a photo that's too light on one side, and you want to even out the light. One way to do it is to create a copy layer, add a mask, use your gradient tool on the mask to block out the darker side, set to whatever way you want to use to even out the light, and there you have it. One thing that's very neat and useful is to use gradient masks in combination with channel masks, e.g. colour or luminosity masks. It's a much subtler way to go about stuff. To use the same example of an image that's too light on one side, and you're evening out the light with a gradient. That gradient will darken not only the lights but also the darks. If you use the gradient in combo with a light mask, then you will affect only that side and only the light values. I hope that makes sense. It works beautifully!
PS -- I hope that's what you were asking about? |
I *think* by "light mask" she means "luminosity mask"...
Anyway... try this approach to darken one side of the image progressively, only in the lighter areas:
1. On base layer hit cntrl-alt-tilde; this will give a feathered selection of the brightest areas in the image.
2. Cntrl-shift-N creates a new layer, empty; set it to multiply mode and check the button for "fill with multiply-neutral color (white)"
3. Set black as foreground color and white as BG color in the toolbox color picker
4. Select the gradient tool and be sure it is set to linear gradient, foreground to BG (that will be black-to-white)
5. With the multiply layer set as the active layer and the feathered highlight selection showing, draw the gradient straight across from the too-light side to the OK side.
6. Fade the layer opacity as needed.
R. |
Isn't it cntl alt 2, not tilde?
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11/09/2010 09:38:41 PM · #274 |
We are. |
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11/09/2010 09:51:11 PM · #275 |
Originally posted by Bear_Music:
I *think* by "light mask" she means "luminosity mask"...
Anyway... try this approach to darken one side of the image progressively, only in the lighter areas:
1. On base layer hit cntrl-alt-tilde; this will give a feathered selection of the brightest areas in the image.
R. |
Yes, luminosity masks. I combine them with gradients and other such things. I select my light areas using command-click on the RGB channel (control-click for PC). It's the same as the control-alt+tilde or option-command+tilde (for CS3 and earlier), or control-alt+2 / option-command+2 (for CS4 and younger). You can also simply drop the RGB channel into the "load channel as selection" button. All 3 do the same thing.
Luminosity masks can be inverted, mutiplied (both the standard ones and the inverted ones), and you can create midtones masks by selecting the whole image and taking away darks and lights. I have a set of 12 luminosity masks saved as an action, that are very useful. Combined with other selection tools, they are probably the most powerful tool I have to edit my pictures. I use them in both RGB and LAB mode, I often work in LAB mode anymore. The midtones masks in particular, esp. the expanded and wide midtones, are very useful!
BTW, I had been using luminosity masks for quite a while, but didn't really know how they functioned until rather recently. I learned a lot more about them at Chromasia - David Nightingale's site. There are a couple tutorials there that address luminosity masking, they are very good (the tutorials). The tutorials are by subscription, so I think I should probably not say anything more here about how the masks are created/used, 'cause it is not knowledge I somehow figured out by myself, at least not the fine details. A lot I had figured out already, but not the details.
BTW #2: I am not trying to sell that site, Chromasia. It's of no interest to me. But I do think that it is a great value for the money! The tutorials are excellent.
Message edited by author 2010-11-09 21:55:24. |
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