On 2/8/2016 1:57 PM, Frank wrote:
Well, you did a nice 3d pop, then ;-)
Thanks!
I haven't done it very much but recently posted this one: <
https://www.flickr.com/photos/fmw/24513954979>.
Wow, could you have chosen a tougher image to work on? I wouldn't have touched that, myself. The bare trees should be
more in focus than the buildings behind them. I'd only do that masking for a 5 figure commission.
Looks like you brushed the effect in. There's a halo on our right side of the shoulder and neck; the blur doesn't quite
get there, either. And the plinth is blurred.
Slowly getting rid of an innervoice telling me I'm cheating....
A simple personnel matter; fire the inner critic. :-)
Please share some of your techniques to create a nice 3d pop?
I do have to say that that's not what I would say I'm doing. My intent is to show the subject at its best, and minimize
competition for the eyes' attention from background. If that makes it seem 3D, that's OK with me.
I can't imagine doing this in anything without layers and layer masks; this is PS.
<cid:part1.07030507.08010208@gmail.com>
Note, these are small daffodils, one inch-ish in diameter.
1. As it came out of ACR by default.
2. A pretty standard first step for me, NeatImage NR and Focus Magic deconvolution "sharpening". It takes a sharp eye to
see the difference, esp. at this size, but it's important to support later steps.
(Note the last frame. This is an illustration of the mask I created. You never see it this way in use, except as a tiny
thumbnail in the Levels box. It is used one way and another for almost all later work.)
3. Using the reverse of this mask on a copy of the prior level, I made the
background 'quieter'.
4. Blurring the background is slightly tricky. On a copy of the last layer, I first load the mask as a selection, then
delete the white area from the image layer. I then invert the mask (CTRL/Shift/I) and blur, Filter=>Blur=>Gaussian Blur.
Heavier than one wants is better than less, as the effect may be lightened with the layer opacity slider. Then apply the
selection as a mask.
If one simply blurs the whole image, with a layer of sharp main subject over it, the blurring of the subject creates a
fuzzy halo around it. By deleting the subject on that layer, then only applying blur to the other part, that is avoided.
5. LCE (USM, amount = 20, Radius = 50, Threshold = 0)
6. Curves
7. Slightly different Curves for the flowers only, to emphasize tonal graduations. (I actually used selection to create
two masks, flower and foliage, then combined them for most layers.)
8. Mostly Focus Magic, Radius 1, Opacity 80, with a little Radius 2, Opacity
100 brushed in lightly in a few places.
Does that answer your question?
Nuanced Masked Moose
--
What if the Hokey Pokey *IS* what it's all about?
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