Lesson 9 - Burned Edges

So any darkroom developer can burn the edges of a photo ever so subtley so that the focus is brought on the subject of the photo, right? Well today, we learned how to do that in PhotoShop. First, we added an Adjustment Layer of "Layers". Then, selecting our Gradient Tool, setting it on Radial-> Multiply and hitting D, then X on the keyboard (D sets us to white/black, X sets us to black/white), we drew a gradient from the center out. Finally, using the brush tool in a large size, we drew on that adjustment layer to bring out any focal points that we wanted to remove that gradient from (faces are a great example). Voila!

Not so sure what I think about the technique; I realize the reason for doing it, but I didn't really like the way it came out on my photo. I guess I'll have to try it again!

Day 8 - Adding Type

Today's class focused on adding type to a project. Jessica had us download a free font, called Karabine, to use on a photo that had some wideopen space (and it also works best when the subject is off center). I chose, as you can see, a photo of Elizabeth and Joyce that I took of them on Pelican Beach in Belize. I love this photo...it's not posed and it's the love between mother and daughter.

Aside from the type, I also added a folded paper like texture to the photo. I really like how it warmed the photo up!

Project 6 - TTV Images

I put a TTV layer on top of my original color photo that I took of the T in Boston a few years ago. Set the Blending Mode to multiply after I'd set the Sepia (Lesson 3) tones to the photo and voila! I like how I resized the image to a square beforehand. Apparently TTV is like the old school type of image and it does look old school...kind of like a polaroid!

Project 5: Textures

In this class, we used three different layers of textures to create an "aged" type of look to a photo. Jessica's word to the wise was that textures can be used everywhere, but when you're using it on a portrait of a person's face, it gets a little dicey.

Anyway, I chose a shot of an aerial of Warren's family farm. Warren's had this photo FOREVER and I had it high-res digitized for him last year. I added a brown paper bag texture, a grunge texture, and a film texture. I like how, just like Project 4, it gets an aged/crinkled type look (but in a different way, of course).

Project 4 - Clipping Masks

Ever seen a photo with a really cool edge around it and wonder how it was done? The answer: Clipping masks. Apparently, if you find a mask (edge) that you like, put the photo layer on top of the mask layer, hold down Alt and you mouse-hover over the line between those two layers and click, the photo takes on the edge of the mask.

SO COOL! It's like magic!

Project 3 - Vintage, Hand Tinted Look

In the third class, Jessica focused on using two Hue/Saturation layers on top of the photo. First, doing a layer with a 50-60 Saturation and then doing another Hue/Saturation Layer on top of that with a Hue of 35 and a Saturation of 25. Doing this "recipe" as she refers to it, on this layer, adds a Quick Sepia tone to any photo, and I like it!

You may notice this photo, as the original was taken a few summers ago when I visited Jenni in Virginia. Basically what I've done to the photo is tone down the color (a lot) so it looks older and more vintagey.

What do you think?

Project 2 - Photoshop Brushes

On to Project 2 (Day 2) of my class at Jessica Sprague! I find that her videos are amazingly easy to follow and they are only about 7-8 minutes long, which means that I can follow through on one class without devoting a ton of time to it! Also, she's given us enough free goodies that we can play around with items outside of the one example that she builds in the video. I like that!

I thought that an image of Jenni and Jason with two different brushes (Frame/Celebrate) would be appropriate since they just got married! They're currently in the Mediterranean doing a cruise for their honeymoon; how jealous am I?