What a gorgeous day outside!! I would really love to be out there with my camera, but since I’m technically still employed for the next two weeks, and therefore have to stay close to my workspace, I decided to spend some time practicing on some photo editing and processing skills. I do like the drama of the image, and how it highlights the feathering in the clouds! This is something I look forward to practicing more in the future!įlickr: Topaz ReMask and Layers Suzanne Hight March 17, 2015 Overall, I like the results, though, especially since the foreground did not get darkened when the sky did. I think I probably overdid the sky just a little bit, but I was trying to push it to see how the technique worked. ![]() Using the techniques that Nichole demonstrated during the webinar, here’s where I wound up ( click to view larger in Flickr): I then exported to Photoshop and opened the Topaz B&W Effects filter. ![]() The first thing I did was open the image in Lightroom and adjusted the exposure just slightly, and added a touch of clarity. I had never processed this particular image, but thought it would be fun to use for this technique. This image was shot with the Nikon D700, using my 14-28mm Nikkor glass (love that lens!!). This technique works great on images where there isn’t any other blue in the shot.Īfter watching the demonstration, I pulled out an old photo from February 2011 that I shot at South Mountain in Phoenix, Arizona. The process uses the selective color sliders in the plug-in to darken up the blues and cyans, while leaving the other colors alone. Today’s Quick Tip Thursday edition dealt with using the Topaz Black & White Effects plug-in to add drama to skies and clouds, without darkening up the rest of the photo. The webinars are recorded and made available for free on YouTube afterwards. The webinars are offered about twice a week–usually there’s a one-hour version on Tuesdays, and then there’s a “Quick Tip Thursday” edition that addresses a more specific task. I’ve been using them for several years now, and Topaz continues to improve both the functionality of the product as well as the user-friendliness of the interface.Īnother thing that I like about Topaz is that they offer free, live webinars where they demonstrate how to use their products to achieve specific results. I’m a big fan of the Topaz Labs family of filters and plug-ins. I’ll eventually get back to my weekly challenge, but as I said, the point is to be shooting and processing as much as possible, no matter what the subject matter!įlickr: Dramatic Skies in Black & White Suzanne Hight March 19, 2015 We’re going back to Arizona next week on a work/vacation trip, and I’m looking forward to doing a lot of landscape shooting around Sedona. A close look at his feet, though, make it clear that he’s not a well-to-do race car driver. Just check out those shades, and the rings on his left hand. This guy reminded me of a NASCAR driver, at least from the waist up. This last image was also taken on the same light rail ride, as we were about to board. This lady was in her own little world, and I just loved the character lines in her face. ![]() Many times the most interesting faces were actually in the train car with us, right across the aisle. I used to love getting on the train at one end of the route with my camera, and riding it all the way to the other end and back, getting off at different stops along the way to shoot. ![]() This next image was taken while we were riding the light rail. I wanted the focus of the observer to be drawn to the bottom of the image. I used the B&W Effects filter to add highlights to the older man’s face and hands, while keeping the son’s face hidden under his cap. The older gentlemen was being pushed along the street in his wheelchair by his son. This first one was taken on Grand Avenue. Note: Click the photos to view larger in Flickr. When I took these, I was still pretty bad about checking my ISO, shutter speed and exposure before I pulled the trigger. Unfortunately, the photos themselves weren’t as sharp as I would have liked for them to be. I love working in black and white, so this week I pulled out some old shots from when we lived in the Phoenix area, and tried using some of the techniques I’ve learned to these images. I’ve been watching the webinars from Topaz Labs this month, and they’ve been concentrating on their B&W Effects product for the last couple of weeks. Oh, well, at least I’m still working on my photography, and that’s the real point here. I seem to have drifted away from my weekly challenge topics lately.
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