Highlighting the creative magic behind post-processed photos
1 video; 4 photographers – many thanks to this week’s group of diehard participants! A smaller group, but still a lot to enjoy! (Robin, my second in command — you did know that, didn’t you, Robin? — sends his regrets but will return to the Forum next week following his trip out west to photograph the Milky Way. Can’t wait to see those photos!) Join the fun; the more, the merrier, as the saying goes! Guidelines are on the After-Before Friday Forum page.
UPDATE: August 25, 2014: At the suggestion of Jaime Perez (My Photolanguage), I have recropped my image to get rid of the Dutch angle to include the entirety of the word “Explorer.” Jaime felt the photo would be better composed with this change (see his comment, below). I always like to try out suggestions from others, to see my images through others’ eyes. Jaime doesn’t make his suggestions lightly and so I don’t take them lightly – he has been highly instructive in helping me get the best I can from my images. So I have included the re-edit in my gallery. I think Jaime’s suggestion is spot on. What do you think?
My submission: This week, after cropping my photo using the golden triangle overlay, I use a combination of two radial filters and the adjustment brush to achieve my desired result. Most of the time, I don’t follow a straight-line process as I apply effects, so when I look back at my history and try to make sense of what I did to the image, the steps oftentimes seem a bit crazy. But that’s what I love about post-processing. It’s a trial-and-error process of creation.
To create the videos, however, I look at the final settings in the develop panel and it is these that I dial in all at once in the tutorial. So sometimes you might think a selection I’ve made is strange, but keep an open mind and judge by the final image 🙂
I’d be interested to hear any thoughts, either on the photo itself or on the tutorial. Also, if there’s anything you’d like me to focus on in an upcoming tutorial, I’d be happy to try to oblige!
I’ve also included the after and before images.
Submitted by Loré Dombaj — Snow’s Fissures and Fractures
Loré says: In all my ventures into the world of post-processing, I realized I mostly enjoy working on low-quality images. As in most things in my life, I like the challenge. That’s why this week I picked another image from my folder “discarded”. As you can see in the original image, it is out of focus, details are not very clear. I was wondering what to do, in which direction to go. I started with exposure , decreasing brightness and increasing shadows. The shadows seemed to accentuate some details more than the others, giving it overall a much dramatic look. You can check my blog for more details.
Submitted by Jaime Perez — My Photolanguage
Jaime says: This time I posted a photo of a representation of a very traditional popular festivity, here in Venezuela called “Diablos Danzantes” (Dancing Devils). This is a Religious festivity celebrated at the Corpus Christi Day. They are named according to the location, being the Dancing Devils of Yare, in Miranda State. In this case, the photo is from the Dancing Devils of Patanemo, in Carabobo State.
Submitted by Benjamin Rowe — aperture64
Ben says: Last week I was in the Sudeten mountains hiking and climbing. Of course on conquering each mountain I wanted a panoramic shot and this is my addition for the before and after forum.
My inclusion of this second gallery of my photos is a workaround for the WordPress mobile Reader, which I discovered last week does not post my chosen featured image but seemingly the last image in the last gallery of the post. I don’t want to take credit for anyone else’s work, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed that this will work.
Please click on the links of those who contributed this week, to read about their post-processing steps and/or to see what other treasures they have on their blogs. They’d love to have you visit!
So what do you think of the ABFriday forum?
Feel free to leave your thoughts and suggestions in the comment section. And don’t forget to view the guidelines if you want to participate. I’d love to have you onboard!
Visual Venturing 
Another great week in ABFrifday’s Forum Stacy; congrats!
Regarding your submission, a very good exercise introducing the golden triangle composition technique; however:
I Like: the routine basic steps for your edition process; definitely, a more vivid, contrasted, clear and detailed image; excellent!
I don’t like (that much): the cropping and final angle of inclination. More dynamic? It could be, for sure; but, in this case, the rule of third played against and the golden triangle requires some other elements in the composition which lead your look to that focusing point in the image. In addition, tilting the image let an incomplete word up there that, to me, is what more attract my attention; I get stuck right there trying to imagine what it’ll say.
If you ask me, I’d have cropped it keeping the whole word combined with the Ford logo, both of them centered, as it was originally taken the picture.
LikeLike
Jaime, I took your suggestion and played around with the image. And, once again, I do believe I like your way better 🙂 One of the reasons I had angled the photo was to cover up the fact that the bottom half of my legs was reflected in the black bumper (a lazy approach, I admit). But I took the image into Photoshop and dealt with that issue, which left me free to reconsider the crop in the manner you suggested. I did think leaving only a portion of the word was more intriguing, but I can also see that the head-on crop works just as well, if not better. I’m going to upload it to the gallery as an update, so please let me know what you think after seeing it 🙂
As always, LOVE seeing my images through your eyes! Many thanks.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Jaime, the post is updated 🙂
LikeLike
Unbelievable Stacy; once again, it looks like if you’ve red not only my comment but my mind! That is, EXACTLY, the image I had conceived. Now, (as Loré suggested) this is a central-full-page-magazine-commercial photo!
LikeLike
Ha! If I get an offer from Ford, you’ll definitely be my agent 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
We have a deal!
LikeLike
There’s a golden triangle overlay ???? 🙂 You can see how much I need your videos on Lightroom. A shame I don’t have time today to just sit and practice what you have done. I have had trouble with the filters not correcting where I want, who knew you could invert!! Thanks these are exactly what I need, keep them coming.
LikeLike
Karen, I’ve been feeling as if the videos were becoming too repetitive, since for the most part, I’m applying the same processes, just to different photos. So your comment couldn’t have been better timed! So glad you found something useful. Really, thanks a lot!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Not repetitive for the likes of me please keep going I find them very useful. 😆
LikeLiked by 1 person
Still going strong. That’s excellent ! It’s always instructive to see how you’ve turned a quite ordinary picture like the car in the rain, into something more interesting by focussing on the Ford mark. It shows how important composition is.
LikeLike
Yup, we’re still chugging along, Spotted Cow 🙂 Any chance you’ll return at some point? 😉 No pressure … really. Glad you got the point of my edit. The power of post-processing in creating a focal point that might otherwise be “lost” in the rest of a photo is just wonderful! Always fun to see you pop in 😀
LikeLike
I’ll have another go when sumner’s done. I’ll have a bit more time then as I won’t be travelling around so much. X
LikeLike
Thanks for hosting the forum Stacy and thanks for sharing your editing steps.
LikeLike
You’re very welcome, Ben. As for my editing steps, they’re incredibly simplistic compared to the magic you can work in Photoshop. But we all have to start somewhere 🙂
LikeLike
Week in and week out I hope more people would participate, so I can blend into a background. 😀
Jaime and Ben, great work as usual, I left comments on your blogs.
Stacy, what an interesting idea. Even the simplest object can produce great images. I think you did a great job in post-processing. Honestly, the “after” image could be used in a magazine comercial.
LikeLike
Loré, we don’t want you blending! What I love about your posts is your willingness to dive in and try out different ways of post-processing your photos. Having a range of photos, editing styles, and post-processing applications is what contributes to the fun of the Forum, as there’s something here for everyone (at least that’s my thought)! So keep ’em coming! And thanks for the very nice comment 🙂
LikeLike
I believe the idea of your forum is to show different things, even bad ones. And I love when I get a feedback on my work, it pushes me onward.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Me too! 🙂
LikeLike
Very nice!! GREAT processing on them all!! 🙂
LikeLike
Hi, West! Thanks for stopping in AND for the likes you left too 🙂 I’m off to see your Friday post to find out what you’ve come up with 🙂
LikeLike