Turning a dull image into an interesting watercolour in Photoshop

Remember to click on the images for a larger view

If, like me, you've taken a photograph of something that looked spectacular at the time but when you got it into the computer you end up being a little disappointed at the result then this simple technique might just help.

I took this image in the Lake District at the Honister Pass. The pass itself is stunning and well worth a visit but this image just doesn't do it justice. It was a typical Lakeland day when I captured this image, dull and overcast with just a little rain.  When I downloaded it into the PC the image seemed flat and lifeless. I did the usual tweaks in Photoshop but nothing really brought it to life in the way I remembered it. 

I decided that if I was going to do anything with this image that I had to move away from creating a standard image and turn it into something different. Opening the image in Photoshop I  turned my attention to the filter gallery by going to filter>artistic>watercolor

I could have selected any of the options available to get to the gallery but I'd seen a tutorial by Gavin Hoey in which he'd used the watercolour filter and I liked the effect so in this case I went directly to the watercolour filter.  I adjusted the settings until I got a result that I liked. There is no hard and fast rule regarding the settings. It's simply a matter of moving the sliders until you see a result that pleases you. Once I'd applied the filter and clicked 'OK' to accept the settings I then used the Clone Stamp tool to remove the little car and finally added an arty border to frame the image.  

The final result (below) took about 30 mins to achieve and although it's still nothing like I remember the view as I stood by that little stream it made use of an otherwise dull image of a beautiful part of the country. Give the technique a go and whilst your in the gallery why not try a few of the other filters available to you.

Using the Cokin P125 Gradual Tobacco Filter

Cokin P125 Graduated Tobacco Filter

In this post I'm showing you the different effects that can be created using the Cokin Graduated Tobacco filter. 

The Cokin filter system has numerous filters which, in most cases, comprise a square piece of glass or high quality plastic that fits in a holder which, in turn, fits to the end of the lens. 

I wanted a filter that could simulate the effect that my sunglasses  have on the clouds in a landscape so I decided to try the Graduated Tobacco filter.

As the name suggests this filter is graduated which simply means that the effect (Tobaccos colour) gets lighter as it progresses down the length of the filter from top to bottom.

In this first image there is NO filter fitted.

Exposure f16.0 at 1/800th second with ISO 250



In this second image the filter is fitted and positioned about one third over the lens giving a dramatic sky scape.

Exposure f18 at 1/800th second with ISO 250



In this last image the filter is positioned about halfway over the lens. Whilst the effect is quite dramatic it is somewhat over the top and dominates the final picture.  It has also caused the the snow to become discoloured which was NOT the desired effect.

Exposure f18 at 1/400th second with ISO 250

Obviously the type of final effect that can be created depends entirely on the setting of the filter and on the requirements of the individual taking the photograph. Experimenting with different filters, settings and exposures can dramatically change the final image. In the end beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

If you'd like to find out more about the Cokin Filter System check out your local photographic retailer or follow this link http://www.cokin.co.uk/

 

Sigma 50mm f2.8 DG Macro Lens

Sigma 50mm Macro

Recently I decided to try my hand at a little macro photography. I'd already taken a few shots using a 50mm lens with some auto extension tubes. The shots were OK but nothing to write home about. So I decided to treat myself to a dedicated macro lens. I dropped into Jacobs in Derby and took a look at the various macros lenses they had on offer. There were a few but I finally settled on the Sigma 50mm f2.8 DG Macro. It's a Nikon AF fit so it works really well with my  with my D300s. The lens is light and easy to use and it extremely quick at finding focus.

LED Macro Ring

Some time ago a picked up a Macro LED ring from Amazon.  I use the LED ring in as shown in the illustration on the left. I always shoot in RAW which gives me the maximum flexibility in post processing. I was surprised and pleased at how well the macro LED light works. Unlike a flashgun It gives a constant light which allows the user to view the subject and set the exposure in manual mode with continuous illumination. Although the light works with 4 x AA batteries, which is useful for portable work, I recommend using the supplied mains unit where possible.

The following two shots are of an old two shilling piece and shows the ability of the macro lens at two different settings. 

ISO 250, 0.4 secs at f36 1:2 magnification

This shot was taken at 1:2 and illuminated with the set up above. You can see how detailed the image is including the scuffs and scratches acquired during everyday use over it's 60 odd years. 

ISO 250, 0.4secs at f36 1:1 magnification

This is the same two shilling piece but this shot was taken with the lens set at 1:1 magnification. This means that the image on the camera sensor is life size. The lighting was exactly the same at the image above. As you can see, only the crown is in shot. The only cropping done to the image was to make it square which resulted in a slight loss of image on either side.

I took a number of macro images during this initial shoot. The rest of the images from this session can be found on my gallery page at

 www.carrington-imagery.photoshop.com 

please check it out.