Digital Effects

Leaf Encounter

Sometimes we can get so familiar with the things around us – including nature – that they begin to look ordinary and even boring when you’ve seen hundreds of ‘samey’ looking pics. So it’s always a challenge to try to present images in a different way and even taking pics from different points of view can become clichés in the photography world. eg looking up at your subject from a very low pov. [ At my age I couldn’t get down there anyway and even if I did it would need a crane to lift me upright again!]

So, for me, this is where ‘post processing’ comes into its own … in todays digital world companies seem to be falling over themselves to give us more and more instant ‘effects’ to transform our images. So I thought I would post some that I’ve done in ON1 Perfect effects and Topaz Adjust/Impressions.

These ‘effects’ are not to everyone’s taste of course because they transform a photograph into something else entirely – a painting!  As someone who used to paint in oils nearly every day, I was curious to see what my pics would look like after the ‘treatment’.

Actually – there are so many different painting styles and other effects available in these programmes that it can become time consuming to try to find the right one. Your own artistic judgements are necessary as every photo image will need your own decisions. Not every effect will suit every image ….  but it all comes down to personal choice in the end.  It’s always a good feeling though when someone likes the same thing you do!

I especially liked this one because it reminded me of the old glossy photo, post-card type Birthday cards with deckled edges that were around in the 30s-40s [yes – I remember receiving them as a little girl].

This one has just a hint of a painterly effect applied and is less extreme than the previous images. These effects can easily become addictive and I’ve seen so many that seem to follow the latest fad – eg – a more gritty look, especially in ‘Urban/Street photography, or there’s one that really smooths out choppy water in the sea, waterfalls and around rocks. I must confess, I don’t like to see water like that as their choppiness, to me, is their attraction.  When it comes to water in lakes and rivers you can get away with it because it can add to the glass-like quality.

Oh dear – I’m beginning to sound like a bit of an expert, when I’m nothing of the kind – it’s just my personal choices!  Anyway – the professional wisdom is that you should always do as much as you can to get a good shot ‘in camera’ and not use and rely on post processing to correct flaws etc. BUT – there are times when you use simple adjustments to remove unsightly/unavoidable telephone wires etc that spoil and detract from an otherwise good image, or use the crop tool for a better composition. The software programmes for all this is extremely clever …..Another thing that can be slightly overdone is the use of a vignette –  I think I’ve struck just the right note her [ forgive the pun!]

This last one is an example of a light instead of dark vignette – also softened image. I recently read a comment somewhere [not here] that light vignettes were very popular in the ’70’s’ and old hat to use today – which only goes to prove what I said previously about photographers having ‘fads’. Personally I think all things are allowed – if it suits the subject – use it!

I rest my case,

Hope ya’ll have a great day, and many thanks for visiting … blessings,  Eileen