Editing Challenge No. 3

[wornish]

Originally Posted by OM USer

I liked the idea and wondered if I could do something similar. As you say it is trickier than it looks. .............. I used about twenty or so layers in Photoshop Elements to get the masking right for each window. Thanks.

You got it right in your assumptions. I was using Photoshop CC for this and I am no expert. I used lots of layers and made lots of mistakes on the way.
I selected the windows and copied to a new layer. I increased the contrast a lot and then inverted the image. This created black frames and lighter glass. If light is coming from the room then the frames would appear dark when seen from the outside.

Then it was down to using a soft brush tool to paint in the areas with various shades of yellow multiple layers each with slightly less opacity as you go to the edges. I Remerged the windows with the original and adjusted the mask to get a good join. Hope this makes sense. I enjoy doing post processing but I am not artistic enough to match the experts.

I did find this tutorial which helped a bit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCbUcPVvsGA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCbUcPVvsGA

[OM USer]

Originally Posted by wornish

I did find this tutorial which helped a bit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCbUcPVvsGA

Excellent tutorial, thanks Dave.

Originally Posted by wornish

... I used lots of layers and made lots of mistakes on the way.

Same here

Originally Posted by wornish

I selected the windows and copied to a new layer. I increased the contrast a lot and then inverted the image. This created black frames and lighter glass. If light is coming from the room then the frames would appear dark when seen from the outside.

It was the inversion that I couldn't get right; hence my use of cloning in the stonework. Was it just a matter of using the inversion filter?

Originally Posted by wornish

Then it was down to using a soft brush tool to paint in the areas with various shades of yellow multiple layers each with slightly less opacity as you go to the edges. I Remerged the windows with the original and adjusted the mask to get a good join. Hope this makes sense. I enjoy doing post processing but I am not artistic enough to match the experts.

With nothing to guide me I just started by selecting the windows (by masking) and then increasing the brightness. Adding a yellow solid colour layer at 50% opacity above it helped a bit. Then I switched the merge (blend) mode for the colour layer from normal (overlay) to screen. I don't know what this does (I'm still learning as well) but it gave it a much more translucent effect that I was happy with when I pushed the opacity back up nearer 100%.

For the outside of the windows to get the light spill effect on the stonework I used a radial gradient mask for each window, i.e. a graduated effect, starting from the centre of the window and moving to approximately the same distance outside the window. I then touched it up by flattening the sides with a 10% brush to the mask reduce the effects and form more of a rectangle than a circle. I then used the mask with a brightness/contrast layer to increase the brightness. For the four big windows I copied each mask and used it with a Hue/Saturation layer adjusting the yellows by +50%. For the 2 round windows above these I had the yellow set at +80% but set the opacity to 62% to get a deeper yellow but tone down the intensity from such a big increase. Finally there was a bit of Hue/Saturation and Brighness/Contrast on the main picture to suit taste.


From an original by Tim, inspiration by Dave, and lots of hard work by me! (This one not entered into the challenge).

[wornish]

You got there - great job. Trial and error pays off in the end. Thats how we all learn.

If I was being really picky I would perhaps suggest you slightly reduce the lighting on the stonework around the windows real light would only spread a small amount and be less noticeable and fade the further away from the window edge it goes.

You have shown persistence and it delivered results.

Good fun this challenge - certainly kept me occupied. Some recent posts are certainly pushing the boundaries to the limit.

[Bikie John]

Originally Posted by OM USer

Then I switched the merge mode for the colour layer from normal (overlay) to screen. I don't know what this does (I'm still learning as well) but it gave it a much more translucent effect that I was happy with when I pushed the opacity back up nearer 100%.

Put simply, screen mode will generally lighten your image, overlay (which is NOT the same as Normal) will darken it.

The way I understand it is that in "normal" mode you just see the layer on top. You reduced opacity which enabled some detail from the layer(s) below to show through.

If we think of an image with just two layers, to preserve a little bit of sanity:

For the effect of "screen" mode, imagine that each of your layers is on a slide in its own projector, and they are pointing at the same screen. This means that the lighter parts of each layer will lighten the overall image.

For "overlay", imagine an overhead projector with each of your layers on a foil - and you put one foil on top of the other. Or if you prefer, jam your two slides together in the same mount. This is not quite the opposite of screen, but the effect is that the darker parts of each layer darken the overall.

Multiply mode can also be interesting, although probably not relevant here - it combines screen mode for the lighter bits and overlay for the darker bits, which has the effect of increasing contrast.

Hope this is clear and helpful .... John

[timboo]

Originally Posted by wornish

You got there - great job. Trial and error pays off in the end. Thats how we all learn.

If I was being really picky I would perhaps suggest you slightly reduce the lighting on the stonework around the windows real light would only spread a small amount and be less noticeable and fade the further away from the window edge it goes.

You have shown persistence and it delivered results.

Good fun this challenge - certainly kept me occupied. Some recent posts are certainly pushing the boundaries to the limit.

I used a slightly different method. All edits done in Lightroom. To enhance the rectangular windows add 1x grad filter top to bottom of the image with reduced exposure increased vibrance and contrast. tweak highlights and shadows slightly (grad filter). Add additional individual radial filters to the windows, invert and adjust accordingly changing the white balance, and exposure. Then any edges outside window touch up with a brush or use eraser to blend in with high feather and automask. Only downside to my methed was the circular windows, as I couldnt tweak them well enough, but certainly the rectangular windows came out well.

[OM USer]

Originally Posted by Bikie John

Put simply, screen mode will generally lighten your image, overlay (which is NOT the same as Normal) will darken it.

The way I understand it is that in "normal" mode you just see the layer on top. You reduced opacity which enabled some detail from the layer(s) below to show through.

Sorry, problem with terminology. I hadn't realised that there is an "overlay" mode with a different connotation. Yes, I reduced the opacity to get some of the original details showing as I didn't want a block orange colour.

Originally Posted by Bikie John

If we think of an image with just two layers, to preserve a little bit of sanity:

For the effect of "screen" mode, imagine that each of your layers is on a slide in its own projector, and they are pointing at the same screen. This means that the lighter parts of each layer will lighten the overall image.

For "overlay", imagine an overhead projector with each of your layers on a foil - and you put one foil on top of the other. Or if you prefer, jam your two slides together in the same mount. This is not quite the opposite of screen, but the effect is that the darker parts of each layer darken the overall.

Multiply mode can also be interesting, although probably not relevant here - it combines screen mode for the lighter bits and overlay for the darker bits, which has the effect of increasing contrast.

Hope this is clear and helpful .... John

As clear as ......
Actually reading it twice does help but whether I will remember is a different matter - there are 25 different types to choose from in my version! Thanks.

Edit: just found this useful link for a short 8 minute you tube tutorial on blending modes from the "Photoshop Training Channel".

Photoshop BLENDING MODES - 8-Minute CRASH COURSE! - YouTube

Photoshop BLENDING MODES - 8-Minute CRASH COURSE! - YouTube

and the longer 41 minute version

Blending Modes Explained - Complete Guide to Photoshop Blend Modes - YouTube

Blending Modes Explained - Complete Guide to Photoshop Blend Modes - YouTube

[OM USer]

Originally Posted by wornish

You got there - great job. Trial and error pays off in the end. Thats how we all learn.

If I was being really picky I would perhaps suggest you slightly reduce the lighting on the stonework around the windows real light would only spread a small amount and be less noticeable and fade the further away from the window edge it goes.

You have shown persistence and it delivered results.

Good fun this challenge - certainly kept me occupied. Some recent posts are certainly pushing the boundaries to the limit.

Agreed, I have overdone it a bit on the light spill. I was still tweaking it a bit when your reply came in and I stopped to look at the online video you linked to.

Edit: Here is the final version


From an original by Tim, inspiration by Dave. (This one not entered into the challenge as I borrowed the idea but feel free to comment).

[Graham_of_Rainham]

While I think we may have already chosen the most "liked" image, please indicate your choice by midnight on Sunday...

[OM USer]

I don't believe that I should be dishing out my votes without justifying my thoughts in case you think I've gone barmy. But I'm not a seasoned photo judge and may need to be locked up. So here goes...

A nice subject and a good vantage point but the lighting was not the best and OOC jpeg is dull and not that inspiring... a good project.

Dave (Wornish), attempt 1: I really liked the work done on the building, especially the yellow on the brickwork. The grass let it down for me as it didn't look grassy - the colours were all wrong and there was some clear evidence of cloning on the right. I liked the way the leaves in the tree became more prominent. As I liked work on the the building so much it got my first vote.

OM User, attempt 1, "Daybreak": My attempt at finding a slightly unothodox solution to give it some more interest.

OM User, attempt 2, "Afternoon": My attempt at making it look the way I would like to have seen it as I walked up to it; bright sun bringing out the detail and fluffy clouds. What the OOC jpeg should have been if conditions had been ideal.

KeithL "Gothic": Interesting approach. I would like to have seen some dark clouds to go with the theme.

Mik: Nice detail on the building coming through. Shame you did not persevere with with cloning. The slightly dull look of the OOC jpeg is still making its presence felt in the grass and trees.

Dave (Wornish), attempt 2, "reduced yellow": I likes the yellow in your first attempt so did not think this was an improvement but clearly some people felt otherwise and will like this version.

OM User, attempt 3, "Midday": My attempt at the full on clone thing. Move the tree, get rid of all the people, remove the tall fence that obstructs the view, slightly straighten the ground, brighten the whole thing up, and improve the detail in the far right of the fence.

Timboo, attempt 1: Nice use of the clouds to bring out the theme. Slight crop to remove unwanted detail on the right and some highlighting to the windows. Very nicely done.

Timboo, attempt 2: I enjoyed the extra detail brought by backlighting the fence. Overall, for me, the mono conversion does not add enough to the first attempt to surpass it.

Timboo, attempt 3: A good attempt to just enliven the dull original but I think there was more promise and imagination in the first 2 attempts.

Timboo, attempt 4, "Fog": Nice idea and well executed. Liked it. Got my second vote.

Mark (mj224): Good feel to the building and the trees. I liked the way the light falling on the central part of the building had been done. The sky looked very blue (too blue?) and shame about the clouds at the top.

Dave (Wornish) attempt 3, "lights on": a masterpiece of imagination and execution that I tried and failed to emulate. Got the last of my 3 votes.

Invicta: Nicley cropped and framed. Very good at bringing the picture to life and drawing out some fine colours from the dull original.

Peter (Art Frames): A just superb idea and can't fault the work in bringing the building to life. Not sure this was going through Tim's mind when he pressed the shutter. Almost got one of my votes.

[wornish]

Enjoy the challenge, it keeps us occupied

[Graham_of_Rainham]

And the winner is:

Originally Posted by art frames

[MJ224]

Well done Art Frames, a bit of great sideways thinking...................

[timboo]

Well done, very well thought out approach, so different and totally unexpected :-)

[OM USer]

A good dose of imagination and some fine editing. Well done.

[Phill D]

Well done Peter.