When we went out to Bannack Ghost Town, we had a photo contest in the cemetery close to sundown. We had five minutes to take pictures and then choose one to submit as we got back on the bus.
My camera was dead so I pulled out my phone and just focused on composing a good shot. Here is what I got and ended up winning with:
Bannack
May 25, 2011; 4:28 PM; Bannack, MT;
F/4.0 SHUTTER: 1/500 ISO: 80 Canon Powershot SX120 IS
Family Night
May 22, 2011; 7:22 PM Rexburg, Idaho
F/3.5 SHUTTER: 1/1600 ISO: 100 Canon Powershot SX120 IS
Eagle in Swan Valley
May 14, 2011; 9:16 AM, Swan Valley, Idaho
F/4.3 SHUTTER: 1/200 ISO: 200 Canon Powershot SX120 IS
Bannack One
Process:
I added a paint daub filter to the image before clearing the image and ‘history brushing’ hte image back in. I used mainly a 90 percent opacity on a heavily speckled brush. For the final black border I increased the canvas size by 5 percent while keeping the image centered.
Bannack Two
Process:
I cleared the image and using the history brush I brought back what you see. I used a small brush with only three or four dots and small strokes to create the lined effect. Add a little typography (‘Permanent Marker’ from Google’s Web Font Directory) and you got a Van Gough inspired effect.
Process:
I began with duplicating the pre-edited image. I used a multiply blend on that layer, getting the darker feel. I used a mask to bring back the family. To create the border, I increased the canvas side by 5 percent twice, each time using a different color to expand the canvas, giving it a double border.
Eagle One
Side note on the image:
As I preparing my panorama post a couple weeks back, we were out past Ririe collecting some potential shots. A Bald Eagle swooped in. His nest turned out to be just below the scenic overlook (on highway 26) where we were shooting. I had to commit the unpardonable sin of digital zoom to get this picture. The eagle in this shot is probably 150 yards away.
Process:
I applied the paint daub filter again which was particularly effective in negating some of the side-effects of using digital zoom. Using the marquee tool I selected the part of the image I wanted to use and after refining the edge with a feather effect, I created a new layer and discarded the rest. I applied a black border by expanding the canvas size by 5 percent and applied some text to finish ‘er off.
Eagle Two
Process:
Using the same paint-daub filtered image above, I cleared the image and used a history brush to bring back the image on a black backdrop.
Click photos for more details.
Click on an image below to see the details.
I used Dynamic Photo for all my HDR enhancements.
What do you get when you blend a desk, broken bottle and mossy stone together? I’ll show you . . .
Original
Texture One: Mossy Stone
Texture Two: Desk Lines
I applied a black and white filter to Desk Lines and the Original. I also used a mask and opacity levels to balance out the textures (especially the moss). The result is a rugged rustic photograph:
Finished Product
Photography Notes:
Original
Bannack, MT; May 25, 2011, 3:40 p.m.
F/3.5 SHUTTER: 1/1250 ISO: 400 Canon Powershot SX120IS
Texture One”: Moss
Bannack, MT; May 25, 2011, 3:43 p.m.
F/4.0 SHUTTER: 1/1600 ISO:100 Canon Powershot SX120IS
Texture Two: Desk Lines
Bannack, MT; May 25, 2011, 12:05 p.m.
F/4.0 SHUTTER: 1/60 EXPOSURE: -1 ISO: 160 PowerShot SX120IS
For this exercise. I used spot metering to first focus on a subject in the foreground and then in the second shot focus on a subject in the distance.
Foreground
Background
Reverse Depth
Bannack, MT; May 25, 2011; 1:10 p.m.
F/5.0 (F/6.3) Shutter: 1/1600 ISO:400 Canon Powershot SX120IS
*These shots were taken in shutter priority mode, which is why there is two different apertures.
Ghost Blur
Jump
Splash Down
Ghost Blur
Bannack, MT; May 25, 2011, 12:59 p.m.
F/8.0 SHUTTER: 2″ ISO: 80 Canon Powershot SX120IS
Jump
Bannack, MT; May 25, 2011, 12:36 p.m.
F/3.5 SHUTTER: 1/1600 ISO: 80 Canon Powershot SX120IS
Splash Down
Bannack, MT; May 25, 2011, 12:37 p.m.
F/3.5 SHUTTER: 1/1600 ISO: 80 Canon Powershot SX120IS
Each of these pictures were taken in Manual Mode to create the effect, it was a matter of primarily adjusting the shutter speed to catch (or blur) the action I wanted. Then, I adjusted the aperture to ensure I captured the image in good light. Slight lighting adjustments of exposure and vibrance were made in Camera Raw.
At the Window
Bannack, MT; May 25, 2011 12:13 p.m.
F/3.5 SHUTTER: 1/400 ISO: 400 Canon Powershot SX120IS
Minor adjustments: Using Camera Raw I increased the ‘Blacks’ level slightly. I also applied some filters to the window to bring back some color that was lost in the original shot.
Barbershop Reading
Bannack, MT; May 25, 2011; 12:16 p.m.
F/3.5 SHUTTER: 1/80 ISO: 250 Canon Powershot SX120IS
Minor adjustments: Using Camera Raw I increased the ‘blacks’ level slightly for added contrast.
Laughter
Bannack, Mt; May 25, 2011, 12:12 p.m.
F/4.0 SHUTTER: 1/30 ISO: 200 Canon Powershot SX120IS
Reading with Hat
Bannack, Mt; May 25, 2011, 12:01 p.m.
F/3.5 SHUTTER: 1/125 ISO: 320 Canon Powershot SX120IS
Reading with Cup
Bannack, Mt; May 25, 2011, 12:21 p.m.
F/4.0 SHUTTER: 1/125 ISO: 400 Canon Powershot SX120IS
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