Tag Archives: portraits

Photoshop Borders

First, three ordinary photos with descriptions

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

Second, adding Borders

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.

Bannack, MT: Portraits

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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

Portraits

Elizabeth

Mia

Deliberation

Flower Power

Stance

Discovery

Elizabeth
Front Yard at 35 S. 2nd E, Rexburg, Idaho; May 22, 2011, 7:57 p.m.
[Manual] F/3.5 SHUTTER: 1/100 ISO 100 Canon Powershot SX120 IS

Using spot metering and manual settings, I captured the original image. In Camera Raw I increased brought back some of brightness and vibrancy that was there when I took the shot. I also softened some of the lighting on Elizabeth’s face and balanced out the evening shadows that were falling across her face.

In Photoshop I proceeded to spot heal minor blemishes and apply a simple airbursh (30 percent opacity/38 flow) to further soften and even facial colors and features. To adjust specific areas of contrast, I applied a separate layer of black and white paint set with a soft light blending mode. There was also a tooth on the right-hand side of the face that for whatever reason caught a really crazy yellow light and was rather discolored. Using clone stamp and the soft light layer mentioned above, I made some adjustments.

Mia: Head & Shoulders
Front Yard at 35 S. 2nd E, Rexburg, Idaho; May 22, 2011, 7:17 p.m.
[Manual] F/3.5 SHUTTER: 1/1250 ISO 100 Canon Powershot SX120 IS

Being that Mia is ridiculously cute, it didn’t take much by way of adjustments to arrive at it’s current state. Using Camera Raw, I increased the vibrancy and saturation slightly. In photoshop I applied a slight airbursh to smooth features.

Deliberation: Full Body
Front Yard at 35 S. 2nd E, Rexburg, Idaho; May 22, 2011, 7:15 p.m.
[Manual] F/3.5 SHUTTER: 1/640 ISO 100 Canon Powershot SX120 IS

I only made minor adjustments to this photo in Camera Raw. I focused my efforts on getting the right balance of Gaussian blur in Photoshop.

Flower Power:Group Activity
Front Yard at 35 S. 2nd E, Rexburg, Idaho; May 22, 2011, 7:22 p.m.
[Manual] F/3.5 SHUTTER: 1/1600 ISO 100 Canon Powershot SX120 IS

In Camera Raw I increased vibrance and blacks for greater contrast, and made some initial adjustments with the adjustment brush to smooth out some harsh shadows.

In Photoshop, I used a stronger airbrush (50 opacity/38 flow) to further soften hard shadows. I added a gaussian blur to increase Bokeh, which I masked out on the family. I left the some parts of the parents slightly blurred, intending to create a dreamy, ideal feel. It helps keep the focus on the faces and Mia’s joy.

Stance: Group Posed
Front Yard at 35 S. 2nd E, Rexburg, Idaho; May 22, 2011, 7:23 p.m.
[Manual] F/3.5 SHUTTER: 1/1600 ISO 100 Canon Powershot SX120 IS

In Camera Raw I increased the vibrance, blacks and exposure so that when I ran a black and white smart filter over it in Photoshop, it gave me a high contrast. With a light brush, I masked back in some color in most of the picture. I brought Mia’s dress back in full, helping to keep the eyes on the family.

Discovery:Enviromental
Front Yard at 35 S. 2nd E, Rexburg, Idaho; May 22, 2011, 7:21 p.m.
[Manual] F/3.5 SHUTTER: 1/500 ISO 100 Canon Powershot SX120 IS

In Camera Raw I increased contrast and color through increasing vibrancy and blacks. In Photoshop, I airbrushed some of the shadows on Daniel and Mia’s faces. I finished with a Gaussian blur .