I scanned and worked this image just for the WC. Then I re-read the description and it was licen... on rocks! doh! So for the heck of it and so I can feel like the effort was put to good use, I'll post it here.
This is the first image that I've tried to simulate selective focus in PS. What I mean is that the original image was shot with pretty good depth of field at f/22 and thus the background was pretty distracting. I created a masking layer and applied quite a bit of gaussian blur to the background. I'm curious to know if I was successful, or is the background still to distracting.
Lon, I guess the WC should have been lichen on any object. This is another great shot. I do not find the BG bothersome at all. In fact, I was so tuned into the great fence line and lichen I did not review the BG until I re-read your comments. It looks really good to me.
I assume this was 4x5 also?
Thanks Paul. Yeah, 4x5, Velvia, Nikkor 210. But this was when I was on my second body, a Nagaoka 4x5. Nice, light little field camera.
You're WC theme cause me to start looking thru some images and I think I've found a few to have scanned. Thanks for that!
Lon
Posted by Nelcha Cross on May 12, 2007 at 12:27 AM
Very well done Lon...now you can teach me
Did you hear that Sonoroa, Tioga and Glacier Pt. Roads are OPEN!!!I
I'm gonna play amonst the Irises in the foothills tomorrow.
LON, I really need to connect with you better....
in a GOOD way tho
You acheived what you wanted...well done!!
In gratitude,
Nelcha
“ ... nature has ceased to be what it always had been - what people needed protection from.
Now nature - tamed, endangered, mortal - needs to be protected from people. When we are afraid, we shoot. But when we are nostalgic, we take pictures.”
~ Susan Sontag - On Photography
nicely done Lon,
considering the f/22 you started out with, i think you achieved your goal - i'll have to try your technique out on an owl shot i have...hahahha.
You might consider fading the background even more and/or darkening some of the higher value areas there to accentaute the details of the fence and lichens. I love the detail in the fence. I'm lichen it a lot.
This is a very attactive photo, Lon. I like it very much.
I love what you have done to the background. If you hadn't mentioned it, I would never have guessed that the blurring effect was mostly done in Photoshop. It looks great, as you have it now, but you might also want to take Preston's advice and try and push it a little more.
The background blur works well: it gives an immediate impression of sharpness of the FG. Nice composition.
My only comment is I feel the white balance seems to be off. Too blue/greenish on the wood and white spots. The photo is highly saturated, but it seems to be the style desired...
Discussion
7 repliesThis is the first image that I've tried to simulate selective focus in PS. What I mean is that the original image was shot with pretty good depth of field at f/22 and thus the background was pretty distracting. I created a masking layer and applied quite a bit of gaussian blur to the background. I'm curious to know if I was successful, or is the background still to distracting.
Comments welcome!
Lon
I assume this was 4x5 also?
You're WC theme cause me to start looking thru some images and I think I've found a few to have scanned. Thanks for that!
Lon
Did you hear that Sonoroa, Tioga and Glacier Pt. Roads are OPEN!!!I
I'm gonna play amonst the Irises in the foothills tomorrow.
LON, I really need to connect with you better....
in a GOOD way tho
You acheived what you wanted...well done!!
In gratitude,
Nelcha
“ ... nature has ceased to be what it always had been - what people needed protection from.
Now nature - tamed, endangered, mortal - needs to be protected from people. When we are afraid, we shoot. But when we are nostalgic, we take pictures.”
~ Susan Sontag - On Photography
considering the f/22 you started out with, i think you achieved your goal - i'll have to try your technique out on an owl shot i have...hahahha.
You might consider fading the background even more and/or darkening some of the higher value areas there to accentaute the details of the fence and lichens. I love the detail in the fence. I'm lichen it a lot.
-PB
I love what you have done to the background. If you hadn't mentioned it, I would never have guessed that the blurring effect was mostly done in Photoshop. It looks great, as you have it now, but you might also want to take Preston's advice and try and push it a little more.
My only comment is I feel the white balance seems to be off. Too blue/greenish on the wood and white spots. The photo is highly saturated, but it seems to be the style desired...