This week I had some real fun playing in Photoshop. I'm pushing myself to learn more about what I can do with the program, applying things I'm learning from various sources including
Beyond Layers and through reading online information from Adobe. I started with
Bonnie's 'cobblestone road' texture. I added all of the coloured balls from a
journal page I did by using the clone tool and then making additional copies of some of them, resizing them, changing their colours using hue/saturation adjustments, etc.
Once I had done that, I decided I needed a focal point so I opened the photo of a gull that I took in the spring and I used the quick selection tool to isolate the gull (by doing an inverse selection and deleting the background). Once I put the gull in it still wasn't speaking to me so I decided to learn how to do a fisheye effect. Instead of using a black outer frame, I selected a dark gray colour from the cobblestones and then played with the opacity of the layer so that the balls and cobblestone still came through.
I added a gaussian blur to the edge of the fisheye. Because I had squared off the image after putting the balls on the background layer, I had lost the lovely framing that Bonnie's texture had, so I added another layer of the texture on top, adjusting the sides so it was square (sorry, I can't remember the blend mode I used on that layer). The final step was to add another very subtle layer of blur to the entire image and then use my round signature brush on the blue ball in the bottom right corner.
These photos are being linked to Our World Tuesday, Texture Tuesday, Sweet Shot Tuesday, Photo Show Off, This or That Thursdays, Photo Art Friday, Shoot, Edit, Submit, Fabulous Friday, and Photo Friday Link Party.
I love editing images... I have been having a lot of fun with Lightbox
ReplyDeleteMollyxxx
Yes Molly. I agree. It's so much fun editing and seeing what you can create from an image. I haven't used Lightbox but I imagine all of the editing software would be somewhat similar.
DeleteWhat a great, fun photo! I use photoscape and picasa but don't get your results.
ReplyDeleteThank you Betty.
DeleteYour gull looks quite happy on that cobblestone road!
ReplyDeleteYes, perhaps he's considering chewing some of those gumballs. LOL
DeleteVery cool, Linda!! I was trying to play with Cobblestone yesterday too. But I got a bit tangled up. As I read your "recipe" here I realise that mayBE there is more to PSE8 that is "like what I know" using other programs... I don't know for sure, but your explanation and steps taken lead me to think mayBE... anyhow, I love the fun you clearly had and it's a wondrously wonky photo you've made happen!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Currie. It amazes me how many new things I find in Photoshop when playing around and reading various tutorials, etc. online. Who would have thunk??
DeleteI love Photoshop Elements. I've graduated to PSE 11.0 - so much fun!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely Pat! I'm using PSE 9. Is 11 worth the upgrade? Does it have a lot of new features?
DeleteNice creation, Linda. You've been hard at work and learning so much! The circles almost look like jelly beans. Yum!
ReplyDeleteThanks Marilyn. I was thinking they look like gum balls. LOL
Deletewow - that is pretty amazing! I'm not not keen on PS - more of a Lightroom girl ! But this is really cool
ReplyDeleteThanks. I keep hearing about Lightroom. Perhaps I'll have to look into it before I upgrade PS again.
DeleteSo fun! Fisheye edits/lens are all the rag it seems!
ReplyDeleteThanks. It certainly is a fun effect to play with.
DeleteNice work!
ReplyDeleteWow, it looks fantastic. Great job!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks. It was a fun creation this week.
Deletethis is great,Linda! it really sounds like you had a lot of fun with creating this piece!
ReplyDeleteThanks. I certainly did enjoy going further beyond this week...
DeleteI like this a lot! Very creative!
ReplyDeleteThank you Katarina. It was fun to incorporate bits of my art journalling into the photography.
DeleteYou are doing much better with Photoshop that I ever could ~ love the fun photo results ~ Lovely capture of the seagull photo ~ (A Creative Harbor) ^_^
ReplyDeleteThanks Carol. I find that I've been learning a lot just through having visions of what I want and then the necessity to figure out how to make it work.
DeleteWhat a fun edit you have done here! Really nice
ReplyDeleteThanks Jeanne. Have a fabulous weekend!
DeleteThis is wonderful - I love your results! I also loved reading about your processing. I always learn new ways of doing things because of people's willingness to share their steps, so thank you!
ReplyDeleteThank you Sherri. I'm glad you get something from my posts.
DeleteSuch a fun piece. So colorful and creative. I would so love to know how to do some of the things you mentioned (isolating, inverting background etc..) but don't have PSE and still haven't mastered Gimp. Love your work though.
ReplyDeleteThanks Ida. Try doing a search online for free lessons on using Gimp. Hopefully you'll find some great tutorials to help you master it!
DeleteSo nice to come back and see this again, Linda. I still find it fun and most clever, yet having had my own bit of success finally with Cobblestone Road, I appreciate what you have done all the more.
ReplyDeleteThanks Currie. Your comments always leave me with a smile. You're such a fun, positive soul!
DeleteI was drawn to your art work because it looks "fun". And then I read about how much fun you had creating it. Very creative!
ReplyDeleteThanks Phyllis. It certainly was a playful piece to create.
DeleteWhat great editing. I appreciated reading all of your steps - well done!!!
ReplyDelete