Photo of the day or edit of the day

[Reinardina]

Still experimenting. This is one I did yesterday. It's just a fantasy, and I was not really out to get something specific. Just trying things out and see what I got.
These two ladies I shot in town, and planted them in a countryside setting, with cow. Lots of layers and textures later, I got this, which reminds me of very old photographs I saw somewhere. Not sure where I saw them, or whether I might have dreamt seeing them.

I'm continuing with my experiments, and will keep you posted, till you tell me you've seen enough.

Now planning to try my hand at a 'real' Old Master.

[Reinardina]

Been working away at my 'Old Master,' but don't think I'm there yet. I miss the brush strokes, that would make it a 'real' painting.
Hope to find the right texture somewhere.

This is the Merchant:

[Beaux Reflets]

Been working away at my 'Old Master,' but don't think I'm there yet. I miss the brush strokes, that would make it a 'real' painting.
Hope to find the right texture somewhere.

This is the Merchant:

Brush stroke effects in Serif are quite good - here's a quick effort done with the Expressionist Filter




The Expressionist Filter allows you to direct the brush stokes to various effect for specific areas - Using as many Layers to define fine high detail to blocks of colour with larger brush texture. 

[Reinardina]

Thanks Andy. It's not quite the 'Rembrandt like' brush stroke I am after. Besides, I haven't got Serif, I use E11.
I'll have another look at the E11 filters, and Topaz may have something too. I haven't looked there to be honest.

[Beaux Reflets]

Thanks Andy. It's not quite the 'Rembrandt like' brush stroke I am after. Besides, I haven't got Serif, I use E11.
I'll have another look at the E11 filters, and Topaz may have something too. I haven't looked there to be honest.

It is the best one I have found so far (not that I have really looked as I occasionally paint with the real stuff) for the ability to Direct and Define the strength of the brush stroke detail; But as with all Filters you get a Blanket effect to each area you define, so to get a Natural humanist feel will take a few selected Mask areas (with each chosen effect) and Layers etc.', hours of fun or frustration and no doubt the odd tweak with a small smudge. 

[Hinfrance]

Topaz have a whole new plug in out called Impression, however that seems rather overpriced to me.

I'm pretty sure that you can add brush styles in PS Elements (and you can definitely customise brushes in Serif's Photoplus). I seem to recall that PS proper has something that enables you to add artistic brush strokes, although I have never looked for it or used it.

[Reinardina]

Thanks Andy. It's not quite the 'Rembrandt like' brush stroke I am after. Besides, I haven't got Serif, I use E11.
I'll have another look at the E11 filters, and Topaz may have something too. I haven't looked there to be honest.

It is the best one I have found so far (not that I have really looked as I occasionally paint with the real stuff) for the ability to Direct and Define the strength of the brush stroke detail; But as with all Filters you get a Blanket effect to each area you define, so to get a Natural humanist feel will take a few selected Mask areas (with each chosen effect) and Layers etc.', hours of fun or frustration and no doubt the odd tweak with a small smudge. 

I just tried some E11 brush strokes, and even though I cannot see the actual stroke, I think the latest version is better than the one I uploaded here. Haven't tried to do it in several stages; didn't think of that. Thanks for the tip.
Won't upload it yet, as I may want to have another go, and I don't want to overload the site with my pictures.

Topaz have a whole new plug in out called Impression, however that seems rather overpriced to me.

I'm pretty sure that you can add brush styles in PS Elements (and you can definitely customise brushes in Serif's Photoplus). I seem to recall that PS proper has something that enables you to add artistic brush strokes, although I have never looked for it or used it.

I saw the Topaz Impression thing, just before I started to 'paint.' Don't think it's for me just now. Maybe later.
I had overlooked the E11 brush strokes altogether; have found them, and used one of them. It did improve the picture, but I cannot really see the strokes.
Stull working on it, as I haven't got much else to do, with Christmas being spent at Daughter's.

[Reinardina]

Going away tomorrow. Case packed, nothing else to do, so I spent my time behind the laptop.
Instead of Old Masters, I went to Dreamland, with a sunrise photo and a series of textures.
It's probably good I'm going away for a week, otherwise I'd just sit here, playing with layers!

So, Meet me tonight in Dreamland!

[ABERS]

Since you can't move anywhere without someone taking a selfie or some such image on their camera phone, you may wonder where all these snappers come from. I discovered where in this image I took some time ago and was preparing for a session on 'Textures' the other evening.

Beware they're multiplying! They hatch out regularly.

[WillyP]

How about a picture of a rusty Jeep spring shackle?

[Reinardina]

Well, I like machinery and I like rust, as it often has great colour and texture.

In this case, I think you should 'bring it out' more, it's all rather vague and in the dark. A few experimental tweaks with the levels might do the trick.

[ABERS]

The lighting is overall too flat, so no real texture of the rust is highlighted, and the blown out highlight in the centre is somewhat distracting. I'm sure there is an interesting picture lurking under the Jeep but the lighting conditions doesn't let us see what you obviously saw.

[StephenBatey]

My view is more or less the same as Abers, with a caveat. It's not the lighting that's flat, it's the image. I just experimented with levels in Photoshop, and there's nothing to speak of at either end of the histogram; closing in the ends reveals shadows and a much better colour and saturation.

My biggest problems are the blown out centre, and the lack of depth of field. In an image showing texture, I don't expect to see so much that is unsharp. The bolt at the top distracts me from the sharp bolt, and the tailing off of the focus on the diagonal just doesn't work for me, as everything seems to conspire to lead my eye down that line to the unsharp areas.

[Reinardina]

How about a picture of a rusty Jeep spring shackle?

How about it? Your turn to add a comment now.

Or for anyone to add a comment or photograph.

(Just trying to keep the site alive.)

[ABERS]

A bit of doodling with an image to make it more graphic than photographic. Tried to use empty space and detail at the edges rather than the usual golden means b***s***t, plus saturated colours.

Yes the black base is not horizontal, left as is deliberately.