Assorted Dahlias

[ajsmith]

These are Dahlias from my garden. I took the photo tonight when I got home from work. I still had some light to work with so I took the photo outside. I used white foam board for the background and base on which the vase is sitting. After processing the photo in PSE Adobe camera raw, I applied textures, blend modes and used layer masks to reveal the flowers underneath to keep the texture from covering those areas. Also used the layer opacity to adjust some textures and added a darker vignette on the final layer.

I like the look of textures and think that flowers make a great subject for it. This is not my first attempt at using textures, I have been tinkering with them for about six months. My goal was to get an antique look.

This is how the image looked after processing the RAW file



Finished image with textures, blend modes and layer masks.

[ShaneS]

Very nicely visualized and executed Ali! I think that you achieved your goal and I really appreciate seeing the image that you started with and where you took it. Very creative

[Mike Buckley]

Exceptionally well done! I wish I had the artistic talent to envision such a still life.

Check out in great detail the areas where the outside edges of the flowers are adjacent to the background. The background is the white foam board in some of those areas.

[ied]

Beautifully done.

Irene

[Rita]

Nicely done Ali. It has the look of a painting more so than a photograph.

[Stagecoach]

I think you have done an exceedingly good job Ali. Well done.

[KimC]

Lovely! Thanks for sharing both images.

[Shadowman]

Nicely done, nice choice of backgrounds.

[bnnrcn]

+1 to Rita's comment

[ajsmith]

Thank you to everyone for your comments. My artistic side likes to try different textures on certain images to see how it will change it. When I have another one that looks good, I will post the before and after.

[bnnrcn]

I would be very happy to know which texture you use and how you apply it to the image in your following threads Ali. I want to use textures for some of my shots but I don't know how to do it yet . I'm sure your explanations would be useful for other members too

Thank you to everyone for your comments. My artistic side likes to try different textures on certain images to see how it will change it. When I have another one that looks good, I will post the before and after.

[ajsmith]

Hi Binnur,
There are several ways to get textures... by searching the Internet for free or paid textures.
By taking your own photos of textures. I have started my own library with photos of bark, brick, wood, granite, plaster, clouds, water, marble, grass, pavement, rust, fur... and the list goes on. The third way is to use Photoshop or another graphic program to create your own textures using filters, patterns and brushes. There are tutorials on the Internet on how to create textures using Photoshop or PSE.

These instructions are for Photoshop Elements, you need a program that supports layers... The first thing I do is post process my RAW file to correct the white balance and exposure. Then I open the texture I am going to use and copy/paste it onto a layer above my image. Then I try the different layer blend modes till I find one I like. The most popular are darken or multiply to darken an image or Overlay and Soft Light to lighten an image. Sometimes I change the layer opacity to reduce the effect of the texture.

If I don't want the texture to cover my subject, I will use a mask to paint the original layer back in. Sometimes I paint with a lower opacity and bring it back up slowly as I paint. Multiple textures can be added on top of the first one and you can use a different blend mode for each one or the same. Just copy/paste another texture above the first texture.
When I am finished, I add a vignette to the image.

Hope this makes sense and that you have Photoshop or PSE.

[FootLoose]

Good work, Ali. I much prefer flowers to look a bit aged rather than garden-fresh and lacking character.

There is a decent video here on applying textures. (not sure if you have to subscribe to the site to watch it.) It recommends using Filter>Blur>Average in PS. http://www.slrlounge.com/school/comm...born-raw-prep/

[ST1]

Well done Ali, your conversion has certainly worked. As Mike has stated there are areas where the original backgound is just peeking through. You have said you paint the mask to bring the flowers back in, have you considered creating a selection to produce a more accurate mask

[ajsmith]

Hi Greg,
Thanks for viewing, commenting and for the link to the website. I have bookmarked the site, looks like it has a lot of great information.

[ajsmith]

Hi Peter,
I can see the spots around the edge of the flowers that you and Mike have commented on. I can go back and paint the texture layer back in on the mask. You are right that making a selection would make a neater edge.

[bnnrcn]

Thank you very much Ali I have PS CC . When I looked at the textures in PS CC I couldn't see something like yours . But now it is clear because you say you have your own library for textures. It is a good idea to have a library of textures indeed, I might try too

Hi Binnur,
There are several ways to get textures... by searching the Internet for free or paid textures.
By taking your own photos of textures. I have started my own library with photos of bark, brick, wood, granite, plaster, clouds, water, marble, grass, pavement, rust, fur... and the list goes on. The third way is to use Photoshop or another graphic program to create your own textures using filters, patterns and brushes. There are tutorials on the Internet on how to create textures using Photoshop or PSE.

These instructions are for Photoshop Elements, you need a program that supports layers... The first thing I do is post process my RAW file to correct the white balance and exposure. Then I open the texture I am going to use and copy/paste it onto a layer above my image. Then I try the different layer blend modes till I find one I like. The most popular are darken or multiply to darken an image or Overlay and Soft Light to lighten an image. Sometimes I change the layer opacity to reduce the effect of the texture.

If I don't want the texture to cover my subject, I will use a mask to paint the original layer back in. Sometimes I paint with a lower opacity and bring it back up slowly as I paint. Multiple textures can be added on top of the first one and you can use a different blend mode for each one or the same. Just copy/paste another texture above the first texture.
When I am finished, I add a vignette to the image.

Hope this makes sense and that you have Photoshop or PSE.

[ajsmith]

Binnur,
Look around your home for textures. A wood table top, the lace of a curtain, a carpet, textured walls. Outdoors, take a photo of the clouds, tree bark, puddles, something with rust. The choices are endless. Look for cracks in walls or the pavement to give photos that old look and to create interest. Get a photo of black marble or granite, you will be surprised how it adds depth to a photo when using the overlay or soft light blend mode. Look forward to seeing your textured images.

[Brownbear]

Hi Ali,

Just to say absolutely gorgeous!

[ajsmith]

Thank you Christina.