The blurry, grungy thing. How to do it?

[Max von MeiselMaus]

I'm not a big one for highly-processed photos, but every now and then a style will take my fancy and I will want to figure out how it is done. At the moment, it is the smeary, blurry, textured grunge effect.

Examples:

Thomas Devaux http://www.thomasdevaux.com/gallery/gallerydevaux0.php

Nicholas Alan Cope's portraits of Marilyn Manson http://previiew.com/home/newsboard.h...%20Alan%20Cope

So far, I can see that it is a very painterly effect, being as much digital art as photography. There seem to be layering of multiple images (a "double exposure" effect) as well as use of selective blurring, perhaps a texture layer or two.

Any other ideas on the technique behind this? I am always up for a challenge.

[Manfred M]

The first one certainly looks like there was some PP manipulation of the image, the second one looks more like it might have been mostly in camera work where the photographer directed the subjected to move his head, dragged the shutter and added a bit of flash to accentuate and freeze the image (one part of the pose is certainly more lit than the other). Again PP work almost certainly involved as well.

With this type of stuff, the best way to figure it out is to try to copy / emulate the work.

[Shadowman]

I first heard about the "grungy effect" while reading Scott Kelby's "Photoshop Elements book for Digital Photographers". Kelby achieved the "grungy effect" by making adjustments in Camera RAW, utilizing the Recovery, Clarity, Saturation, and Contrast sliders. You can get the double exposure look by shooting multiple exposures and photomerging each in Photoshop or Elements.

[Saorsa]

The first one certainly looks like there was some PP manipulation of the image, the second one looks more like it might have been mostly in camera work where the photographer directed the subjected to move his head, dragged the shutter and added a bit of flash to accentuate and freeze the image (one part of the pose is certainly more lit than the other). Again PP work almost certainly involved as well.

With this type of stuff, the best way to figure it out is to try to copy / emulate the work.

I agree, the Manson picture looks like it's underexposed on the left and over on the right.

To emulate it, I would think a bright light passing behind the subject, expose at maybe -2EV on the face to get a slow shutter speed and then direct the subject to turn. When the face it turning into the light you would get the blur and underexposure would add a little noise.

[Max von MeiselMaus]

Hm, that is interesting. I had assumed that it was all done in PP, but I think you could be right about the MM image being largely in camera. Thanks Brian and Manfred.

John, I would be very interested in what Scott Kelby says about doing grunge in RAW processing (I have his ancient CS2 book. Just checked it. Nothing in there about grunge. It was probably not a thing when he wrote that). I do have my own way to do "straight" grunge. It is just an adapted fake bleach bypass effect. I worked up a quick demo on one of my pics. I don't actually use it in my photos as it looks overworked. And here I am looking to try out another overworked technique. I never learn.



However, ut is the very specific blur/smear/texture/double exposure thing in those photos that I want to try my hand at.

OK. I will think about double exposure to start with, and then work on the rest.

[Shadowman]

Kelby's technique consisted of:
In Camera Raw, recovery, fill light, clarity, vibrance, and contrast sliders to the right at 100.
Saturation reduced to -60 to-70.
Blacks to 25-40.
Exposure adjusted as necessary.

I applied it to this particular image, although Kelby tried it on a male portrait and said it is effective with architecture.
Original edit

Grungy Edit


Now that I see the effects, I think I could achieve the same with the Artistic Filter.

[Max von MeiselMaus]

Thanks for that. John. I shall have a play with that and pick out what it is doing. I prefer to do things manually than use a filter as it gives me more control. If there is an aspect I don't like so much, I can turn it down or skip it. But that is a very handy thing. More to experiment with. Cheers.

[Manfred M]

Thanks for that. John. I shall have a play with that and pick out what it is doing. I prefer to do things manually than use a filter as it gives me more control. If there is an aspect I don't like so much, I can turn it down or skip it. But that is a very handy thing. More to experiment with. Cheers.

If you are using a recent version of Photoshop, using SmartObjects lets you apply filters (SmartFilters) non-destructively and you can tweak them as your work proceeds. I've set up ACR to output the data to PS as a SmartObject by default.

[Max von MeiselMaus]

Cs2.

[Manfred M]

If I remember correctly, CS2 is the version when SmartObjects were introduced. What I don't know is how much the functionality has changed in the interim.

[Max von MeiselMaus]

Just Googled it and CS2 has smart objects and smart filters. Hurrah! Another thing to look into. Cheers, Manfred.

[Max von MeiselMaus]

I had a quick try at getting things grungy by using a layer of texture set as overlay mode. Not perfect, and it is rather heavy-handed, but I think that sorts out how to get the grunge texture. Now to look at multiple exposures and the smear thing.



And another, not so different, but with a motion blurred layer under the texture layer, with blur removed from selected areas, such as the eyes.

[Shadowman]

I had a quick try at getting things grungy by using a layer of texture set as overlay mode. Not perfect, and it is rather heavy-handed, but I think that sorts out how to get the grunge texture. Now to look at multiple exposures and the smear thing.


Very grungy, nice effort.
And another, not so different, but with a motion blurred layer under the texture layer, with blur removed from selected areas, such as the eyes.

[Max von MeiselMaus]

Thanks, John.

Seems I am busy reinventing the wheel (as usual) and there is a technique called "ghosting", using motion blur. I will look into that tomorrow and see if I can do that but better.

[Rebel]

Nice John, any chance of posting the BEFORE shot?

[Max von MeiselMaus]

Matt, do you mean me? Did you want to see the picture before I added all the grungy bits? Here it is, with a straight B&W conversion.



As background, what I am trying to do is a black-eyed child (an urban myth. Children who turn up on your doorstep, demanding to be let in to use the 'phone/loo, but are pretty damned sinister, particularly as their eyes are completely black). So, I wanted a feeling of looking at something and being overcome with horror, with the eyes being the only thing you can focus on. Also, of something not quite corporeal. So, a hazy/blurry/gritty feel, with the eyes being the most compelling thing. So, I have been titting about with various things, such as using a sponge brush to add selective texture and doing a "double eyes" thing, with copy and pasting and blurring and whatever I can think of. Not cracked it yet, and I am beginning to think a head and shoulders shot would work better. But I am having fun. If I have a breakthrough, I will add it here.

[Marie Hass]

I was going to say she looked like a zombie child. Kinda deliciously creepy in a way.

Marie