BRASHLEY PHOTOGRAPHY

Well, it is that time of the month again… where I give you an image to play around with for the September Before and After Challenge. You can download the images (RAW and Jpeg) by clicking on the link below.

DOWNLOAD SEPTEMBER IMAGE

My Edits

Here is the original image.

My first task was to send the image to Photoshop directly from Lightroom.   I didn’t like a couple of bits in the image so I cloned them out and created an image I wanted to work with.  I cloned out a sign and a couple of lampposts.

Once in Photoshop I played around with Serge Ramelli’s GRFX Studio and added a couple of skies to the image.

Once I was happy with the sky I then saved it and once the image was back into Photoshop I changed the layer blending mode to Multiply and changed the opacity of the layer to 87%.

My next tasks were all carried out in Photoshop.  My first action was to play around with the Camera Raw Filter.  I added a couple of radial filters and a graduated filter.

I wanted to take the image one step further, so I added a fisherman and boat and played around with the brightness and contrast of the image..

My next task was to create a new layer and add some shadow to the boat and fisherman.

Once I was happy with that I then saved the image and sent it back to Photoshop.

Once I saved the image it automatically went back into Lightroom, where I added more radial filters, graduated filters by dodging and burning the image to create light and dark areas.

Original Edit

However, I then decided to go back into Photoshop with the image (and as I didn’t close down photoshop, all I did was go back to Photoshop and then click CTRL+ALT+SHIFT+E to create a stamped layer.  And on this layer, I then used the Topaz Studio 2 Filter where I used the Look called Abstraction V and lowered the opacity of the effect to 59%.  Once I was finished in Topaz Studio I applied the effect which then sent the image back into Photoshop.

I didn’t want to overwrite my image that I had previously saved and which was now safe in Lightroom, so I clicked File Save As and remained my image to add the Topaz title.  Once I saved this image it was automatically reimported back into Lightroom.

I liked the dodging and burning that I did on the original edit. So all I did was copy the setting from my original edit and then pasted them onto the Topaz Image.

Topaz Edit

As I used I graduated filter on the original edit to lower the clarity, once I pasted in the settings I went back to the graduated filter and played around with the clarity slider until I got the effect I wanted.

I find dodging and burning with radial filters easy…  I always use a low increase in exposure.  My theory being I can always add radial filters as I go along.

If you want to enter the challenge then click the link above to download the image.   Here is a recap of how the challenge works.

---

How to join the challenge

If you wish to participate in this monthly challenge, please feel free to do…  my post and photo for the challenge will be published at 11am  on the 1st day of every month.  The challenge will be called Before and After Challenge # (# representing the number).

The challenge is this. an image will be supplied for the Month for you to download.  When you’ve downloaded the image in its ZIP format, extract the file you want to use, (raw or jpeg) and then edit the image using your own creativity and with whatever software programs or apps you use.  Within the download file, will be two images, one in jpeg format and the other in its raw format.  If the image was originally only shot in jpeg there will just be the jpeg version available to edit.

1. Download the image, extract image and edit using whatever software you wish.
2.  If you wish to submit an image for the challenge, please email me the RAW and Jpeg format (if RAW is available) – with a long edge of max 1000px – or a link to where readers can download the images.  I will then upload your submissions, if necessary to Dropbox for download.
3. Create a post on your blog or Facebook Page, showing your finished edit.
4. Caption the image Image supplied by # (Who submitted the original image) – Edited by ~# (# being your name or blog’s name).
5. It is not necessary but it would be nice if you did a brief explanation as to how you achieved your results, and what software you used.
6. Tag your posts BAC or Before and After Challenge
7. Create a pingback to the relevant month.
8. If you can’t create pingback/trackback, don’t worry, post a comment below so others can find your edited version of the image.
9. Follow Ryan Photography so you don’t miss out on our photography challenges.