Gladioli

[Mozzy Profile]

Had these last week and decided to pop off a few images. Did all my basic stuff to the RAW file in DPP and PSE. Finished in SPE. Before and finished included below.

The basic image:

Original image.JPG (213.71 KiB) Viewed 5800 times

And the final image. I've updated as I didn't include the finished one. Age and pills

THE LAST Red Gladioli resized.JPG (473.41 KiB) Viewed 5790 times

[Arwin Profile]

Awesome! Very nice how its popped-up from the background!

Arwin

[Mozzy Profile]

Thanks Arwin. It was avery simple case of separating the layers and dropping in a drop shadow on a plain background. Then once in SPE I was able to use a little detail enhance, some low range contrast and a couple of other bits (note to self must make notes or save as a session), then I used the old postcard effect and finished it off with a very simple and discreet border.

I then tweaked lighting a tad in Aperture.

Mozzy

[andrewb2012 Profile]

You have really LIFTED the original image with fine processing - the original background was very bland and the Gladioli seemed quite ordinary. Boy have changed all that - great choice of new background and your tweaking of the flowers makes them really stand out. I know this is just a matter of opinion, but I feel that you have oversharpened the petals too much and highlighted what appears to be pollen dust.

I like your use of the drop shadow to isolate the flowers - great trick that is easily done using layers & transparency in programs like Photoshop Elements and Paint Shop Pro. It would be great if we could do that within SPE!

Kind regards,

Andrew

[Arwin Profile]

Actually Tony did make such an effect for SPE It's called 'Subject pop' and you can find it when using the 'Select Area' tool and choos for 'Background', you need to select the background to let the subject pop..

Arwin

[andrewb2012 Profile]

Hi Arwin,

I do know Tony's 'Subject pop' effect - and as far as I remember it works by blurring and extending one edge of the mask giving an appearance of a drop shadow - this, however, differs from a normal drop shadow effect which can be orientated in one or two directions (lets say bottom down & to the right for example). The key difference is that Tony's effect does not give the same degree of control over the implied direction of light - it is too vague. The problem with Tony's great effect is that it seems to cast its shadows in multiple directions - so in my opinion it really is a psuedo version of drop shadow.

None-the-less Tony's 'Subject pop' effect can be used with good effect, but I still think it would be great if you could apply a drop shadow in the same manner as in Photoshop Elements through the use of layers & transparency.

These are my thoughts my friend,

Cheers,

Andrew

[Arwin Profile]

True Andrew, It's indeed different, you can't tweak it in a direction or less or more shadow.
Maybe I will try to recreate it, I do think with a place and merge node you're able to set the shadow at any place

Arwin

[andrewb2012 Profile]

Hi Arwin,

I did a drop shadow effect on a border effect and I'm sure that was done using a 'place & merge' node - so I'm sure you will be able to come up with something to create a more typical drop shadow effect.

Anyway I thought it would be interesting to compare the two effects visually so that the differences can be clearly seen by others. Tony's effect seems to have the light source shining front on the subject from the bottom up. So here are two images to show the differences - both are very attractive and have their place:

Typical Drop Shadow Effect:

Typical Drop Shadow Effect.jpg (36.35 KiB) Viewed 5773 times

Tony's Subject Pop Effect:

Tony's Subject Pop Effect.jpg (53.36 KiB) Viewed 5773 times

I think I'll have a bash at a drop shadow effect myself.

Keep up the good work - by the way, I've uploaded over two hundred new effects but the are not live yet - so I'm nearing my 2000 effects target, after which I'm retiring and leaving the way open for new effect creators. Once I've reached my target I will still create effects but this time for my own use - I'll keep these unique to me. Selfish perhaps, but I would like to use SPE in a more focused way in my own creations.

Kind regards,

Andrew

[andrewb2012 Profile]

Arwin, I think I've got a structure to work with to create a drop shadow effect using as you suggested a place & merge node. Pre-selection of 'Background' is a necessary first step. Here is an effect flow chart that replicates a drop shadow and changes background to white:

ScreenClip.jpg (177.91 KiB) Viewed 5770 times

When required set the appropriate dialog boxes to 'background' rather than 'whole image'.

I've just done a quick & dirty version but I got it to work - it needs to be refined.

If you would like a 'Saved Session' pp file then contact me privately giving me an appropriate email address so that I can forward it to you. Here, you can obviously open the structure via the 'manual edit'.

Anyway, if you decide to do anything with this structure let me know how you got on. Feel free to alter it & perfect it - I'm not going to upload the effect in the meantime.

Cheers,

Andrew

[andrewb2012 Profile]

A little update on the suggested structure Arwin:

I changed the position of the gaussian blur node:

ScreenClip.jpg (152.19 KiB) Viewed 5765 times

Cheers,

Andrew