holt_361_1400sq_aj_op_ca_smfybr_ltef_upres_noisemedian7
What the heck is holt_361_1400sq_aj_op_ca_smfybr_ltef_upres_noisemedian7 ?!
Such cryptic code for such a fine rendering of this Chilean Wine Palm. The string of code is actually my file number of the final state. As I move from one state of the image to the next, as I apply different effects and filters I save various stages (or states) so that I can jump around and compare them. Sorta like a painter being able to stand back and evaluate and repaint.
The photo began as a horizontal at the Huntington Botanical Garden in Southern California; my (holt) file (361), frame number 1400.
Looking up into a Chilean Wine Palm tree (Jubaea chilensis) with radiating leaves from trunk
I cropped it square (sq) and added a Photoshop adjustment layer (aj) that opened up shadows and added richness to colors.
As you may begin to figure out from the title of the raw image, I got very excited by the leaves connected to the crown as I studied this otherwise ordinary photograph. Unfortunately, the limited photo size of a blog post prevents you from seeing the same texture and motion I sensed in those radiating leaves.
So now the fun part – figuring a way to bring out the story I was seeing. I used Photoshop’s Oil Paint filter (op) then the Content Aware filter (ca) to add some extra leaf texture in the upper right, where there is only sky in the original.
The Content Aware filter added extra leaf “content” in the upper right
I won’t go through each succeeding stage but will decipher the code. My goal with this image is to make a really large five or six foot square print. To get there I want to simplify the color range, heading toward an illustration style rendering. I used a special plugin filter by Topaz Labs called Simplify and also brightened within that filter (smfybr).
After I brought it back into Photoshop I still needed to lighten the halo around the leaf and crown junction (ltef). I made a huge file by interpolating up the file size (upres) and then needed to get rid of the noise created by enlarging the file (noisemedian7).
So much technical stuff. When I sat down to do this post I was only gonna show the before and after and more photos from the Huntington garden and all the incredible palm trees. Somehow I got caught up in the madness of my file naming process and more than anyone ever needs to know about holt_361_1400sq_aj_op_ca_smfybr_ltef_upres_noisemedian7.
But here is a gallery of palm and cycad photos from the garden including holt_361_1364. No special filters . . .
Chinese Fan Palm tree (Livistonia chinensis)
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
wonderful OK….aj = the editing of color contrast etc? ” I used a special plugin filter by Topaz Labs called Simplify and also brightened within that filter (smfybr).
lightening the halo around the leaf and crown junction (ltef). interpolating up the file size (upres) and t get rid of the noise created by enlarging the file (noisemedian7).” I nedd to know more about this……I wish I could paint this final result…you should….
Sharon – the best way to “know more about this” is simply to try it yourself. I am very much in experimental mode and every time I use these filters it gets more complicated – as I try to get more and more painterly. Thanks for stopping by
Actually a very interesting post. I suppose we all develop a system of tracking our work in progress, for me, I use the same kind of tracking abbreviations as you, except via a hierarchy of duplicated or composite layers, each building on the lasts progression, but all contained in one file. I can switch on/off layers to see differences and preferences. The layer names tell me what was applied. Sometimes I apply color labels and group layers into folders for easier identification.
So, from your file names, I can conclude you posted the Modjadji Cycad, File: holt_361_1272 twice in the gallery without any change . . .
Philip – I find it hard to review the image by simply clicking layers on and off. Layer viewing works great as I build toward a state and adjust each filter or adjustment a little this way or that, but then I need to step back and think how to get to the next part of the vision without rethinking previous layers. Of course I also need to better understand Photoshop….
Thanks for that catch on double posting the Modjadji Cycad to the web gallery. I was just trying to see who might notice ;-)
The palm really turned out beautifully. I love how you are really taking this technique further and further. Like Philip, I depend on the layers to identify steps. This way I can use the same layer or technique on another file and maybe save time in the new file.
In the file on which I am working, where you might need to flatten a copy, I make a few Stamp Visible layers (Shift-Option-Command-E) to combine all the filters used into one layer. It makes the copy of all in one layer without flattening all of them, preserving all the layer steps. I then do all subsequent work on this new layer until I make a new Stamped Visible copy to combine again.
My digital art is mostly in water color and here is a jpg example. I recently did a post showing some quick studies. http://orchardparkway.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/cardinalwc.jpg
This technique, a multi-step process, was learned at Kelby Training. You might enjoy seeing a professional illustrator, Aaron Blaise, an illustrator from Disney, do his work. He worked on the Lion King among many top name Disney films. He takes you though the entire process, showing each layered step. Go to 13:50 in the video to watch him create one of his fairies. http://kelbytv.com/photoshopusertv/2012/12/04/episode-327/ and if you enjoy this, look at him make a realistic lion (similar to Lion King) on the savannah here. Go to 3:30 in the video. http://kelbytv.com/photoshopusertv/2012/12/11/episode-328/
I know your work is much more fluid, colorful, and artsy as opposed to illustrative, but watching how others do their painting might give you some new techniques to try. I did my own fairy and it came out so similar to Aaron’s. He really had some wonderful steps in the process.
Thanks for sharing these links Donna. Like the hosts of the photoshopusertv, who are humbled by what Aaron Blaise can do, I am humbled a hundred times over by this work – and yours too. There is so much I do not know. I don’t know about stamping layers but clearly I should. Thanks. I keep looking for new tools and ways to refine them … or undo them … or anticipate what they will do a few moves later. Learn by doing