My first PS touchup.

[-Himanshu-]

Hey guys. I have been playing with PS for a few days, trying to do color corrections and stuff. I am just a beginner and here is something I did.

to

Showed it to my mother and she said, the first one is better and I have just made it worse by blur and darkening, while that was the look I was going for. Blur was to create DOF as the camera was just a point and shoot. But I thought having to explain the work is a failure, I should be saying my thoughts by work. So, would like your thoughts if I am on the right track. Feel free to criticize as I wanna learn.

[LUTZIFER]

Maybe use the freehand selection tool to go around areas and have it so the background is blurred, and have the person and tree not blurred, something like that.

I used to be very big into graphics design at one time, but been a long time now. Mostly application graphics, web design, skins, visual styles, etc. etc. but some photo work.

[-Himanshu-]

Did it for the person but yes, now I think the big tree to the left should not have been blurred. Thanks! :)

[Shane Nokes]

You really crushed the blacks and actually removed depth.

I like the look, but this is not a touchup.

[-Himanshu-]

You really crushed the blacks and actually removed depth.

I like the look, but this is not a touchup.

What do you mean by crushed the blacks?

I wanted to create a shallow DOF.

Okay, I don't exactly know the terms. :D So, what will be this called, giving a different look to photo? Is there a term?

BTW, thanks for your response. :)

[Farstrider]

I actually like both, but for me the first one is excellent. Nice attempt at getting the shallow depth of field but I would say that too much detail is missing, not that I could do any better, just my thoughts on what I see.

[remixedcat]

A lot of people don't appreciate surreal stuff or graphics MEANT to be different.... they don't have enough imagination to appreciate stuff...

I love the 2nd pic and it has a very calming and a healing presence in it. You can sense the depth in the person as well..

another reason I left the graphics market. I got fed up with some really cold barren people.

if people want me to make it pop... but then complain about it... they don't deserve to have an amazing picture. that's the way I see it.

[HawkMan]

Use gradients and freehand drawing to create a depth map and then use the actual camera DOF filter in PS.

[Shane Nokes]

What do you mean by crushed the blacks?

I wanted to create a shallow DOF.

Okay, I don't exactly know the terms. :D So, what will be this called, giving a different look to photo? Is there a term?

BTW, thanks for your response. :)

Sorry. I just hopped on my other machine that actually has a properly calibrated monitor and it looks a lot better over here.

The term crushing refers to when you adjust the black levels to a point where you lose fine detail in the darker sections.

There is still crushing but to a far lower degree than I thought on my other screen.

It looks pretty good, but one thing is that now the fog isn't as apparent in the second image, and while I prefer the color levels and saturation in the second image (nice job there) I miss the element that the fog brought to the first pic.

[Haggis Veteran]

I really like the second photo aswell, its different, if your happy with your outcome thats all that matters

[+Zlip792 MVC]

I can't even do what you did in second picture but I really liked second picture... Amazing and please looking to eyes, more like showing calmness of world and peace.... hope you don't mind my comment..

[garwin]

I don't a bit about photography or PS. But I like the 2nd picture. :0

[StandingInAlley]

I really like the second photo aswell, its different, if your happy with your outcome thats all that matters

+1

[-Himanshu-]

I actually like both, but for me the first one is excellent. Nice attempt at getting the shallow depth of field but I would say that too much detail is missing, not that I could do any better, just my thoughts on what I see.

Yeah, I see what you mean. Actually that was what I was going for, ther first one seemed to give too much to focus on other than subject. But thanks for your thoughts.

A lot of people don't appreciate surreal stuff or graphics MEANT to be different.... they don't have enough imagination to appreciate stuff...

I love the 2nd pic and it has a very calming and a healing presence in it. You can sense the depth in the person as well..

another reason I left the graphics market. I got fed up with some really cold barren people.

if people want me to make it pop... but then complain about it... they don't deserve to have an amazing picture. that's the way I see it.

Thanks for your appreciation. Yeah, that's what I wanted to say, I was going for a different look.

Use gradients and freehand drawing to create a depth map and then use the actual camera DOF filter in PS.

Thanks, i will try that.

Sorry. I just hopped on my other machine that actually has a properly calibrated monitor and it looks a lot better over here.

The term crushing refers to when you adjust the black levels to a point where you lose fine detail in the darker sections.

There is still crushing but to a far lower degree than I thought on my other screen.

It looks pretty good, but one thing is that now the fog isn't as apparent in the second image, and while I prefer the color levels and saturation in the second image (nice job there) I miss the element that the fog brought to the first pic.

Okay, I should have increased the shadow details. And yeah, the blur makes the fog less apparent. Thanks for appreciation, I will keep these things in mind for future.

I really like the second photo aswell, its different, if your happy with your outcome thats all that matters

Yeah, I am happy. :) Thanks for appreciation.

I don't a bit about photography or PS. But I like the 2nd picture. :0

Thanks, Neowin! :D

[remixedcat]

You're welcome :) I wouldn't change that much about the 2nd pic....

[-Himanshu-]

You're welcome :) I wouldn't change that much about the 2nd pic....

I am sorry but didn't get you. Not change what about 2nd pic?

[remixedcat]

well if the tree was unblurred it would kinda look funny... I kinda did a pic like that a few years ago and it was kinda wierd.... now if she was closer to the tree it would look nice to have the blur centered on her and the tree, but if both are too far from eachother it would look funny.

[-Himanshu-]

Yeah, that's why i noticed but did not unblur. The tree is kinda large and would steal the focus away. I just wanted to show the lonely person. :)

[HawkMan]

btw for the Camera DOF filter gradient. I suggest, you crate a gradients starting at the bottom of the picture, then drag it up along the road until the point where you want max DOF. , probably up until the end of the road then.

Then you have to freehand a bit on the little hill on the left. and at every tree and such up, you use a color picker at the root of the tree(set the gradient layer as an 50% overlay on top so you can see the picture underneath) and then us the grey color you get from the root, and pain over the tree and branches, and do that for every tree.

Then you'll have a nice good enough depth map do adjust the DOF as you wish for the perfect DOF, I also believe the DOF plugin can change the type of bokeh you get.

Actually, with my Depth field and camera dof plugin method I suggest you do give the tree just a slight blur,otherwise it ends up looking unnatural, and I think you'll find it makes the pic more interesting, not steal focus away form the girl

[-Himanshu-]

I actually used the Blur->Field option. How to combine it with gradient and create a map? I am sorry if it is a basic question. :)

[HawkMan]

I don't have photoshop here. but there's a special plugin for Camera DOF in photoshop that lets you use a gradient layer to decide the level of blur and also lets you change the blur to match different cameras and lens types as far as bokeh and such goes. it's not actually under the blur area of the menu as I recall.

[Cute James]

Personally, I really like the atmosphere of the original shot - reminds me of England.

Where is this photographed, by the way?

[-Himanshu-]

I don't have photoshop here. but there's a special plugin for Camera DOF in photoshop that lets you use a gradient layer to decide the level of blur and also lets you change the blur to match different cameras and lens types as far as bokeh and such goes. it's not actually under the blur area of the menu as I recall.

Is it built in or do I get it elsewhere?

Personally, I really like the atmosphere of the original shot - reminds me of England.

Where is this photographed, by the way?

Thanks. Both are good to me, as I took the first picture. It is shot in Srinagar, India. :)

[HawkMan]

Just for fun I did a quick gradient depth map with just original image. the plugin is called Lens blur and is in fact under blur in the latest photoshop version.

just to show how easy it is to adjust the blur I did it with two different radius (blur amount) levels. all the other settings for highlight and curvature of the blades and such won't affect this picture because it doesn't have any bright lights.

I also attached the depth map, just a quick dirty one, which I applied a bit of gaussian blur to to soften the edges on. these are resized for the forums.

it's a built in plugin. as you can see the tree doesn't look out of place with less blur

[-Himanshu-]

Thanks, I will look into that option. The map you created, is that a layer mask?