Category: light

A Photo a Week Challenge: Silhouette

silhouette_nmp

We’ve explored some different types of lighting. This week, we are looking at silhouettes. This type of shot can be tricky, but also very rewarding. Backlighting is important. Taking care of what is behind your subject or subjects is vitally important. This couple really wanted a silhouette, and we found this amazing covered walkway that opened up to beautiful tulip gardens. You also want to play around with just how shadowed the subjects are. The slight lighting in this setting worked very well for what they wanted.

IN A NEW POST CREATED FOR THIS CHALLENGE, SHARE A PHOTO OR TWO OF SILHOUETTES.

Everyone is welcome to participate, even if your blog isn’t about photography.

Here’s how it works:

  1. Each week, I’ll come up with a theme and post a photo that I think fits. You take photographs based on your interpretation of the theme, and post them on your blog (a new post!) anytime before the following Thursday, when the next photo theme will be announced.
  2. To make it easy for others to check out your photos, title your blog post “A Photo a Week Challenge: (theme of the week)” and be sure to use the “postaday″ tag.
  3. Follow nancy merrill photography so that you don’t miss out on weekly challenge announcements.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Do not go gentle into that good night

do_not_go_gentle_wpc

For more from this challenge, visit Weekly Photo Challenge: Half-light.

One Photo Focus: February

Last month, I found a great method for adding deeper colors to my photos, and I was really excited to try it out on this month’s One Photo Focus.

Here is the original photo, by Stacey at lens addiction:

original_feb_opf

When I opened the RAW file in Photoshop, I used the following settings in the RAW converter:

Adobe_1

Adobe_2

Adobe_3

These settings got me to here:

feb_opf_1

For the final touches, I used an action that I created that I call Adding Deeper Color II. It includes adding two duplicate layers of the background, one with a setting of SoftLight and the other Multiply, with the Multiply layer on top of the SoftLight layer. For both layers, I added mask layers. I also added a Gaussian Blur at 15.0% to the Multiply layer. Then I used a soft brush set to Opacity 100% and black (to remove) and brushed over the boat and buildings on the Multiply layer. This is what I got:

feb_opf_2

Thanks to Stacy for hosting this fun challenge. For more from this challenge, visit One Photo Focus: February.

After-Before logo

Click the image above for rules on joining the fun!

Cee’s Black & White Challenge: Buildings

At Dunfermline Abbey

I hope this counts. It’s some of the ruins at Dunfermline Abbey in Scotland. The Abbey is still standing.

For more from this challenge, visit Cee’s Black & White Challenge: Buildings.

A Photo a Week Challenge: Brighten Up Your Day

Bright Baby C

As we in the northern hemisphere make our way out of the darkness of winter, I thought it would be fun to reminisce about the warmth and brightness of the summer sun. I played around in PhotoShop to lighten and warm up this image of Baby C. I hope you like the results and spend a few minutes basking in the glow of a late summer afternoon.

IN A NEW POST CREATED FOR THIS CHALLENGE, SHARE PHOTOS OF BRIGHT IMAGES.

Whether your picture is naturally bright from the sun or other lighting, or you create the brightness with post-processing, have fun and get creative.

Everyone is welcome to participate, even if your blog isn’t about photography.

Here’s how it works:

  1. Each week, I’ll come up with a theme and post a photo that I think fits. You take photographs based on your interpretation of the theme, and post them on your blog (a new post!) anytime before the following Thursday, when the next photo theme will be announced.
  2. To make it easy for others to check out your photos, title your blog post “A Photo a Week Challenge: (theme of the week)” and be sure to use the “postaday″ and “Photo a Week” tags.
  3. Come back here and post a link to your image in the comments for this challenge.
  4. Follow nancy merrill photography so that you don’t miss out on weekly challenge announcements.