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and similar ones of his posted around that time. All abstracty. I don't know what they are but I would like to know how he did it. I like these. Can anyone tell me how he achieves this look?
Audrey
Aye - DJN has some very unusual processing techniques, that's for sure! I don't like everything he does but I always find his work intriguing. TBH - I'm not keen on the first one but I'm planning to set about having a go at trying to get something similar to the second one.
I'm guessing he used HDR and/or tonemapping, not sure - though it resembles the HDR/TM technique.
The second one is smoke - smoke from a Joss Stick to be precise. Smoke source is placed between a black background and the camera - lighting from one side. To process - invert the image (to get the white background) tidy up any noise with Noise Ninja, Neat image or whatever then colourize.
If I do manage to do it myself I'll post the results. I was hoping to have a go this week if I can clear a reasonable space where I can work at it. DJN mentioned he'd taken about 300 shots before he got a good'un!
John washington also has one somewhere in his archives. It was even better imo - lovely smoke spiral pattern and done in red iirc.
Here is a contact sheet which I have used the same style.
So what do you do to get this result Danny/Pol/Stephen?
Audrey
As Danny already said - the aim is to make the image very contrasty. What Stephen might call 'attitude'
I'm sure there are many ways to do it but here's an approximate description of how I did the two I posted in this thread.
Original image shot and processed in ACR then opened in CS2.
Levels and curves adjusted in the usual way to prepare the basic, original image.
Duplicated the image then converted the duplicate in Virtual photographer (Anvil) conversion (in the B/W section).
Select all >> copy/paste over the original image and set the blend mode to luminosity. set the transparency slider to what pleases your eye (maybe anything between 40%-60%)
Merge layers - be sure to recheck histograms at every stage, always do so after merging layers.
Finished off with a bit of dodging/burning here and there until I have a final result that satisfied me. Tools such as selective colour are also useful, or a touch of tone-mapping can also help achieve what you want.
As Danny already said - the aim is to make the image very contrasty. What Stephen might call 'attitude'
I'm sure there are many ways to do it but here's an approximate description of how I did the two I posted in this thread.
Original image shot and processed in ACR then opened in CS2.
Levels and curves adjusted in the usual way to prepare the basic, original image.
Duplicated the image then converted the duplicate in Virtual photographer (Anvil) conversion (in the B/W section).
Select all >> copy/paste over the original image and set the blend mode to luminosity. set the transparency slider to what pleases your eye (maybe anything between 40%-60%)
Merge layers - be sure to recheck histograms at every stage, always do so after merging layers.
Finished off with a bit of dodging/burning here and there until I have a final result that satisfied me. Tools such as selective colour are also useful, or a touch of tone-mapping can also help achieve what you want.
Hope that helps.
Pol
Thanks Pol. As usual you do a wonderful job of describing how something is done.
I am not sure that I understand all that. Never done any dodging and burning. I have printed it and will have a go sometime. Thanks.
As Danny already said - the aim is to make the image very contrasty. What Stephen might call 'attitude'
I'm sure there are many ways to do it but here's an approximate description of how I did the two I posted in this thread.
Original image shot and processed in ACR then opened in CS2.
Levels and curves adjusted in the usual way to prepare the basic, original image.
Duplicated the image then converted the duplicate in Virtual photographer (Anvil) conversion (in the B/W section).
Select all >> copy/paste over the original image and set the blend mode to luminosity. set the transparency slider to what pleases your eye (maybe anything between 40%-60%)
Merge layers - be sure to recheck histograms at every stage, always do so after merging layers.
Finished off with a bit of dodging/burning here and there until I have a final result that satisfied me. Tools such as selective colour are also useful, or a touch of tone-mapping can also help achieve what you want.
Hope that helps.
Pol
Pol I have tried to apply your technique to this image. Difficult as I don't have the same software. Have I got anywhere near it? I'm sure I'm way out but it's fun trying. Your comments please.
Pol I have tried to apply your technique to this image. Difficult as I don't have the same software. Have I got anywhere near it? I'm sure I'm way out but it's fun trying. Your comments please.
Geeez Ron, I'm certainly no expert so your ideas and techniques are certainly as good and valid as mine, regardless of which software you use.
I'm just experimenting and having fun too, just trying out various ideas aiming to give pictures more impact. To be honest I hesitated about posting the 'beach images' as I wondered if I'd gone too far. I'm never sure about 'painterly' effects but I was bowled over by the test prints I'd got from them so I decided to go ahead and post and see what sort of reaction I got.
Even though your picture is quite small, the details are still very clear. eg his jeans, the tent/shelter, his belt, distant landscape etc. The colours are deep and intense and the blue tones on the water and waves are wonderful imho. So I say 'yes' your picture and processing definitely works.
The white spray has probably lost some detail in the smaller/compressed version. I sometimes use the eraser at varying transparencies on various layers - to hold back small areas of detail and colour if a processing tweak has compromised bit of detail.
Geeez Ron, I'm certainly no expert so your ideas and techniques are certainly as good and valid as mine, regardless of which software you use.
I'm just experimenting and having fun too, just trying out various ideas aiming to give pictures more impact. To be honest I hesitated about posting the 'beach images' as I wondered if I'd gone too far. I'm never sure about 'painterly' effects but I was bowled over by the test prints I'd got from them so I decided to go ahead and post and see what sort of reaction I got.
Even though your picture is quite small, the details are still very clear. eg his jeans, the tent/shelter, his belt, distant landscape etc. The colours are deep and intense and the blue tones on the water and waves are wonderful imho. So I say 'yes' your picture and processing definitely works.
The white spray has probably lost some detail in the smaller/compressed version. I sometimes use the eraser at varying transparencies on various layers - to hold back small areas of detail and colour if a processing tweak has compromised bit of detail.
Pol
Like you say it has lost some detail and is very small. I re-sized this image sometime ago and lost the original. I'll get the hang of it one day, dam computers. As this was the only one I had similar, in that it was a beach scene, I tried it as a comparison to yours. Did not feel it came over all that well but I'm glad you liked it. I will certainly apply that process to some others later, or, may even get out and take some with that in mind. BTW you can tell I was impressed with you shot or I would not have been trying to copy it. Thanks for sharing your technique with us.
Hi Pol,
I really do like the second of the two, the first did not sit well for my tastes, But taste is purely subjective, but the second is great. The style worth persuing. Perhaps making the buildings mor painterly.
This was one of the shots I'd originally considered entering in Autumn's 'Blowing in the Wind' salon.. but chose to enter something else instead.
Someone, not a million miles away, recently mentioned I could probably be slightly bolder when post-processing. I agree - so I got a bit bolder with this one.
Whad'ya reckon?
Pol
I love it Pol! Its a fun image, which is great. I had to have a play as I thought it would lend itself to mono. Hope you dont mind.
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I don't like everything he does but I always find his work intriguing. TBH - I'm not keen on the first one but I'm planning to set about having a go at trying to get something similar to the second one.
I'll get the hang of it one day, dam computers. 
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