Testing blend modes- soft glow

[PRSearls]

I normally shoot and print images without extensive artistic embellishment. I've begun exploring various blend modes I might use on some of my landscape images to make them a bit more artistic. You may not like this treatment but I thought I'd throw it out there for your comments and suggestions. This is a crop of a pano I shot this week. The "normal" image is not very interesting from the flat lighting (overcast sky). Here is my recipe for this treatment:

1. Duplicate the background image. Select gaussian blur @ 50 px and change blend mode to SCREEN, 100% opacity.
2. Duplicate this layer and change blend mode to HARD LIGHT and adjust opacity to suit. I used 30% here.

The effect can be modified by changing blend modes and/or varying layer opacities. The result is a personal preference so "season to taste."

Paul S

[Bobobird]

Interesting technique. Appears to have worked out pretty good on this shot,

Thanks.

[Dave Humphries]

Interesting Paul,

I didn't like it as shown at 700px, but click the image and see it 1599px wide and it really looks quite nice.

Thanks for experimenting,

[Kris V]

I normally shoot and print images without extensive artistic embellishment. I've begun exploring various blend modes I might use on some of my landscape images to make them a bit more artistic. You may not like this treatment but I thought I'd throw it out there for your comments and suggestions. This is a crop of a pano I shot this week. The "normal" image is not very interesting from the flat lighting (overcast sky). Here is my recipe for this treatment:

1. Duplicate the background image. Select gaussian blur @ 50 px and change blend mode to SCREEN, 100% opacity.
2. Duplicate this layer and change blend mode to HARD LIGHT and adjust opacity to suit. I used 30% here.

The effect can be modified by changing blend modes and/or varying layer opacities. The result is a personal preference so "season to taste."

Paul S

Glad I found a kindred spirit! I love to experiment with filters and blend modes - some results are quite surprising (and sometimes downright ugly as well!!)

[JohnnyG]

You could save yourself a lot of photoshop time if you'd just shoot with a crappy lens or slightly OOF . Just a note to a little humor on my part, but it seems we all tend to spend inordinate amounts of (for me, at least) hard earned money on pricey lenses. My 24-70 came in at a tad over $1,800. I'd hate to shoot a wonderfully composed landscape such as this, only to end up with a "fuzzy" image.

I understand the want, need, desire to play with the different blend modes, layers, and all other toys and will admit to doing a fair bit of it myself...but never with the intent to undo what I came to do in the first place: shoot a great, sharp image. Just my thoughts.

[Colin Southern]

Hi Paul,

I'm a big fan of using high radius / low opacity gaussean blurs to soften things, but to be honest, this image just doesn't to it for me. The softening of the foliage is "heading in the right direction" (but a too strong), but the lighter parts to the top/left of the image are just too over-powering.

I think that - used subtly - it could possibly benefit your previous image (that 2:1 pano).

[PRSearls]

I appreciate your comments and suggestions. I'm pretty new at this and I might not have the right combination of blends and opacities for this image. The effect is very subjective as are many areas in photography. By changing opacities, the effect can range from very subtle to garish. One can also use a layer mask to control how much effect is applied to various parts of the image. I did experiment with my earlier pano of the wildflowers; it changed the mood of the image quite a lot. It's going to be hung over the fireplace (for awhile) so I (and my wife, our home decorator) have to decide which version it will be.

I too, have spent many $$$$ on expensive glass and bodies and usually try to maximize detail so this experiment was a big departure from my normal post-processing. I'll not use it very often since it's not my normal style. I created a photoshop action so it's readily available for more experimentation and images.

Paul S