How to Swampify a pic

[Swampy]

It was a suggestion from a friend on here to post a few of my web shots from the original through to the end with the steps in between on what I did to it to get what I got. So. Here's my first one. Please don't post until the final shot is posted.

Here's the original full frame shot. This one will remain the full frame throughout the end and the final will end up being just the resized full frame shot.

[Swampy]

I start out by using the "Healing Brush" to wipe out dust spots from dust on the CCD.

[Swampy]

To bring out more detail in the clouds, I use the Image>Adjustments>Shadows/Highlight feature of CS. Settings vary depending on the pic and I may use this more than once and sometimes not one right after the other.

[Swampy]

Next, I use Image>Adjustments>Replace Color to bring some snap to the picture. This one, I am adjusting the color of the sky from a duller blah blue to a nice deep dark blue.

[Swampy]

This next one, I change some of the oranges to a more redish color with replace color again.

[Swampy]

And, lastly, with replace color, I bring the yellows out a bit.

[Swampy]

Back to my favorite tool in CS. Highlights. Here I'll bring more detail out in the clouds. This is a pretty simple picture to edit. Sometimes you may want to mask areas to work on so you don't apply it to the whole scene. I will be selecting a certain area to apply a filter to later on.

[Swampy]

I'm pretty much done tweaking at this point, so I'm going to size for the web to post here.

[Swampy]

Now, I use QuickMask mode to mask out the sky and leave a little buffer between the mountain skyline and the actual sky. I'm doing this because I'm going to really bring out the clouds by oversharpening them.

[Swampy]

After QuickMasking, I'll go back to editing in standard mode and then go to Select>Inverse to get the mask to this point.

[Swampy]

With the masking done, I'll now do the Unsharp Mask 4 times to the sky.

[Swampy]

I'll remove the mask and use the Unsharp Mask one more time to bring a slightly sharper edge to the tops of the mountains against the sky. If I didn't mask above the mountains, there would have been an unatural line along the tops of the mountains that really looks terrible.

[Swampy]

And, this is the final product after the Swampify.

[Swampy]

If you've found this usefull, or want to see how/what I did to any of the other images on my website (click the tagline below), go to the large image on my website, right click on it, click on save as and PM me the filename and I'll see what I can do to do another tutorial like this.

[Melody]

Bryan,

It's unbelievably useful, and very generous of you. THANK YOU for taking the time and effort to do so.

Melody

[Linda G]

Great and useful tutorial, even to those without CS yet. Nicely done, Swampy.

[Megapixel]

Hi Swampy,

Yes very usefull - thanks for the effort - I'll give it a try tonight (after work, that is ...)

Marc

[AzRich]

great work,

looks like the end of the world .... :eek:

I don't think Steve minds if I post his link here-

http://www.dustylens.com/

He's got a couple photoshop suggestions up too. He's a nice, talented man and a fellow high country Arizonan.

[ACME]

Hey from Phx,

Swampy? You don't use the "advanced" feature on Shadow / highlights????

I have found that tweaking the tonal range and radius helps a lot.........
ALSO for portraits (and lots of other stuff now that I think about it) I have found that bumping the Midtones in shadw/ hilite really makes the skin and other areas look less flat and paste-ie looking. ESP if going to print.

Thanks for the tuturial~!

~A

[Swampy]

"I don't do people" has been a standard answer for me. I really don't do much with people, mostly landscapes and the default settings work out well already.

I will, however, keep that in mind when I do start doing more with people though. Sounds like a good trick.

Thanks Adam.

[ACME]

I guess I notice it most in the skintones, but I suppose playing with the levels in a differant manner could help any shot....

Photoshop is sort of crazy as there are many differant ways to do the same thing and it seems the more I know and learn the more I realize I don't know.....

[sandman]

I find if i'm going to use the mid tone contrast or even the brightness/contrast in C.S. adjust them BEFORE using the shadows/highlight filter. If you use them AFTER you darken the image again , this is just personall of course and may not suit everyone , but i use that filter a lot , and have found that no two images require the same settings , play with the radius slider in small increases from about halfway , especially if you have lots of grass/foliage and watch the tones alter .A great filter but needs really carefull adjustments to get the best out of .

Brian