<< Previous Next >>

School's Out!


School's Out!
Photo Information
Copyright: Curtis Grindahl (cgrindahl) Silver Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 15 W: 2 N: 59] (225)
Genre: Places
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2004-05-29
Categories: Experimental
Camera: Nikon Coolpix 5700
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2004-05-30 12:57
Viewed: 576
Points: 4
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
So let's get serious here! If this site is intended to permit more playful treatment of images, why not? I took a number of images yesterday of privately owned school buses parked for the weekend at a service yard in the industrial area of San Rafael. As I was playing with the images it dawned on me that a number of them would lend themselves to creative playing in Photoshop. This is what I did...

1) The usual, adjusting levels, contrast and applying USM before cropping.
2) Copied image to a second layer and removed/erased everything but the red stop sign and the red reflector.
3) Added a layer between the background and the layer with the stop sign.
4) Working with the background, I played with hue to see if there were versions of the image in alternative colors that intrigued me. I found two colors and saved both.
5) Returning to the empty layer between the background and the stop sign I used the gradient tool and applied the two colors I'd selected in step four on the diagonal.
6) I played with opacity of the colored layer until I had a look that appealed to me.
7) It dawned on me that for full effect I needed to go into the stop sign and reflector on the top level and ERASE the thin lines of the chainlink fence so the colored layer could be read through those images as well. This was a rather laborious process, but I like the result.

The nice thing about this stylized treatment is that I can change the color layer any way I want and have different effects. The background layer will remain unchanged as will the top layer with the stop sign and reflector.

Since folks around here don't see particularly interested in conventionally beautiful images, perhaps experimental ones will tickle their fancy. I very much enjoyed liberating my muse and will surely do much more of this in the future. Have fun!
gadinga has marked this note useful
Only registered TrekLens members may rate photo notes.
Add Critique [Critiquing Guidelines] 
Only registered TrekLens members may write critiques.
Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To gadinga: It would be huge...cgrindahl 1 05-30 14:18
You must be logged in to start a discussion.

Critiques [Translate]

I really like your PP. The result is nice. I know it would be a pain in the neck but I think the image would work better if there was more contrast on the fence.

Very well seen and great PP! Its a very strong colourful image, and very recognisable as an American school bus (even in England... the power of Hollywood). The fence is typical school fence as well and gives great structure to the shot. Well done.

Calibration Check
















0123456789ABCDEF