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Photography Question 

AnnMarie Mannino
 

help with inner glow


Please help. I know this is prabably elementary, however, I am working on putting new images on my website. And I would like to enhance some of my images with the "inner glow" action ( or whatever it is called.) You know...to make your images look like they have a "glow" or "light" behind them. I'm not sure if I even know what I am talking about. Does anybody out there know? Please help. Hey, this is a cool website. This is my first question here...stay tuned.


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March 08, 2005

 

Chris J. Browne
  I think the picture needs to have that
quality before. Digital enhancement generally only slightly inproves pictures: remove objects, fix blemishes, slight color shifts. Too many people think they can Photoshop an image to perfection. . .you need it to be 95% of the way to perfection first. Try shooting with a light diffusion behind the subject and overexposed with soft focus. . .quite dreamy.


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March 12, 2005

 

AnnMarie Mannino
  Hello Chris,

Yes, of course. I understand that your image needs to be 95% of the way to perfection. And I would say 95% of my images are. I am a full time professional photographer for the past 26 years. I only married 2 years ago. Since my last message, I have found out that what I meant to ask was about diffuse glow, not inner glow. I didn't explain myself very well. It's not to make it look as those the light was really coming from BEHIND them, but to make it look dreamy...like you said. You know, you go to filters - distort - diffuse glow. And then you can enhance the eyes. We've all seen this. I just didn't know how to explain it. It looks dreamy, like you said. It has that artistic quality to it. I want to offer it to my clients. I shoot primarily portraits and weddings. Thanks for your help, Chris.


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March 12, 2005

 

Chris J. Browne
  I don't like filters so I will ususally blow the image out by overexposure: 5 stops will work well-watch the color. Slide film takes this less gracefully but print film can create good effects.

With filters make sure you have plenty of light and GREAT quality filters. . .diffusion or nylons over the lense will give the effect.

You can also use some bounce light directed back at the lense. This helps reduce the contrast and make it look dreamy.

Diffusion filters work but test them out first. . . .some are not worth the glass they are made from.

Hope this helps. You probably know better than myself about still photography. I learnd on motion picture cameras and apply what I learned there to still photography.
Many effects are done after the negative is exposed well. . .Do what you
know best.

Chris


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March 12, 2005

 

AnnMarie Mannino
  Chris,

We are talking apples and oranges. I'm talking digital...you're talking film. How funny! I guess I'm just not making myself clear AT ALL. I do apoligize! I do. I do. And I was talking about photoshop...making that effect in photoshop. Diffusion glow.
Hey! Does the whole world read what I am writing to you? And I take it they are not seeing my last name, right? I'm not quite "with it" when it comes to computers. I'm still learning how all this stuff works. And this website, too! I'd like to see that effect you are talking about. Would you have anything to upload on here? Do you know the effect I am talking about? I can show you a cool website that has it?
Am I allowed to do that? Post someone else's site?
This is my first forum I've seen.

AnnMarie


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March 12, 2005

 

Melissa L. Zavadil
  Ok, this conversation is soo funny. You both are talking apples and oranges. Photoshop for one is no longer a picture software program that can merely 'fix a photograph.' Adobe Photoshop is an EXTREMELY powerful program that will let the imagination go wild with delight. It is a true artists paradise, it can turn a mere photograph into a pure form of true original artwork. Yes there are purist photographers out there that still engage in unedited photographs and yes there is a need and desire for that form of artwork as well. More and more though there is an even greater need out there with the onset of the internet for more creative photos, website creation that require a great deal of photography with a creative edge. I believe that this is what this person is reaching for.
Ok, this is how you can achieve the inner glow that you are discribing:
1. create a layer by cutting out the item you want and placing it where you what it to go.
2.Hit on layer at the top
3. Go into Blending options
4. Hit inner glow: here you can adjust the structure(opacity noise), Elements(size etc), Quality(range).
Of course you will need a version of photoshop that offers this feature.
Hope this helps! Good luck.


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March 13, 2005

 

Melissa L. Zavadil
  I just realized you changed your question midway to diffused glow. diffused glow is definately different than inner glow.
You can achieve this look in a variety of different ways.
by using the gaussian blur tool--
or by going into the distort filter, diffused glow. I am sure there are more ways and many more details to this but I am definately not an expert. I have used these tools and have achieved great effects!


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March 13, 2005

 

Chris J. Browne
  Sorry all. Looks like I have digital egg on my face. A great example of the glow and blown out look can be seen in the motion picture Willow. Somewhere in the first third of the film a fairy appears to the main characters. The shot was overexposed by about 5 stops and blows the other effects away. It does work with film best due to the nature of film and exposure curves. Digital just doesn't blow out the way film can. Sorry for the false hope. It looks like Melissa knows photoshop well enough to do more than contrast changes. I bow to your superior intelect [and spelling abilities].

Your humble film photographer - chris


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March 13, 2005

 

Chris J. Browne
  I just remembered a 'cheat' I did in PhotoDeluxe (baby cousin twice removed version of Photoshop).

I created a new layer on top of the first layer. I filled the layer with 100% white (or you could use a slight color cast like yellow or red). Then I made the layer between 3% and 10% opacity. It gave the image a dreamy white quality. I have used gaussian on the second layer (the actual image) for a more pronounced look. I also have done this with Macintosh Photoshop 3. It works great on the scans I make to push the image over the 100% mark.

I hate to admit I've used photoshop, but it is another tool in the camera bag. The old trick of nylon stockings will work on a digital camera lense though. or two clear filters, on artfully smeared with vasoline then sealed with the other. Fun stuff you can do in the camera before you let photoshop touch it and give it the digital look. Chris


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March 13, 2005

 

Melissa L. Zavadil
  Chris you are a very interesting person.


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March 13, 2005

 

Chris J. Browne
  Love ya Melissa but very married an love it. Gotta have some fun. Stuffy cold questions and answers are no fun.

Just trying to answer the questions so noboby feels bad. Individually we don't know all the answers, but collectivelly we can solve the worlds problems.

Chris


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March 13, 2005

 

AnnMarie Mannino
  Chris,

From what I understand, no filters should be used on a digital camara. I have never tried it, so I don't know. With film I put put 2 layers of black netting for traditional potraits. And I have used the vaseline for some fun stuff. Have you tried it yourself on digital I was told nothing should go in front of the lens. I have no idea.

I'm going to try that inner glow technique that Melissaa mentioned. I want to learn all I can. I'd like to try your idea, too ! All I need is TIME. Hey, if you ever feel like shooting me an image, before and after...that would be great! I would love to see it. Every single thing I do in PS is a trip. I fix blemishes, baby acne. That's about it. I think I learned to enhance the eyes the other night, along with that diffuse glow, that's about it. I've never tried that diffuse glow.

AnnMarie

AnnMarie


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March 13, 2005

 

AnnMarie Mannino
  Chris,

I meant to say I never tried that gossien blur that was mentioned.

AnnMarie


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March 13, 2005

 

Chris J. Browne
  Never heard about NOT putting something in front of a digital camera lense. They might not focus correctly or get the right exposure. But I ususally set those manually on the film camera when going artsi-fartsi.

Why do I use film you may ask? I work at an independent photo lab and have access to the latest scanner that produces 18 megapixel images from my 35mm negs and positives. +5500 pixels by +3100 pixels if I remember correctly. I work in hybred mode. Tyring to gain the advantages of both systems. When I get fired or quit I will be forced to go all digital with a Canon 20D. Then I also get to proof out on the Noritsu 3212 printer.


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March 13, 2005

 

Jennifer L. Bales
  I use filters all the time on my Digital camera (Canon 10D). I use Cokin or Tiffin or Lee. You can pretty much do anything with a digital camera that you can with a film camera. Best of luck with your diffused glow! I use that filter too (through PS)

Jen


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March 23, 2005

 

Andrew Laverghetta
  Hey, I realize this is quite a bit after you originally asked this question. I just wanted to say that I love the diffused look I get with my diffuser filter, my new lenses that I'm getting won't fit with the 52mm filter, plus I'm switching to at least mostly digital. I've done this with some of my scanned slide images and I really like the way it looks. This is what somebody suggested I do...

-Open an image in Photoshop
-Create a duplicate layer of the image by going to Layer>New>Layer Via Copy (you can also just to that last step by pressing CTRL+J I think)
-If your layers palatte isn't already open on the right side of the screen, open it by going to Window>Layers (skip that by just pressing F7 I think)
-make sure you have the new layer selected and then go to Filters>Blur>Gaussian Blur and ad a fair amount of blur to where it's slightly difficult to tell facial features.
-Change the Opacity in the layers palatte to something like 50% or whatever gives you the effect that you want.

The other suggestions are probably good as well and I hope you've gotten the effect that you want. Hope this helps a little too, though!


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April 01, 2005

 
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