Levi Christiansen's Blog

Scanography Edits

levichristiansen — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 07:33:17 +0000

To learn more about Scanography and read some tips please read the post below on Scanograpghy.

For this post I scanned first the glue sticks with my HP Deskjet F4440. Then i scanned the tenis ball. Then I scanned the thumb tact . I then used the magic wond tool in partern ship with the quick selection tool to cut them out to make them crisp and clean.

After i had finished them I decided that I better have some fun with them and create a few designs. So i came up with the idea of making them look like molecules. Like something you would see in a chemistry or biology text book. Her are some of the designs i came up with. WARNING IT MAY HURT YOUR EYES IF YOU LOOK FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME.

Scanography

levichristiansen — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 07:15:53 +0000

This is a great technic for capturing images. Many times when we bring up photography with friends and family. we quickly start talking about fancy and usually expensive DSLRs and other cameras like the point and shoot. Well i would like to remind you those are all really great tools for capturing images but they are not the only ones. You may use a very common and usually pretty cheap flat bed scanner to capture some pretty awesome images. The scanner i have is a HP Deskjet F4440. Its a printer and a scanner all in one. I purchased mine brand new at a local store for less then 60 dollars. It has been a very important tool in my imaging and photo restoration projects.

This first image is of just three fake flowers that my wife puts in her hair and to of her necklaces laid in a nice pattern. Just turned the lights off in a dark room and turn the computer screen away from the scanner and scanned the image with the scanner cover completely removed. Remember the scanning process ( capturing the image) take a while some times over 10 secs so the scanner must not be touched or you will get some really strong blur. Which may turn out nice but not always.

Photolusion

levichristiansen — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 05:50:35 +0000

The term Photolusion is a term started by my Instructor at BYU-Idaho. Caryn Esplin Its when you take a photo or edit two or more to make something look or appear as something that it is not. Google the term and you will see many other great examples of Photolusion.

F 5.6 Exp. 1/80 taken near a porta-potty nothing special.

F 5.6 Exp. 1/400 Just a mad dog.

Just rotated dogs head and used the easer tool on the dogs layer. I then used the burn tool to better match the colors up and i also burn the should to make the head cast a more believable shadow.

F 22 Exp. 1/40 we just back a longways away from the car and a too this shots of the "giant foot." without a tripod i reallly like how moving with the stepping foot created a natural blur. No Photoshop work was performed on this image.

F22 Exp.1/25 Taken from the same spot as the other foot shot just taken with the foot posed in the air. Remember a high F stop number is important so that near and far are in focus.

F 22 Exp. 1/25 placed the camera on a tripod and the just wrapped my arms around the camera and used a time to get this shot.

F 22 Exp. 1/25 Every one needs a push start right? Taken Just like the photo above but with my assistance hands.

Fine Art Template

levichristiansen — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 05:21:07 +0000

This is called a fine art template. this is a great way to make your photos more mainstream and marketable. This is a great way to also get rid of a telephone pole or something that ruins your picture with out a lot of editing. This is a great way to take and then post photos very quickly. There are many tutorials on the web and especially on youtube.com. Just search for clipping mask “how tos”.

I created this in photoshop and it is simple just come up with your concept and then use the shapes creating tool to make your frame sizes. Make sure you merge all your shapes into one layer and then place you picture layer on top of the shape and control click or right click and select create clipping mask. The great thing is you can still select the pictures layer and move it around even resized to your likening.

F 5.6 Exp. 1/800 taken on a beautiful sunday afternoon in a park around 5 o clock. I was walking around the park and the patriot in me said take a look at that great flag so i did digitally.

I just liked the saying and the way it all came together when i placed the picture under the clipping mask.

F 7.1 Exp. 1/500 Taken just minutes before the picture of the flag above. Just a really pretty park located in St. Anthony , Idaho.

I think we often take our freedom for granted and forget about those who have fought to preserve it.

F 5.6 Exp. 1/1000 Taken just as the sun was saying good bye on a monday night . Taken at the Sand Dunes Located a few miles north west of St. Anthony Idaho

I just wanted to show you thats its can be fun to use filters on the background layer to create a different feel for your fine art posters. Just play around with filters and have fun.

Edge Effects

levichristiansen — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 07:07:33 +0000

I found this project of taken pictures and making them look either painted or more professional by being creative to be fun and challenging. All of these photos were taken using a Cannon Rebel Xs.

Exp. 1/100 Fn 5.6 Taken under some trees at mid day when the sun was bright but the trees helped to defuse the light and a near by light colored wall helped to add some filling light.

I used a filter to give it and more painted or hand drawn look. I used the crosshatch filter and play with it for sometime before deciding that i like it.

I then deleted the image replacing it with a white fill and then used varies brush in history mode and got this lovely looking finished picture. Tip play with the opacity of the brushes to have some very strong and detail and others fade.

Exp. 1/400 F 5 I could pass this sunset up while driving home one day from work. Its colors were amazing.

I extended the canvas to create a white outside border and then mad a separate layer with a black rectangle I the cut a whole in it to make it look like a border. I colored it with the paint bucket the color of the clouds that are very close to the mountains. I thought it look alot like a inspirational poster so i put a saying on it just for fun. If you think its cheesy thats because its supposed to be.

F 5.6 Exp.1/160 Taken a just in between some rain downpours.

F 5.6 Exp 1/2500

I used the surrealistic High Contrast and play around with it for a few minutes . I think this looks like a Movie poster for a horror or a vampire movie I call it Byu-I Twilight.

Night and Light

levichristiansen — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 05:42:44 +0000

I love how i was able to get my brothers-in-law and sister-in-law to help me take some of these fun and interesting shots at night. I took all of these shots using my Cannon Rebel XS. I love how it was able to take a great 30 seconds exposure and in different lighting conditions. All of these night shots were taken on the night of the 13th of June 2010. I hope you enjoy none of these pictures were alter or edited in photoshop. They are as taken.

Exp. 30 secs F 9 I had my helpers run towards me then back to a spot where they started then back past the camera. One was holding a Blue led flash light , one was holding an ipod touch In the center with a picture of a flower on its screen and the one on the right was holding a standard yellowish orange flash light.

Exp. 30 secs F 5 Taken of the subject using a long 30 sec exposure i had him start at the telephone pull on the right. He stayed there for about 5 secs. then i had him run as fast as he could and stop center and i counted to 12 and then had him run to the mail box and stay put for the remaining secs of the exposure. The center is the best but near the telephone poll you can still make his figure out.

Exp. 30 sec F 30 Taken when i saw three cars were coming and at least one was coming and one was going. Taken in St. Anthony at about 11:00 pm. I was so happy to see the one car signal and turn to the right so in the image you get a dashed line effect. I also enjoy the way the lights seem to be beaming to have their photo taken.

Exp. 30 sec F 11 Taken in doors using two of the flash lights used in the first photo of this blog. I had a helper shine blue from screen right for about 10 secs then i shined orange from screen left for about 12 sec and then had no lights on for the remaining part of the exposure.

Photo Book

levichristiansen — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 18:39:56 +0000

I downloaded this template for free from http://www.studio22.co.za/coffeetabletemplates.htm you should go there they have some really great free templates.

I altered the background color and i also created an extra place for a photo in order to fit all 7 that were required for my assignment. Used a clipping mask to cover the photos and make it more high end.

Replace Color

levichristiansen — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 18:23:19 +0000

I really love this snap shot of some great action and i love how it shows who these boys really are. I thought it would be fun to change one of there jackets to see how nicely i could do it. I used the color replacement tool found under image adjustment in photoshop. I moved it until i got this really great white.

F 3.5 Exp. 1/2500 Taken with Sony DSLR-a100

I love How it makes the sky more apart of the sky and environment

Portrait Enhancement

levichristiansen — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 18:09:45 +0000

I took this picture of my subject but when we it on my computer it turns out like a lot of kids he has been less then stellar when it comes to dental high-gene. So i used this great software of photoshop to whiten his teeth. I selected his teeth with the quick selection tool then I pressed (command U) and moved the yellow master control down until they look naturally whit be careful not to over do this or it looks fake or very obvious. I also removed the scare on his right eye brow.

F 6.3 Exp. 1/250 taken with Sony Dlsr-a100

LOOK, HIS DENTIST WOULD BE PROUD

Color Match

levichristiansen — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 16:48:11 +0000

See other pictures of the girls below for more information on this photos location and setting. I was able to take these candid swing shots. the wind was blowing just enough move her hair and make it look very well set up.

taken with the light coming from the front right of her face. FN 1/320 5.6 Exp.

But i wanted the picture’s color to match this ones.

The flesh color is a very nice even and matching color i love color match in photoshop.

Fn. 5.6 Exp. 1/320 I really love this color and feel so i want the other one to match it so i used photoshops color match tool to get this nice sense of continuity.