Graphix1

Sharpening Images in Photoshop with the High Pass Filter

carol — Sat, 04 May 2013 15:25:21 +0000

Although Photoshop does have a Sharpen filter, better results can be obtained using the High Pass filter, and you have the control over how much or how little you sharpen your image. In this quick tip I will show you how to sharpen all or some of your image.

Resources:
Image from sxc.hu

Step 1

Open the image and duplicate the background layer.

Change the layer mode to Overlay – this will increase the contrast greatly, but that will be corrected in the next step.

Step 2

Filter>Other>High Pass

With the High Pass settings window open, make sure you have the Preview box checked so you can see the results.

It depends on the size of your image, the amount of sharpening required and the final effect required as to how much or how little you apply with the slider.

For this image, at full size you will get a good result applying 2.0 pixels, but if you reduce the size as I have to 580px wide, you will need to apply around 4.0 pixels.

Final Words

You can also apply a layer mask to your High Pass layer so that you sharpen selectively. In the image below, the houses and flowers in the foreground were quite sharp enough, so I used the High Pass filter, added a layer mask and masked out everything except the sea and mountains in the background.

I hope this quick tip helps you with your photography post-processing for your future projects.

A Welcome to 2013 with Stunning Morning Photography

carol — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 09:00:22 +0000

Yesterday we saw 2012 out with some beautiful night photography, and today we welcome 2013 with stunning morning photography. Hopefully you will all have a wonderful New Year and it will continue to be perfect for you throughout the year.

Good Morning “San Diego Sunrise”

France Beauties: Winter Morning

I wish all my readers a very happy, healthy and prosperous New Year. May 2013 bring you everything you wish for yourself.

A Farewell to 2012 through Beautiful Night Photography

carol — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 12:00:53 +0000

On this New Year's Eve, we are bringing you some beautiful night photography as 2012 bows out making way for 2013 and all of it's promise. A year that saw many new trends in website design, along with some new standards in design that were initially seen as trends but have turned into much more - here I refer to the use of HTML5 and CSS3 and the development of responsive websites. I hope you all had a wonderful 2012 as we say a fond farewell to it.

Singapore NDP Fireworks 2012

I hope these beautiful photographs have maybe evoked some good memories of your 2012.

Rusty Text Effect: Photoshop Tutorial

carol — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 13:23:13 +0000

This is an easy tutorial using a free font, gradient set, brush set and Photoshop's built-in tools to get a real-looking rusty text effect. There are quite a few steps to this tutorial, but I think the end result justifies the time needed to complete it.

Resources

Copperplate Gothic Bold Font

Patterned Spheres Brushes

Adoralyna's Golden Metal Gradients

Step 1

Open a new file using the following settings:

Fill the background with black.

Step 2

Select the Type Tool, Copperplate Gothic Bold font, size 300pt, foreground colour White.

Type your text all on one layer

Rename the layer 'Text bg'

Right click on the layer in the layers palette and click Rasterize Layer

Step 3

Select the Brush Tool, foreground colour Black, and the Patterned Spheres brushes. Select the brush before last – number 22, and set the size to 320px.

Create a new layer, this should be named Layer 1 by default. Leave the name as it is.

Center the brush over the first letter and click once

Make the Text bg layer active, select the Magic Wand Tool and click in the first letter to select it.

Select>Inverse

Now make the Layer 1 layer active and hit the delete button.

Step 4

Repeat Step 3 for each letter of your text.

When you have created the pattern for each letter, merge all the pattern layers together – click on the top layer, hold down the shift key and click on the last pattern layer – this should select them all, right click anywhere on the selected layers and click Merge Layers

Now duplicate the merged layer twice and again merge these 3 layers together. Rename the layer Pattern

Step 5

Double click on the Pattern layer in the layers palette to bring up the blending options and apply the following Gradient Overlay (using Adoralyna's Golden Metal Gradients) and Bevel and Emboss settings:

Note: You need to have all of Photoshop's contours activated to find the Peaks contour. The image below shows you how to achieve this:

Step 6

Duplicate the Pattern layer.

Duplicate the Text bg layer.

Drag the Text bg copy layer above the Pattern layer (it should now be directly below the Pattern copy layer.

Merge the Pattern copy layer and the Text bg copy layer together.

Rename this layer Rust

Your text should be looking something like this now:

Step 7

With the Rust layer active:

Filter>Distort>Ocean Ripple – apply the following settings:

Step 8

Double click the Rust layer in the layers palette to bring up the blending options and apply the following Bevel and Emboss and Color Overlay settings:

Step 9

Duplicate the Rust layer and rename the copy Highlights

Double click on the Highlights layer in the layers palette to bring up the blending options and change the Color Overlay settings as follows:

Create a new layer and merge the new empty layer with the Highlights layer to rasterize the effects. (Make sure this layer is called Highlights)

Image>Adjustments>Invert

Step 10

Double click on the Highlights layer in the layers palette to bring up the blending options and apply the following Color Overlay settings:

Reduce the layer opacity to 59%

Step 11

Finally, reduce the layer opacity of the Rust layer to 83%

Final Result:

For the following image I changed the background colour and added a light brown drop shadow on the text.

Hopefully you were able to follow the steps easily, however, if you have hit any problems along the way, please either leave a comment below or contact me and I will try to help.

30 Beautiful Nature Wallpapers

carol — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 12:34:03 +0000

Nature – the greatest artist of all time! Where artists and designers have to carefully colour-match everything, nature seems to be able to throw every shade of every colour into the mix without causing any clashes – just beauty. We may not be able to visit the beach, a lake or the mountains, but we can use the stunning high quality free wallpapers that are on offer to bring these vistas to our desktops. This is a round-up of just 30 such beautiful free nature wallpapers.

Rainforest Hole

Nature HD Wallpapers

Nature Wallpaper 179

Waterfall Mountain Sunset

Autumn Rainbow Landscape

Persistence Wallpaper

Beautiful Nature Wallpaper

Great Sunset Beach

Beach Hammock Palms

Seastar

Beautiful Nature Wallpaper

Rainbow over Lake

Winter Park Bench

Iris Meadow

Lake of Tranquility Wallpaper

Wild Waterfall

Beautiful Nature Wallpaper

Wallpaper: Fjaerlandsfjord

Conclusion

When we see an amazing nature photograph, we are more likely to take notice of the beauty in our own surroundings. Even if you live in a city, you can still look up to the sky which is one of nature's most amazing canvases.

Please feel free to leave any comments or acknowledgements for the photographers of the beautiful wallpapers showcased above.

Photoshop Tutorial: Denim Patchwork Text Effect

carol — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 12:53:50 +0000

This is an easy tutorial, you need no more knowledge than knowing your way around Photoshop to complete this text effect, and it uses a free font and a canvas texture. All other effects are generated by Photoshop's built-in tools. However, be warned, it is quite time-consuming!

Resources

Patchwork Letter Font from dafont.com
Canvas Texture from humphreyhippo on deviantart.com

Step 1

Create a new file using the following settings:

Place the red canvas texture into your canvas: Drag the layer from the layers palette and drop it into your canvas.

Name the layer fabric 1

Duplicate the layer and name this layer fabric 2

Image>Image Size – set the width to 1000px, auto height, click OK.

Note: No matter how much text your are going to use, this is the size you need this fabric to be so that the weave is not too large for the text. If you are creating a lot of text duplicate the fabric layer more times.

Step 2

With the fabric 2 layer active:

Image>Adjustments>Black and White – from the drop-down list, select Maximum Black, as shown below:

Step 3

Select the Type Tool, colour blue #3747A7, Patchwork Letter font, size 200pt

Type your text as required.

Step 4

Select the Magic Wand Tool and make sure the text layer is active.

Zoom very well into your image and click the Magic Wand in the main part of the first letter.

If any corners are not included in the selection, hold down the Shift key and click the Magic Wand again in the missed area.

Select>Modify>Expand – set to 2px, click OK

Now make the fabric 2 layer active

Ctrl+J to copy the selection – name this layer so that you recognize it easily. I used the letter and 'Main', so: D Main

You now need to complete this step for each of the letters of your text – only the main parts, not the patches.

When you have completed all the letters, turn off the visibility of the fabric 2 layer and you should have the main parts of all letters in black and the patches and background showing red.

Step 5

Double click on the first main letter layer to bring up the blending options. Apply the following Color Overlay, Bevel and Emboss and Contour settings:

Right click on this main letter layer and click on Copy Layer Style

Make the second main letter layer active, hold down the Shift key and click on the last main letter layer to select all the main letter layers.

Right click on any highlighted layer and click on Paste Layer Style

Now make the first main letter layer active, hold down the Shift key and click on the last main letter layer to select them all.

Ctrl+G to group all the main letter layers. Rename the group Main Letters

Step 6

Before starting on this step, it is advisable to move the fabric 2 layer below the fabric 1.

Now you need to return to Step 4, use the Magic Wand Tool and move back and forth between the text layer and fabric 1 layer, this time selecting the patches.

Don't forget to expand the selection each time and ensure you don't miss any of the corners in the selection.

Name these layers however you will recognise them such as: D Patch.

Step 7

Double click on the first patch layer to bring up the blending options and apply the following Color Overlay, Bevel and Emboss and Contour settings:

As before, right click on this patch layer and click Copy Layer Style

Make the second patch layer active, hold down the Shift key and click on the last patch layer to select them all.

Right click on any highlighted layer and click Paste Layer Style to apply the style to all patch layers.

Make the first patch layer active, hold down the Shift key and click on the last patch layer to select them all.

Ctrl+G to group the layers – name this group Patches

Step 8

Turn off the visibility of all layers and groups except the text layer and the background layer. You should now have the blue text outline on a white background.

You may notice that this font has left some thin lines across the top of the text – you can delete those during this step.

Right click on the text layer and click Rasterize Type

Add a layer mask by clicking the icon at the bottom of the layers palette (grey rectangle with a white circle in the middle).

Select a hard round brush, size approximately 6px.

Zoom very well into the image and with black as the foreground colour, remove all of the text except the stitches.

You should end up with, well, frankly, quite a messy looking image!

Restore visibility to the two groups.

Step 9

Double click on the text layer to bring up the blending options and apply the following Color Overlay and Bevel and Emboss settings:

Using a round brush, hardness set around 60%, size 2px, paint some stitches around the holes of any letters that have them, such as A and P. You can use any colour for the foreground as the blending options will change it automatically.

Step 10

Create a new layer below the text layer.

Select the Brush tool, a round brush size 5px, hardness 60%, foreground colour black.

Zoom into your image and place a one-click circle under each end of each stitch.

Apply the following Bevel and Emboss and Contour settings:

Reduce the layer opacity to 78%.

Step 11

Restore the visibility to fabric 1 layer.

Image>Adjustments>Black and White – from the drop-down list, select Neutral Density.

You can now cut the image or leave it with the dark edge, as you prefer.

Final Result

You can select different colours for different effects. You can also rotate the fabric texture slightly for either the background or the text. Of course, you could also use different fabric textures. This is a very flexible design, a little imagination and creativity could produce some very different end results.

Note: If you think you will not need to make any alterations to the letters you are creating, and to save just a little time, you can select all the fabric letters on one layer and all the patches on one layer, then apply the blending options.

Back to Black: Beautifully Designed Black Websites

carol — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 14:52:02 +0000

In web design, for quite some years now, trends have come and gone, but black has remained the 'new black'. Black is, maybe surprisingly, the most versatile colour for website design – it can be used for both very formal and very casual websites, and everything in between. This article is showcasing some extremely effective, beautifully designed black websites for your inspiration.

Beautifully Designed Black Websites

Fantasy Interactive Starbreeze

Conclusion

Hopefully you have been inspired by this showcase of black websites for your own future projects or maybe even your own site re-design.

Please leave any comments or links to other beautifully designed black websites in the section below.

Red, Red Wine: Beautiful Wine Related Photography

carol — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 13:05:19 +0000

Imagine the scene: a beautiful sunny day, no pressing, urgent work or engagements, the rolling hills in perfect view just outside the door, a gentle breeze and a table and chairs waiting to be occupied. A bottle of wine on hand, along with a couple of glasses, and the person you most like to spend time with right there to share the wine with you... idealism to the max! Of course, that is not the situation most of us are in right now, so here is a selection of beautiful wine-related photographs to take you off to dreamland for a few minutes.

Beautiful Wine Related Photography

Wine

Late shoot with wine

With a Bottle of Wine

Wine bottles and glass

Wine Glass Reflections

Wine Bottle Texture

Wine

Your love is more delightful than wine

Conclusion

Hopefully these images have sent you reaching for a glass and a bottle of wine and heading towards the nearest comfy chair!

Please leave any comments or acknowledgments for the photos/photographers below.

Moonlight Sonata: Beautiful Moonlight Photography

carol — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 12:23:29 +0000

Moonlight is considered to be a romantic time by many. Sunshine tends to throw yellow light on everything it touches, while moonlight often makes everything look blue. To achieve an excellent moonlit photograph long exposure times are required, water and moonlight together can create a fantasy-like scene, making water – the ocean, a river or even a pond, one of the best settings for moonlight photography.

Here we have selected some beautiful, romantic examples of moonlight photography for your viewing pleasure.

Click on any image to visit the page of origin

I hope you have enjoyed viewing these beautiful photographs. Please leave any comment or acknowledgments for the photos/photographers below.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles: The Need for Speed Desktop Wallpapers

carol — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 12:03:38 +0000

Planes, Trains and Automobiles was the title of a very funny 1987 film starring Steve Martin and John Candy. Surely the name was no accident.... those three forms of transport are the fastest means of getting from A to B, and represent 'boys' toys'.

You don't have to be a boy to appreciate speed and motion, and having a desktop wallpaper in that vein may inspire and motivate workflow (no guarantees here!). So today we bring you a selection of wallpapers featuring Planes, Trains and Automobiles.

Planes

Trains

Automobiles

Hopefully, if you have the 'need for speed' on your desktop, you will have found something here that you would like to use.