Renaissance Tower / Magic Wand Tool vs2
© Susan M. Reynolds
PRO Website: simplydivinephotography.com
Uploaded: September 17, 2010
Created a duplicate layer, then used the Magic Wand tool to select the sky. Used the Yin Yang Symbol to change the hue to orange for the fun of it (wasn't going for realistic, but more contrasting colores thatn the original. Flattened and resized for web.
Exif: F Number: 4, Exposure Bias Value: -0.33, ExposureTime: 1/500 seconds, Flash: did not fire., ISO: 100, White balance: Manual white balance, FocalLength: 70.00 mm, Model: NIKON D200
Susan M. Reynolds September 17, 2010
These two buildings were my first class assignment using layers masks and channels. He wanted 2 variations, so I'll post the changes below. #1309183Susan M. Reynolds September 17, 2010
Next, #8914212Susan M. Reynolds September 17, 2010
next #8914216Susan M. Reynolds September 17, 2010
He suggested I clone out the flagSusan M. Reynolds September 17, 2010
My original post of the Reaissance building I had erased the sepia off the flag, he said it was distracting and I should remove it. So I offered two more versions, one with the flag cloned out (which I hated to see Old Glory go and the other with the flag tinted sepia to more closely match the tones of the photo.Susan M. Reynolds September 17, 2010
Changed both sky then inverted and worked on building. #8914236Aimee C. Eisaman September 18, 2010
Okay let's try this again without the power going out on me! I had a long response typed and at the very end the power went off for a minute then came back on!As I was saying....very good job with the magic wand tool...I hate that thing. I never use it! I'm sure I'm probably not doing something right, but since I'm pretty good with the quick selection tool I just use that.
I really like your sepia version of the skyscraper. Very nice use of color selection for that one. I think I like the original version of the capital building the best, but the green background version is interesting. With both shots I think you might want to do some strighting via distortion correction, but I know that wasn't the focus of your lesson. :~) #8914996
Dale Hardin September 18, 2010
It looks as if you rec'd some good advise Susan and your sepia version looks really good.Agree with Aimee that it needs to be straightened but it will take two steps. One is traditional using the vertical line at the right of the tallest tower as a reference, and two, using the lens correction tool for the rest.
Also consider cloning out that flagpole that is against the left edge of the tallest tower.
Love all your hard work and it looks as if this class is working very well for you. Very nice stuff. #8916078
Carla Capra Anderson September 18, 2010
Susan, I love the architecture you've photographed. I too, noticed the slight tilt. I especially enjoy your sepia version and the the traditional capital image.Susan M. Reynolds September 18, 2010
I have already cropped to correct the tilt along the left side of the photo and measured it so that the side with point is vertical to the left side, and then I tried using the distortion tool to straighten the right side, but this building is built at an angle and everyting I tried with the lens distortion tool to straighten up the right side, looked awful and started making the left side uneven and crooked. Is there a way to straighten only one side?Stephen Shoff September 18, 2010
This is such a literal image that I have a hard time appreciating the variations, so I prefer the natural image. I think the flag is necessary. Its presence masks an otherwise very awkward roof-line, especially since we can't see any 3-dimensionality to the peaked tower on the left.The conversion to sepia works for me, though not as well as the original. The Nik filter to give directionality to the light seems like a good idea, but I don't think it worked. The gradient light masked out the details in the lower right of the building. Those details are important to the graphical design component of the picture. Maybe the gradient applied only to the sky portion of the image might deal with some of my impressions.
From the discussion, I'm not sure that there may not be some confusion between Aimee's reference to the distortion correction and Dale's reference to the lens correction tool. My efforts to correct perspectives using lens correction or "perspective" tools have seldom worked. They seem to have some limitations. I was, however, able to straighen the verticals from a screen capture. I used the CS4 Distort tool (i.e., not a "lens distortion" correction). That being said...
I keep seeing and admiring pictures of this building but I always forget to look for and examine it when I am downtown, so I can't speak to how square the angles should be and have no opinion on how you should want them to appear. I know that much of the modern Sacramento architecture contains slightly convex surfaces and/or sloping sides. The building I work in looks flat and boring...until you try to open a door on a windy day in March and realize that it is actually shaped like a hydrofoil. #8916450
Susan M. Reynolds September 18, 2010
Thank you for your explanation of the differences between the tools. I will try it tomorrow afternoon when I get home from the Annual Tailgate Photo Sale and Swap Meet at Action Camera & Snap Photo in Roseville and coffee with a mother who lost her son to a stabbing in Sacramento in late June - he was only 23. She just moved here from San Diego and I was very good friends with her daughter while I was working at Verizon Wireless-I've been keeping in touch with her on FB so I'll get to meet her tomorrow and try to offer some help on this journey I've been traveling for almost 5 years and one she just started on.Jeff E Jensen September 19, 2010
I love taking shots like these Susan. They can be very difficult and a bit addicting. I agree with Stephen that the original is my favorite. Nice work! #8917243Debbie E. Payne September 21, 2010
Susan, I, too, prefer the original image. I like all the different tones of blue in it for one. I could tell that you straightened the side of the building but do believe that you could tweak it with the lens correction tool as well.I must have missed something. Is this an online class here at BP or somewhere else? What is it called? #8921919
Peter W. Marks September 21, 2010
Susan, I like the original orange version best but having said that I like the sun effect in the sepia version.Michael Kelly September 21, 2010
I like the original too. I do like both shots of the Capital. The green BG is interesting. I think it needs some straightening also though. Great information from Stephen. I also use this tool a lot. #8922408Teresa H. Hunt September 22, 2010
I like the original as well. However I like the sepia with the flag in color. It loses something when the whole photo is sepia.#8924816
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