Playing around with effects, by Pops:
How DPNow Pictures of the Day are selected
Playing around with effects, by Pops:
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Click image to see a larger view in Pops' gallery. |
Today we have a novel piece of work from Paul, who is known as Pops on the DPNow forum and galleries. It goes to show how, with a little imagination and some digital imaging tools, you can transform an image quite easily. So here is a short lesson from Paul:
"I use Paint Shop Pro X1 myself but there is no problem using any other half decent editor.
There are other ways to achieve the same effect but this is how I do it.
"1. Open new raster layer and make rectangle using selection tool, floodfill with white.
2. Rotate as required using deformation tool.
3. Deselect selection. Press ctrl+A and click anywhere within selection. Save to Alpha channel.
4. Contract selection by around 6/8 pixels (for border width) then hit delete key.
5. Load saved selection from Alpha channel and invert.
6. Activate b/g layer and adjust as required. Adjustment can include slight Gaussian blur, any filters or sepia etc.
Invert again and add drop shadow if required.
"Lots of different effects can be applied to suit the creator. An oval selection for instance works nicely with a person/portrait.
"This is the sort of thing I like to experiment with when the weather prevents me from getting out into the garden. The use of image editors shouldn't be confined to enhancing photographs.The huge number of tools, effects and commands should be explored to their full potential. Even ready made tutorials found on the web can be adjusted to suit the individual therby creating some unique picturesque effects.
"Not only that...it gives me a break from birds!"
A little about the photographer
Most famous on the DPNow forum for his amazing long lens back garden wildlife shots, especially birds, Paul proved to be the ideal provider of the Christmas Day POTD last year.
Paul adds: "I took early retirement in 1996 to become a full time carer for my wife. It was then that I took up photography. I got lots of help from forums (I came across Stephen and Pol in another forum years back and they have both been particularly helpful).
Visit Pops' gallery to see a wide selection of his excellent and varied photography.
Get your own photography featured here on POTD
Do you have an interesting story to tell about a special photo of yours? DPNow POTDs are selected exclusively from photos uploaded to the DPNow photo gallery. If you haven't already done so, why not register for free access to both the DPNow discussion forum and photo gallery and show some of your own photos? A POTD could be yours one day!
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