Day 2

As mentioned in my last post, I worked on the Bluebonnets today. I also happened to fall upon a wonderful tool called Darktable. In my last post, I mentioned I’d be working with GIMP for processing the RAW images. However, it turned out that I had to download Darktable to import RAW images into GIMP. I started exploring Darktable and found it to be flexible with a lot of resources to help me learn.

The original photo I took of the Bluebonnets is shown below:

Bluebonnets (original)

I agree, I did a terrible job of clicking this picture. No amount of excuses I provide should be able to justify the terrible job, given that I walked 2 miles just to get this shot. However, what I lacked in photography I tried to make up during the processing. I put in a combined effort of over 6 hours, playing with the exposure, colour correction, highlights, and other Darktable features. I am not a profession photographer or a have a formal background in post-processing, however I did learn a good deal on how to fix an overexposed sky. In the image, it can be seen that the top right corner is over-bright due to the sun. I decreased the exposure and added a mask over the sky giving it more highlights. I also did some colour correction for the foreground. The final image is cleaner, with brighter hues.

Bluebonnets (Final)

I understand that it’s not perfect. But hopefully by the end of this project, I will have more depth of understanding and be able to get a better edit of the same picture.

A final note on the photos I’ve been clicking: I am using a smartphone to click these images. Although, I do plan on using a camera at times over the course of this project.

 

As before, your thoughts are welcome! 🙂

Day 1

This being my last semester, I am less occupied with academics. Already having a job offer, I had very little motivation to get through the days. So I decided to get a new project. I’m going to call it the Aggie Project.

The project will last for 30 days, where I’ll attempt a new technique everyday with a new picture (hopefully taken on that day). At the end of 30 days, I will summarize the key points I’ve learnt and provide a list of references I’ve used for learning these techniques.

Today being Day 1, I would like to start off the project by presenting the Spring blooms at Texas A&M University. I clicked these pictures as I wandered through the campus with the sole aim of finding the Blue Bonnets that I’d seen in a picture posted by the official TAMU account on Twitter[1]. I wandered off a little further than I expected to, so my shots provide a slightly different view. I started from the Administration Building and ended up on South Texas Ave, opposite to the T-Mobile store.

The technique I am focusing on today is Layers. I got my initial inspiration from a blogpost by Jacob Matthew Dix[2]. In his blogpost, he recommends using phone-based editing apps (Snapseed and PS Touch). Over the past year, I have become very familiar with Snapseed. In an attempt to learn PC based editing software, I will be using GIMP for this project.

This is a photo I clicked in front of the Admin building on the east side of the campus.

Original Image

The white periwinkle flowers in this image looked too washed/over-exposed. I intended to give it some highlights and shadows.

Layer 1 – Increased saturation, highlights, and shadows. Also, I changed the hues.

Although I like the green of the stems in Layer 1, I intend to keep the attention on the flowers. So, I decided to add another layer with cooler temperature and vignette.

Layer 2 – Added a circular vignette and cooler temperature.

By multiplying we can essentially obtain brighter/darker images with more flexibility. I have used the original image as the base with 100% opacity. I have used Layer 1 and Layer 2 in multiply mode with 50% opacity. Doing so helped me obtain a warmer picture with darker backgrounds. Hence I could achieve my goal of eliminating the washed-out look and provide a summer feel to the picture.

Final Image – Multiplied the Original Image, Layer 1, and Layer 2.

That’s all for today. Tomorrow I will work on the Bluebonnets that I chased and try a new technique. I welcome your thoughts/critiques.

 

References:

[1] https://www.pscp.tv/w/1OyKAyjNLkeKb

[2] http://www.mobilography.net/layer-stacking-snapseed-pstouch/  : PS Touch has been since discontinued. So, I use an alternate app call Image Editor by Byte Mobile.

 

new year’s eve.

© photo by Lightbucket Productions

12/31/2018

The snow gives way to warmer soles,
as you lock your eyes on mine.
Light from lanterns all around
enter through the corner of my eyes.
A smile plays on your lips
that radiates love into the world.
Amidst tones of beige, 
I guide you to my depths.
You slip a ring on my finger,
future unraveling.
The faint cheers spring to life
as you hand me a painting 
of a rare winter bloom that
I'd only preserve a lifetime.

 

blues.

Sunday: lazy day;
too bad- hope isn't enough
to make you stay back.

Ronovan Writes Haiku Challenge, #162

brick oven.

Three Line Tales, Week 81

photo by Cathal Mac an Bheatha via Unsplash

The interior, burning with the searing heat of 
the blaze, encouraged a concoction of attributes 
to work together harmoniously towards a goal.

His mind.

Also, the brick oven.

vintage.

Three Line Tales, Week 80

photo by Annie Theby via Unsplash

in concrete towns, a
vintage context emerges.
"people's car", they said.

where birds dare.

© Photo by Aathreya S Bhat

Seagull: a lady
requesting to be followed
into painted skies.

Ronovan Writes Haiku Challenge #161