Using the 81-Filter

The first filter I want to discuss is the 81-filter. I shall talk about the others later on.

81-Filter

This is a very simple, yet effective filter for portrait-editing.

­Using the filter once-off in Photoshop:

1. Open the image you want to edit in Photoshop.

2. Create a new layer from the Background layer.

3. Select Image/Adjustments/Color Balance.

4. In ‘Tone Balance’, click on ‘Shadows’ and type ‘-7’ in the right hand block. You have now decreased blue with a value of 7 and increased yellow with the same in the shadow areas of your image.

5. Now click on ‘Midtones’ in ‘Tone Balance’ and repeat the above process.

6. Lastly click on ‘Highlights’ in ‘Tone Balance’ and repeat the process again.

7. You have now completed the filter.

Use your Opacity slider in Layers to decrease the intensity of the filter. After you have finished, flatten the image.

The disadvantage is that you have to repeat the process each and every time you want to use the filter. You can build yourself an Action to do al the above with just one click.

Building an Action in Photoshop for the 81-filter:

Go to Actions and firstly create a new set for your filters.

1. Click on ‘Create New Set’ at the bottom of ‘Actions’ and give your set a name, i.e. ‘My Filters.’

2. Click on ‘Create New Action’ at the bottom of ‘Actions’ and give your action a name, i.e. 81-Filter (Make sure that new action is stored in your ‘My Filters’ set).

3. Click on ‘Record’

4. Execute steps 3 to 6 as in ‘Using the filter once-off’ in Photoshop’ above.

5. Click the ‘Stop playing/recording’ button at the bottom of ‘Actions’

6. You have now completed your action.

If you want to use the filter in future, open the image you want to edit, create the new layer as in ‘Using the filter once-off in Photoshop’, select the action, i.e. ’81-filter’ and click on the ‘Play selection’ button at the bottom of ‘Actions.’ After the action is executed, use the Opacity Slider in layers to select the intensity of the filter. After you have finished, flatten the image.

Colour Correction

One of the biggest advantages of digital photography is that you can afford to make certain errors. It can always be corrected on the computer afterwards.

I think one of the most common errors is white balance. You either forget to change the white balance setting on your camera or the camera’s lighting interpretation is not correct – or you may decide you want a certain lighting effect for a specific image.

On-camera filters are available but it is pricy and it means that you must increase the bulk in your camera bag. Some filters, i.e. your UV- and polarising filters are irreplaceable and cannot successfully be simulated in your software.

There are filters that can be successfully simulated via your editing software, i.e. warming and cooling filters. If your image lacks some warmth, an 81- or 85-series filter can be used to add some emotional warmth to the photo. For cooling, the 82- and 80-series filters can be used.

I want to show you how to build these filters with Photoshop Actions and how I use them in practice.

Pearl Harbour – Photos Stored on an old Brownie Camera

Thought you might find these photo’s very interesting, what quality from 1941. Isn’t it amazing what contribution photography has made to the recording of history.

These Pearl Harbour Photos was found in an old Brownie Camera stored in a foot locker and belonged to a sailor who whas on theUSS QUAPAW ATF-110.

On Sunday, December 7th, 1941 the Japanese launched a surprise attack against the U.S. Forces stationed at Pearl Harbor , Hawaii . By planning his attack on a Sunday, the Japanese commander Admiral Nagumo, hoped to catch the entire fleet in port. As luck would have it, the Aircraft Carriers and one of the Battleships were not in port. (The USS Enterprise was returning from Wake Island, where it had just delivered some aircraft. The USS Lexington was ferrying aircraft to Midway, and the USS Saratoga and USS Colorado were undergoing repairs in the United States.)

In spite of the latest intelligence reports about the missing aircraft carriers (his most important targets), Admiral Nagumo decided to continue the attack with his force of six carriers and 423 aircraft. At a range of 230 miles north of Oahu, he launched the first wave of a two-wave attack. Beginning at 0600 hours his first wave consisted of 183 fighters and torpedo bombers which struck at the fleet in Pearl Harbor and the airfields in Hickam, Kaneohe and Ewa. The second strike, launched at 0715 hours, consisted of 167 aircraft, which again struck at the same targets.

At 0753 hours the first wave consisting of 40 Nakajima B5N2 “Kate” torpedo bombers, 51 Aichi D3A1 “Val” dive bombers, 50 high altitude bombers and 43 Zeros struck airfields and Pearl Harbor Within the next hour, the second wave arrived and continued the attack.

When it was over, the U.S. losses were:

Casualties
USA : 218 KIA, 364 WIA.
USN: 2,008 KIA, 710 WIA.
USMC: 109 KIA, 69 WIA.
Civilians: 68 KIA, 35 WIA.
TOTAL: 2,403 KIA, 1,178 WIA.
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Battleships
USS Arizona (BB-39) – total loss when a bomb hit her magazine.
USS Oklahoma (BB-37) – Total loss when she capsized and sunk in the harbour.
USS California (BB-44) – Sunk at her berth. Later raised and repaired.
USS West Virginia (BB-48) – Sunk at her berth. Later raised and repaired.
USS Nevada – (BB-36) Beached to prevent sinking. Later repaired.
USS Pennsylvania (BB-38) – Light damage.
USS Maryland (BB-46) – Light damage.
USS Tennessee (BB-43) Light damage.
USS Utah (AG-16) – (former battleship used as a target) – Sunk.
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Cruisers
USS New Orleans (CA-32) – Light Damage..
USS San Francisco (CA38) – Light Damage.
USS Detroit (CL-8) – Light Damage.
USS Raleigh (CL-7) – Heavily damaged but repaired.
USS Helena (CL-50) – Light Damage.
USS Honolulu (CL-48) – Light Damage..
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Destroyers
USS Downes (DD-375) – Destroyed. Parts salvaged.
USS Cassin – (DD-37 2) Destroyed. Parts salvaged.
USS Shaw (DD-373) – Very heavy damage.
USS Helm (DD-388) – Light Damage.
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Minelayer
USS Ogala (CM-4) – Sunk but later raised and repaired.
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Seaplane Tender
USS Curtiss (AV-4) – Severely damaged but later repaired.
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Repair Ship
USS Vestal (AR-4) – Severely damaged but later repaired.
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Harbor Tug
USS Sotoyomo (YT-9) – Sunk but later raised and repaired.
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Aircraft
188 Aircraft destroyed (92 USN and 92 U.S. Army Air Corps.)

Rule of Thirds in Photography

Much has been said about the so-called “Rule of Thirds” or “Golden Rule” in photography.

It basically boils down to dividing your image or viewfinder into 9 equal parts by two equally-spaced imaginary lines and two equally-spaced imaginary vertical lines. The visually dominant areas are where these imaginary vertical and horisontal lines intersects. You can also position the point of interest along the vertical or the horizontal lines. Try to NEVER place the subject in the middle of the frame.

It is of importance to try and position your point of interest onto one of these intersections. The most dominant intersection is top right, second is bottom left, third bottom right and the least dominant position top left.

The “Rule of Thirds” is just one of several possible compositions but is the most commonly used.

A rule can also be broken – provided that you know what the rule is!

Some other interesting links to this subject is listed below:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_of_thirds

http://photoinf.com/Golden_Mean/Edwin_Leong/Camera_Hobby_-_e-Book_on_the_Rule_of_Thirds.htm

Comments on judging in general

If I look at the current trend of photography judging these days, it seems to me that to excel in photography you must be more of a graphic designer than a photographer. I wonder if it hasn’t become necessary to try and define when a photographic image is not a photo anymore. Judges seem to give higher points for graphic manipulation than the art of photography.