Creating an image is a whole process and for me, pressing the shutter is only a small part of the journey to a photo of sufficient quality to publish. In this article, which is part two, continuing the material, I will show my photo processing process.

All photographers face challenges with high dynamic range scenes. Landscape and architectural photography is no exception. I shoot as many frames as necessary to cover the entire dynamic range of the frame. For architecture and interiors, 3 frames is enough for most situations.

The photo above required 9 photos - with exposure bracketing -2, 0 and +2, as well as additional series for the lower half of the room and for the ceiling. Additional shots also help me get rid of people in the frame.

You must not forget...

• Shoot in RAW to maintain maximum source flexibility; We're not sports photographers shooting a stream of images where JPEG is much more appropriate.
• Keep your ISO low.
• Use one white balance setting for your entire series of photos.
• Use the heaviest possible tripod and a remote release, wired or wireless.

The photograph of Canary Wharf tube station shown above is made up of three frames. The goal in this shot was to have a well-exposed dark interior, a bright metal escalator, and a surprisingly bright dome. Each layer contains a correctly exposed portion of the composition.

Main camera

My Canon camera 5D Mark II with 17mm TS-E tilt-shift lens. I use exposure bracketing largely because the front element of my lens is convex and does not allow the use of filters. I also always have the EF24 f/1.4 and EF50mm f/1.2 lenses in my bag. My tripod is a bit strange - Gitzo legs with a Manfrotto ball head.

Computer and monitor

I do all my image work on a dual-core Mac Pro with 24 gigabytes of RAM. I often work with images larger than a gigabyte, so a large amount of RAM is a necessity. I have a Dell 27″ Ultrasharp monitor that is calibrated using a Spyder 3 Elite.

Before any important work With the images I calibrate the monitor.

Importing images

I understand that many of you use various automation tools such as Lightroom, iPhoto, Picassa and others. Call me a Luddite, but I hate being left without control over the process, so I use a completely manual import procedure.

At the location, I merge the photos onto 2 hard drives and upon returning, I copy about 100 gigabytes of information at a time to a pre-prepared location. The folder structure shown on the left has served me well for 10 years now.

You may notice that my finished files are prefixed with a pixel size for different sites; at 500px - 900 pixels wide, and for 1x.com - 950 pixels. I also add "bw" to the filenames with black and white images. This naming system makes it easier to find the images you need on your hard drive.

Selection

Of the many photo apps I have installed, I use Adobe CS5 on a daily basis. It's a reliable workhorse for image manipulation.

Previewing and selection is fastest in Bridge. On the right, I select the images that interest me. Once I'm satisfied with my selection, I use the filter on the left panel to show only what I've selected.

Camera Raw

If you're like me, you have all of your camera's settings turned off or set to 0. Here in Camera Raw, I make multiple settings for all of my photos designed to compose a single image.

• Make sure you import your photos in the same color space as in camera. In my case, this is Adobe RGB, which is wider than the Internet standard sRGB. Work with the highest quality source, and then convert to a target format, for example for the Internet.
• Edit photos in 16-bit mode
• Select the best and most correctly exposed frame and set the white balance based on it
• If there are hot pixels, use the Recovery slider to compensate. Press + simultaneously while moving it and you will see the position of these points on a black background!
• If the “Return” slider had to be moved too much, compensate for this with the “Exposure” slider by pressing + again at the same time.
• The same combination can be used when correcting the black level - raise the black level so that there are no dropouts.
• Then select all the images and sync the white balance for all the images in the series via the menu in the top left corner.
• Then open all the images in Photoshop

Working in Photoshop

I have a pretty strict workspace in Photoshop and the editing process is pretty simple.

I have a number of actions for different tasks, such as changing the size, color space, etc. The individual tasks I perform can be divided as follows:

• Combining Exposure Bracketed Images into One Layer
• Joining the images that make up a panorama
• Saving a composed image to a Photoshop PSD file
• Use masks to highlight parts of an image that require separate color, contrast, or exposure adjustments. An example would be treating the sky separately from the building in the foreground
• Saving this image with all created layers
• Merge layers and crop if necessary
• Sharpening
• Saving a new version of the finished image in Photoshop PSD format
• Resizing to suit the intended use, for example up to 900 pixels for 500px.com
• Convert to sRGB color space and 8bit color depth
• Saving in JPEG format. Don't forget to prefix "900px" to the file name to make it easier to find later.

Manual layer blending

First, place your differently exposed footage into one project as layers. You can do this automatically through the menu File - Scripts - Load files into stack(File > Scripts > Load Files Into A Stack).

Many Photoshop users are afraid of using masks, selections, etc., but it's actually quite simple. I will show!

Choose the selection tool of your choice. I used the Quick Selection tool, marked on the left in the picture. Then press to add a selection and to remove it. As you can see, I have highlighted the correctly exposed Canary Wharf tube station dome.

This selection is very uneven and it will be better if we make it smoother and more elegant. To do this, click on the button "Refine Edge"(Refine Edge), also marked at the top of the picture above.

The red mask is very useful for viewing what is selected and not selected, but you need to enable this option. Click on the drop down menu "View"(View) at the top of the dialog "Edge Refinement" and select "Overlay"(Overlay).

We use the Refine Radius Tool brush indicated on the left. This will draw the edge of the selection and Photoshop will refine the boundaries of what should and should not be selected.

Increase the brush size in the option "Size"(Size) and generously “paint over” the space near the border. Walk along all the borders!

The edge of the mask looks much more gradient now! Click OK to save this selection.

Now we need to create a layer mask. The mask will make part of the layer visible and other parts invisible.

Click the button "Add vector mask"(Add Vector Mask) indicated in the figure.

You can see the black and white thumbnail appearing next to my layer thumbnail (below). Black is invisible. It's simple. Anything that is not black will miss the corresponding layer's image. In my picture, the dome mask is white, so only the dome will be visible. This is good because the layers below will remain visible in addition to the dome from that layer.

I went ahead and repeated the steps to create the mask for the escalator and dome surround, as can be seen in the picture below. Layers at 100% visibility are too hard, so I lowered the opacity of the dome layer to 80% and the escalator and dome surround layer to 70%. This takes a little more time, but is a very flexible method of representing the wide dynamic range of a frame.

An important takeaway from this section is the power and flexibility of layers and masks. I'll handle colors and contrast in the same way in the next section.

Merge your differently exposed layers through “Layers -> Merge Layers”(Layer > Flatten Image) and save as a Photoshop document. You now have a properly exposed version of your shot. A base to return to. This is useful if you then want to convert the photo to black and white.

Editing: Colors and Contrast

I will demonstrate this work with a still from Kolmanskop, Namibia. I superimposed the processed frame on top of the original to show the advantages of the RAW format for processing.

If you tried to process a given frame as a whole, it would probably be a mess and improving color and contrast in one area would worsen them in another. Working with individual parts of an image is closer to me and is achieved again with the help of layers and masks.

Creating image layers using masks.

• Select part of the main layer.
• Refine Edge
• Copy selection
• Paste it into a new layer, name it something clear
• Repeat for any areas that require special attention.

I'll show my process for processing color and contrast using sand as an example.

Saturation

Select the layer you will edit. I selected the "Sand" layer. Add an adjustment layer "Hue/Saturation" like on a picture.

Check the box next to (Use Previous Layer to Create Clipping Mask) to limit your edits to the “Sand” layer only. You'll get a new layer with a little arrow pointing down to show it.

I selected the "Increased Saturation More" preset option.

The sand should turn warm orange, so I'll add another one. adjustment layer - Photo filter(Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Photo Filter), first selecting the “Sand” layer and not forgetting the checkbox "Use previous layer to create clipping mask"(Use Previous Layer to Create Clipping Mask).

I chose the Warming Filter (85), setting its density to 50 for a fuller effect.

Finally, I added a curves layer for contrast. Select the “Sand” layer and from the already familiar menu, add a curves layer with the “Strong Contrast (RGB)” parameter (Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Curves… - select "Strong Contrast (RGB))

At this point you should save the file with all layers in Photoshop Document format.

Alignment

I have 2 ways. Using the ruler shown on the left is very convenient and quick. It is enough to highlight an important horizontal or vertical line in the image. Or this can be done using rotate mode - “Edit” - “Change” - “Rotate”(Edit > Transform > Rotate)

Cropping

A simple task, but difficult to undo once the image is saved. So I recommend saving the file before cropping.

Sharpness

On the issue of choosing the best sharpening method, many copies have been broken and I personally have probably tried all the methods, but in my opinion the most elegant method is the “High Pass filter” color shift method. The result is sharp, but without artifacts or unevenness. I do not sharpen after resizing.

• Duplicate the layer via “Image” - “Duplicate”(Image > Duplicate)…
• Apply a color shift filter. A radius of 1.0 is enough for a well-focused image of about 10-20 megapixels. “Filters” - “Other” - “Color Shift”(Filter > Other > High Pass)…
• Set the blending mode to "Overlay"(Overlay).

Preservation

“Merge Layers” in the “Layers” menu (Layer > Flatten Image) and save as a new Photoshop document with the appropriate name.

You now have your edited image in full resolution. When you prepare a photo for publication or for participation in a competition, this is the version you will return to to resize, save in JPEG format and transfer.

Change of size

I reduce JPEG files to various sizes for Blogs, Flicker, 500px and 1x sites, and competitions.

Preservation

Final saving to JPEG requires conversion to sRGB color space and 8-bit color depth. These attributes are standard for the Internet. If you don't do this, your images simply won't look the same to other people as you prepared them on your computer.

• « Image" - "Mode" - "8 bits/channel" ( Image > Mode > 8 Bits/Channel)
• “Edit” - “Convert to Profile”(Edit > Convert to Profile)…

That's all, this is my general process for processing photos.

I'm about to do a part 3 on professional black and white conversion, so stay tuned!

In this tutorial you will learn how to create an amazing effect architectural sketch. I'll explain the process in great detail so that anyone can follow it, even those who have opened Photoshop for the first time.

1. Let's get started

To begin, open the photo you want to work with. To do this, click File > Open(File > Open), select the photo and click Open(Open). Now, before we get started, check a few things:

1. Your photo must be in color mode RGB, 8 bits per channel. To check this, click Image > Mode(Image > Mode).
2. For best results, select an image approximately 2000/4000 wide/height. To check this, clickImage > Image Size(Image > Image Size).
3. Your photo should be the background layer. If this is not the case, clickLayer > New > Background from Layer(Layer > New > Layers from Background).

2. How to create a background

Step 1

In this section we will create the background. Click Layer > New Fill Layer > Solid Color(Layer > New Fill Layer > Color) To create a layer filled with color, name it Background Color(Background Color) and select the color #f0f0f0 as shown below.

Step 2

Right click on this layer, select Blending Options(Blending Options), select Gradient Overlay(Gradient Overlay) and set the layer style as in the image below:

Translator's note: layer style settings in the screenshot: Blend mode: Soft light; Opacity: 50%; Gradient: Black, white; Inversion; Align to layer; Angle: 90 degrees; Scale: 100%

3. How to Create a Basic Sketch

Step 1

In this section we will create the basic sketch. Select the background layer and press Control-J on your keyboard to duplicate it. Then drag this layer to the top of the Layers panel.

Step 2

Now press Control-Shift-U on your keyboard to desaturate this layer. Next, click Image > Adjustments > Levels(Image > Adjustments > Levels) and enter the values ​​from the screenshot:

Step 3

Name this layer Temp(Temporary) and press Control-J on your keyboard to duplicate it.

Step 4

Now press Control-I on your keyboard to invert this layer and change its blending mode to Color Dodge(Brightening the base). Next, click Filter > Other > Minimum(Filter > Other > Minimum), change Radius(Radius) by 2 pixels and Preserve(Save) on Squareness(Rectangularity) as below:

Step 5

Hold Control and click on the layer Temp(Temporary) to select both layers at the same time. Then press Control-E on your keyboard to merge the two layers into one.

Step 6

Multiply(Multiplication) and name it Main Sketch(Basic sketch).

4. How to Sketch in Perspective

Step 1

In this section we will create a perspective sketch. Select the background layer and press Control-J on your keyboard to duplicate it. Then drag this layer to the top of the Layers panel.

Step 2

Now click Filter > Stylize > Find Edges(Filter > Stylize >

Step 3

Click Filter > Blur > Motion Blur(Filter > Blur > Angle(Angle) 90 degrees, and Distance

Step 4

Now click Filter > Sharpen > Smart Sharpen(Filter > Sharpen >

Translator's note:

Step 5

Click Filter > Filter Gallery > Sketch > Photocopy(Filter > Filter Gallery > Sketch > Detail(Detail) by 2, and Darkness(Darkness) to 5.

Step 6

Change the blending mode of this layer to Multiply(Multiply) and the opacity to 40%. Then rename this layer to Perspective_Sketch_1(Perspective_Sketch_1).

Step 7

Step 8

Brush

Step 9

Now select the background layer and press Control-J on your keyboard to duplicate it. Next, drag this layer under the layer Perspective_Sketch_1(Perspective_Sketch_1) in the Layers panel.

Step 10

Click Filter > Stylize > Find Edges(Filter > Stylize > Edge Enhancement) and then Control-Shift-U on your keyboard to desaturate this layer.

Step 11

Click Filter > Blur > Motion Blur(Filter > Blur > Motion Blur), change Angle(Angle) at 0 degrees, and Distance(Offset) by 1200px as shown below:

Step 12

Now click Filter > Sharpen > Smart Sharpen(Filter > Sharpening > Smart Sharpening) and enter the settings from the screenshot below:

Translator's note: settings in the screenshot: Set: Custom; Effect: 500%; Radius: 64px; Reduce noise: 10%; Remove: Gaussian Blur; Shadows: Effect reduction: 50%; Tone width: 50%; Radius: 50px; Lights: Effect reduction: 50%; Tone width: 50%; Radius: 50 pixels.

Step 13

Click Filter > Filter Gallery > Sketch > Photocopy(Filter > Filter Gallery > Sketch > Photocopy), change the option Detail(Detail) by 2, and Darkness(Darkness) to 5.

Step 14

Change the blending mode of this layer to Multiply(Multiplication), and Opacity(opacity) - by 55%. Then rename this layer to Perspective_Sketch_2(Perspective_Sketch_2).

Step 15

Step 16

Change the foreground color to #ffffff, grab the tool Brush(Brush) (B), select a soft brush and drag it where you want to show the vertical lines of perspective.

5. How to create text

Step 1

In this section we will create the text. Select a tool Horizontal Type(Horizontal Text) (T), change the font to Hijrnotes, its size to 80 px, left alignment, color to #000000. Next, click anywhere on the canvas and click Type > Paste Lorem Ipsum(Text > Insert Lorem Ipsum) to insert a random passage of text. You can also use your own text and font settings.

Step 2

Double-click on the thumbnail of this layer to make the text editable and delete part of it. Then, select a tool Move

Step 3

Now rename this layer to Text_1(Text_1). Then press Control-J on your keyboard to duplicate this layer.

Step 4

Double-click this layer's thumbnail to make the text editable, press Control-A to select all the text, then click Type > Paste Lorem Ipsum(Text > Insert Lorem Ipsum) to insert a random passage of text. After that, delete some of the text, select the tool Move(Move) (V), click and drag anywhere on the canvas to position the text as shown below:

Step 5

Name this layer Text_2(Text_2) and drag it under the layer Text_1(Text_1) in the Layers panel. Then press Control-J on your keyboard to duplicate this layer.