Go with the glow: How to effectively use Orton Layers in post processing
Reference Link: http://www.dpreview.com/techniques/4455 ... rocessing?
..."Have you ever wondered how some of the top landscape photographers achieve that dreamy yet sharp look in their photos? It turns out that the answer is really quite simple. The Orton effect, as it has been dubbed in recent years, is achieved by selectively adding a Gaussian Blur layer in Photoshop. When applied correctly the technique can add depth, atmosphere and an almost surreal feeling to your images. It can also help reverse some of the 'crunchiness' that sometimes results from web sharpening and compressing a large scene dynamic range into one, tone-mapped image."...
In the referenced May 8th, 2016 DP Review article, the author provides PhotoShop users with a method to add "glow" as part of an image's post-processing; and describes various considerations/settings for the type and degree of "effect" one wishes to achieve. His suggested settings are conservative and the web page has buttons to 'blink' his illustrations.
To summarize, the author:
...1) Creates a Gaussian blurred image version of a full sized, near finalized color/tone/contrast/brightness/sharpened image [‘starting image’]…
...2) Restores contrast and full range black/white points of the blurred image version…
...3) Creates a High Pass filter image version of the ‘starting image’ to identify detail…
...4) Soft Light filter blends the restored full-range/contrast blurred image version with the High Pass filter image version to provide detail in the restored blurred image version [this step is also known as ‘High Pass filter sharpening’]…
...5) Preferentially blends [opacity] the resulting 4) image with the ‘starting image’…
A suggested PWP7 Workflow:
...1) Img0 = ‘starting image’ with near final tone/contrast/brightness/color/sharpness and approx. 4000x2700 pixels… …Black/White or Color… ...the Starting Image...
- Img0_StartingImage.jpg (71.93 KiB) Viewed 8479 times
...3) Restore Img1 to full tone range:
.......a. If Img0 is Black/White: Open the Levels and Color transform in the default HSV color space with Img1 as Input and Amount = 100; click Full Range and OK, creating Img2… …[restores black/white points]…
.......b. If Img0 is Color: Open the Color Balance transform with default settings with Img1 as Input and Amount = 100; click OK, creating Img2… …[restores/removes color casts from black/white points]…
...4) Click on Img0 [Input image] and open the Composite-Low Pass transform; set the Overlay image = Img2 with the Overlay Amount = 20 and the default Blur Radius = 3; Adjust the Overlay Amount to a preference while monitoring an updating Preview; click OK, creating Img3…
...5) Verify/restore Img3 to full tone range:
.......a. If Img0 is Black/White: Open the Levels and Color transform in the default HSV color space with Img3 as Input and Amount = 100; click Full Range and OK, creating Img4… …a full dynamic range Glow or Orton effect image version…
.......b. If Img0 is Color: Open the Color Balance transform with default settings with Img3 as Input and Amount = 100; click OK, creating Img4… …a Glow or Orton effect image version with full dynamic range and neutral black and white points … ...the resulting image...
- Img4_Amt100GaussianBlurR20_Amt20Composite-LowPass.jpg (70.08 KiB) Viewed 8478 times
1) the illustrations have subtle differences... ...right click and "Save As" Img0 and Img4 and then "Blink" them in PWP for comparison...
2) adding 'glow' or 'diffusion' to an image is not new... ...for me the beginning of this technque was T E Schmitz's 2004 post on the "old message board": “Technique: “Glow Effect”” ... http://www.dl-c.com/discus/messages/2/2224.html...
3) for further considerations/discussions/applications/techniques do a search on the "old message board' using the word: glow... ..."old message board" Search link: http://www.dl-c.com/cgi-bin/discus/search.cgi...
Finally, the DP Review article's author ends with...
...which echo my sentiments as well......",,,you now know how to effectively utilize an Orton layer in your workflow. This type of layer can be added to anything from landscapes, to wildlife, and even to portraits in some cases. The limits are only bound by your creativity. Have fun with it and happy shooting!"...
...den...