Applying Basic Filters in Photoshop
Contents
[ hide ]
Applying Basic Filters in Photoshop
You can make your pictures look great and much more personal by applying Basic Filters in Photoshop.
Yes, there are countless exciting and sometimes mind-blowing filter plugins out there, but it helps to first play around and experiment with what you already have on your Adobe Photoshop CS4; your visual observations and conclusions are then part of the experience that will help you decide very rapidly which filter you want to apply for which effect… and how strong… to which digital image or photo.
In our exercise here, I used a basic digital photo I took at Christmas: a chorus of little angels on a light sheet of silver organza on my dinner table under the golden light of the setting sun … It’s a bit nostalgic as my mom used to always put them out with a lot of love… in those happy days of my childhood…
This is the original photo – it is totally untouched, however, I added a frame with one of the Photoshop filters and I forgot to take out the text… however, loading a big picture – 1000 px wide in this case – takes me just too long with the slow connections down here in the sticks. Accordingly, I will cut down the size of the pictures that follow.
CLICK PICTURES to get them bigger in the overlay.
Applying Basic Filters in Photoshop
Now let’s look how the above picture can be manipulated and changed when applying basic filters in Photoshop – Adobe Photoshop CS4 in my case.
I would recommend you go to your Photoshop, pull in a picture you like, click “duplicate layer” to save the original background that you never touch… and then just play around as I demonstrate here with some of many many examples. Make sure you always add a new layer for each new manipulation, and if you are starting out, simply mark that layer with the filter you used, so you know until it’s under your skin.
Do this exercise so you can participate in the Photoshop Filter Challenge … read on!
I just get you going here so you can discover what appeals to YOU. It’s part of the creative process. We all have our own taste and style – you need to find your’s. But to find it and refine it it needs exercising… just as a piano player knows the keys and does his daily exercise routine – it’s no different with a magnificent instrument like… Photoshop!
Accented Edges with Photoshop Basic filter
The “Accented Edges” on the picture above were done with a basic Photoshop Filter. It’s just a matter of adjusting and finetuning. It’s the exact same process with everything you do. There are then smart Action Scripts that take the time and the guesswork out of the process, however, all this is already in your Photoshop Basic Filters… just hidden and ready to be discovered!
On a sidenote: just imagine… those grand painters… the Masters – they did and still do the most extraordinary Artwork without artificial filters! Go to a museum or Art Gallery and study them – there’s a lot to learn – even for exactly what we are doing here!
In fact, I will do a series on it… time permitting!
Stunning Effects with Basic Photoshop Filters
I loaded some of the picture manipulations with Photoshop Basic Filters in a Slideshow for you – some stunning effects! There are more…
Please check my Special Photoshop Filter SLIDESHOW HERE. There’s a surprise … read on!
Photoshop Ycademy Workshops
Yes, there are many more filter plugins and can’t one lose oneself in kaleidoscopes? I couldn’t stop myself from adding that as the final picture; it’s an extra filter everyone following the Photoshop Ycademy Workshops has.
If you are interested to develop your skills in Web Graphic Design, I recommend Photoshop Ycademy Workshops and Seminars!
Bottom-line: for our job assignments, we need to know our tools so we can implement them in tiny dosages for specific effects – hardly noticeable… but just giving an image that special edge that makes it stand out from the rest.
This is especially important in a world of ‘perfect digital photos’ – that’s our undisputable reality today. But it’s those ‘imperfections’, those special personal notes beyond the norm and average ‘perfection’ that make good pictures excellent… just as a perfect face is far from being a beautiful face. Interesting isn’t it…
Basic Photoshop Filter Challenge
Now here’s a bit of chocolate and challenge for your exercises with Basic Photoshop Filters:
Watch the Slideshow carefully and give me the applied filter effects in the right order – and you get a super prize! There’s always just one effect applied to each picture (10/12), so no guesswork here. It’s basics… of course I work with much more… normally.
No, I won’t tell you what you get… but it will be a Surprise, it will be Personalized and it will be for your Blog!
Now how’s that?
Who’s on the go????
Co-Founder of YORGOO, YCADEMY and Semiomantics. If you enjoyed reading the above, please consider following future tips and strategies by RSS reader, Email delivery, or Kindle subscription.
Author: Bianca Gubalke, Art, Media, Publishing.
