Rosalie Dale IPA

Workflow for rescuing “The Lamp”

NB I am writing this for users of Photoshop – although most functions are available in Elements also …

I have been asked many times for tips on giving shots a nostalgic feel, and also for advice on rescuing a ‘dud’ shot. ( I seem to get some kind of perverse pleasure from making something from a photo which is apparently useless – maybe is it symbolic!!)

So, I have combined both (a ‘rescue’ technique as well as some nostalgic processing) in producing “The Lamp” and, for those who are interested, outlined some of the steps below. Please note this is NOT a traditional tutorial – the process is different for every photo, and each step allows room for personal taste and interpretation – no two people would end up with the same result!

Before image

After image

1. I first processed the basic shot – curves, sharpening, cropping, cloning out any extraneous bits etc (I purposely chose a jpeg for those who may not be using fancy techniques yet, and one that was definitely quite washed out. Normally I would use a RAW file, and/or some HDR).
2. Saved it as “The Lamp – basic PS”
3. Duplicated the background layer
4. On the copy went to Filter/Find Edges
5. Right clicked on the ‘find edges’ layer and blended to give it a slightly illustrative look (ie having dark edges and colours a bit desaturated)
6. Duplicated this layer (Ctrl J if you are using a PC)
7. Went to Filter/Other/High pass (push the slider to maximum)
8. In this case it gave the effect I wanted without any further blending. If I didn’t like the effect, I could have right clicked on the high pass layer, and again tried some blending … if at any stage you don’t like any effect you can hit Ctrl/Alt/Z and it will take you back – one step at a time …
9. Flattened the image. At this stage it was still a little washed out and pale… so
10. Duplicated the layer
11. Right clicked on the copy layer and in Blend mode, went to Multiply in the drop down menu
12. Blended this and toggled the opacity slider till I had a realistic richer looking image
13. Duplicated the layer again
14. Went to Edit/Fill – 100% black
15. Slid the opacity slider back to about 50%
16. Used the eraser tool, quite large, with feathered edges and about 20% opacity, to wipe across the image a few times and ‘paint with light’ at an appropriate angle (tricky – needs to compliment the lighting already on the subject in the image – I am still practicing this myself)
17. When satisfied I flattened the image and did another “Save as” (you never know – it pays to have a few variations to come back to just in case!) calling it “The Lamp – high pass multiply”
18. From here on it is even more “trial and error”! I duplicated the layer again and did a little burning on shadowed areas, a little dodging where I felt the light should be emphasized, and with an omni light in Filters/Render, finally added a tiny bit of light to the lampshade to give the impression of a glow.

I don’t necessarily look on this final image as one of my masterpieces, but do feel it is a credible attempt at rescuing what would otherwise be left “on the cutting room floor”. I hate to throw anything out, and that includes washed out photos!

With thanks, and dedicated to all who have helped me along the way … :)