I received a new camera and lenses earlier in the week. One of my experiments has been focus merging and this is the first one of a random plant on the balcony. See below for the original.
This is a B&W version of that image that I made mostly to experiment with digital darkroom techniques and get more familiar with Affinity. (I switched from Adobe/Darkroom since I don’t like their subscription robbery model.)
After the basic RAW conversion, I cropped in on the area of most interest to me, and mostly “dodged and burned” using curves and texture layers with inverted masks and painting in the light, dark, and texture to give more shape and movement to the image. I wanted to give it more shape and movement.
The original image was meant as a technical experiment so I didn’t put much effort into composition or waiting for interesting light. The light was flat and the composition not as clear as I would like. The focus stacking process also created some imperfections and artifacts.
Still, this B&W version has some interest and I did learn about both focus stacking and using Affinity for basic editing.
I also took this as an opportunity to look more at expert photographers including Edward Weston, Brett Weston, Imogen Cunningham, Minor White, Josef Sudek, Masao Yamamoto, Flor Garduño, Robert Mapplethorpe, Karl Blossfeldt, Morten Krogvold, and Ruth Bernhard.
Here is the original color version of the focus merging image, with some earlier and less interesting B&W versions. I am including them here since I am as interested in the process as the final outcome.
Guidelines
In the past, I have mostly just used global controls for digitally editing my photos, so this approach – which is more about sculpting form – is new to me. Here are some notes I wrote for myself.
I have switched from Adobe/Lightroom to Affinity but the same principles should apply to most photo editing software. I am just starting to explore this so it’s all a work in progress.
BLACK & WHITE EDITING
Basics
- Convert to B&W with B&W adjustment layer
- Curves for the image as a whole
- bring top right down and bottom left up slightly for charcoal feel, no complete white or black
- S curve to lighten the light areas and darken the dark
- Use layers with inverted masks to paint in curves, texture etc.
- Shape the forms and planes to create a sense of volume
- Use inverted mask to paint in darkness, light, texture to create volume, movement, and amplify a sense of layers and space
- Paint in darkening curve with inverted mask to shape the darkness, make dark areas darker
- Pixels -> Live layer -> Texture – to paint in texture in some areas
- Pixels -> Live layer -> Gaussian blur – to paint in blur in some areas
- Texture & blur -> To create a sense of form and space, bring texture out in foreground and dark areas, slightly blur some edges and background elements
- Paint in lightening curve with inverted mask to shape the light areas
Sequence
- RAW conversion to B&W using the color sliders
- Crop in on the more interesting area of the image, if needed
- Exclude what weakens the composition or is troublesome in some way
- Charcoal – curves, bring down the top right and bring up the bottom left
- Curves global – usually S curve to bring up light areas and down dark areas
- Curves with inverted mask to paint in dark areas
- S curve can enhance local detail and texture
- Live texture layer with inverted mask to paint in texture
- Paint in texture sparingly, in the areas where you want the eye to go
- Paint in texture in the foreground mostly to create a sense of form and space
- This will lighten the areas you paint in so it’s good to do before painting in light
- Live Gaussian blur layer with inverted mask to paint in slight blur
- Use this mostly for what’s further away to shape the forms and give a sense of space
- Use sparingly, sometimes it’s enough to just blur the edges slightly, or areas with strong texture
- Blur edges and details to guide the eye and give movement
- Some sharpness in a generally blurred edge, or the reverse, gives it aliveness and movement
- Curves with inverted mask to paint in light areas
- S curve can enhance local detail and texture
- Lighten some lighter areas to draw the eye there
- Use it to give shape
- About painting in on masked layers
- Make the masked layers more dramatic than it will be in the final image, adjust with several passes of the brush
- Adjust the opacity/flow and brush size according to what you are working on, start larger and then go smaller and into more detail
- Adjustments, refinements
General
- Visualize in advance, find the character and main visual expression
- The subject emerges from the dark
- Shape the forms, make dark areas darker and light areas lighter by painting in curves
- Use light and texture to draw the eye, use it sparingly
- Don’t be afraid to make some areas go completely dark
- Paint in by following the surface – either along or across
- Paint in texture and lighten curve to bring out selected details in the dark areas
- When painting in an area, start with a larger brush and move towards smaller brushes
- More contrast and texture in the foreground
- Move between details and the full image to get a sense of how both play together
- Save and open the image in another app, for instance preview, even if it’s the same image a change of setting can help you see something else
- Aim for feeling more than perfection, some roughness can add to the image
- Layer management
- Name each layer
- Limit the number of layers to make later adjustments easier
- Limit the number of live layers since they can eventually slow down the program
Layers
- I have worked with the following layers, starting with the bottom and working my way up
- 4. Refinements (if need to go a little further)
- (d) Lighten – curve
- (c) Gaussian blur – live layer
- (b) Texture – live layer
- (a) Darken – curve
- 3. Basic detail adjustments
- (d) Lighten – curve
- (c) Gaussian blur – live filter
- (b) Texture – live filter
- (a) Darken – curve
- 2. Global adjustments
- (c) Curves global (S curve)
- (b) Charcoal global (top right down, bottom left up)
- (a) B&W conversion/ adjustment (color sliders to adjust how each color is converted to B&W)
- 1. Image layer (duplicated if I need to edit)