Shutter Sisters

transformation

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On our latest family getaway, we opted to drive home using the road less travelled. When I say less travelled, I really mean it. Much of this stretch narrowed to a single lane and we didn’t see another car for many miles. The landscape was stunning and surreal. As I was shooting, I knew exactly how I would process the images. Although I don’t normally even entertain thoughts of processing as I shoot, there is something about these trees that beg for an infrared treatment. I just knew it. And, just my luck, with the new Lightroom, there is an infrared preset. Bingo!

Click of the shutter. Click of the mouse. Simple as that.

After seeing these images processed like this, I may have a new favorite preset.

How about you? What is your favorite processing technique these days? Does any particular treament tickle your photo-fancy? We’d love to see it.

Comments

  5. I'm not sure if it's a good look, or not, but I've been doing a lot of play with editing. I like to add a little noise and use lighting effects to highlight the main subject in the photo. I'm loving an older look, with desaturation, etc. I just got Lightroom 3 for Christmas and really need to grasp all the options in the software. Feel free to let me know what you think?

    http://jessicavescera.blogspot.com/2011/01/at-park.html

  7. Gorgeous!

    I really don't play around with my editing much at all. I have a basic edit that I tweak a bit if needed. Maybe I'm missing out?

  10. Love that shot Tracey! Isn't it awesome when you *click* you already know how you're going to *click* when you get home? I loooove Lightroom for organizing and doing the basics, but I can't stop using actions by My 4 Hens! My favorite one right now is Cherry Hill, part of her Hippy Dippy Trippy set. 🙂 And then sometimes I don't do anything at all, because I got it just the way I wanted it.

  17. mmmm I love Lightroom. Actually I don't even know how to use Photoshop. I think it's INCREDIBLY hard to learn and maybe once you've learned it, it's a snap, but c'mon, I'd rather be out shooting photos than figuring out layes.

    I'll say, one of the best benefits of shooting RAW and using LR is that there are plenty of times I mess something up, trying to catch the shot and not checking my settings, and LR can completely save me. I did this shot with my daughter and was shooting in the bright sun, then I came into the shade and didn't adjust my settings. With the exposure control and the graduated filter in LR, I think it still turned out pretty great.

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/texanmama/4970259256/

  18. Hi Texan Mama, do you really find Lightroom easy to use? I have photoshop but truthfully I find it insanely complicated but I would like to do more with my photos I just find I don't because it seems so complicated and I am still just trying to figure out the camera let alone more software.

  20. AWESOME!! what a neat effect.

    i think i may have tried this or something similar {with my invert option in photoshop}, but never came up with anything quite this cool! and i would have a hard time digging through old photos to find an example, so instead, i'll share a photo that shows the processing technique i have been using LATELY.

    i finally bought myself some florabella vintage actions… my christmas present to myself… and i have been playing around with them a LOT! this was one of my favorite results.
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/5230413556/in/photostream/

  21. My most common processing technique at the moment is adding a yellow or pink layer to the photo, reducing opacity to between 25% or 45%, and blending using the soft-light option. It warms and lightens the pictures up a lot, and in some cases the yellow can make the image look quite vintage (in that golden-faded kinda way). I find that it helps to take a pink or yellow tone already present in the image as well to keep the colours harmonised.

    I love this one: http://meledea.tumblr.com/post/2593651865

    That being said, I also love the unpredictability of Poladroid! 🙂

  23. This is a very timely post because just this weekend I hunkered down over my new computer and Photoshop CS4 and got a bunch of presets (mostly from Raceytay of ibrakeforbokeh.wordpress.com) and actions (from thepioneerwoman.com) downloaded and installed. I've also created a few presets of my own in the last couple of weeks, but used two of Raceytay's on the image below.

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/shawnac/5322789496/
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/shawnac/5322149459/

    I can't figure out which one is "better" (a very subjective thing, to be sure). I'm leaning towards the more dramatic, but the softer one seems more popular. All opinions welcome!

  25. To respond to Deanna on her LR question: I LOVE LR3…I tried the 30 day free trials of all of them and found Photoshop confusing and complicated…There are LOTS of things that I don't understand in LR but the little wand and the easy adjustments make a novice like me breath a sigh of relief…

  26. Thanks for the info Heather. I am going to look into LR and see if I can get a free trial so see what it is like. I would love to do more with my photos but just can't be bothered with Photoshop.