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I shot the image above while following Route 66 near Jericho, TX. I wasn't overly happy with my first try at processing the image (see below), so I decided to just mess with the image using random techniques to see what would happen. I'm not happy with either version, but I told you I was going to try to process one image a day and so I thought I'd post one of my failed images. Below was my first take on it, which I like better than the one above.
The photograph above was taken in Williams, Arizona while I was following Route 66.
Processing Notes: I processed a single image in Adobe Camera Raw and then applied a few actions including vignetting and painted on a few masks to limit where the image was affected. This image was pretty simple Photoshop-wise.
Here's yet another photograph from along Route 66 near Truxton, AZ.
Processing Notes: I processed with three-shot HDR image twice, opened it through Adobe Camera Raw into Photoshop and applied various actions, and curves & Hue/Saturation adjustment layers. I then processed one of the raw files it was created from to get a more realistic sky and masked that into the top of the photograph. I was going to replace the sky with a more dramatic one, but I was too lazy to go find one. All these ideas are discussed in my new on-line HDR class. Below is what you'd get if you simply opened one of the raw files using default settings in Adobe Camera Raw:
The photograph above was taken near Truxton, Arizona while I was following Route 66.
Processing Notes: This is a three-shot HDR image that was processed both one time and three times. I layered the two images on top of each other and lowered the opacity of the 3x version so that it added a little texture to the 1x version. I then applied a B&W adjustment layer to the background and painting on the mask to keep the bush in color. I also applied various curves and hue/saturation adjustment layers. All this kind of stuff is described in my new on-line HDR class.
The photograph above was taken in Seligman, AZ back when I was following Route 66.
Processing Notes: This is a single raw file converted using Adobe Camera Raw. I raised the Blacks and Fill Light sliders to get good shadow detail and then opened the image as a Smart Object. I then applied some of the actions that come with my new on-line HDR class (antique color and soft contrast). I also added a few curves and hue/saturation adjustment layers and painted on the masks to control which areas of the image were affected. Here's what the Layers palette looked like for the final image:
The photograph above was taken near Truxton, AZ back when I was following Route 66.
Processing notes: In this shot I processed one of the three raw files I shot and processed it so that it looked almost black and white. I used that shot for the area you can see through the windows of the truck. I then processed the same raw file again until I liked the look of the broken glass and used it just for the broken glass area. I then combined the three shot bracket of exposures into an HDR file which was then processed twice and used for the interior of the truck. I also applied a few hue/saturation and curves adjustments layers to fine-tune the color and contrast of various areas. Of course, all this kind of stuff is described in my new on-line HDR class.
I shot this photograph near Truxton, AZ.
Processing Details: This image was processed 2x from a three-shot HDR file as described in my new on-line Mastering HDR class. I ran into a problem with the tree since it was a windy day and the branches were in motion. I toned down the double image of the tree branches by using Select>Color Range to select the greens, I then selected the opposite (via Select>Inverse) and retouched the branches at 50% Opacity. The selection did not include the second image of the branches because those branches were more blue-ish than green. I also selectively desaturated elements in the foreground so they would not distract from the boat.
Here's my new RV! I took this photograph while I was following Route 66 near Seligman, AZ.
The image was processed 3x from a 3-shot HDR file (as described in my new on-line HDR class). I also applied numerous Hue/Saturation and Curves adjustment layers. I desaturated the yellows in the image to make the foreground less colorful while making the greens more colorful.
The photograph above was taken near Truxton, AZ while I was following Route 66 earlier this year.
This HDR image was processed three times and a few curves and hue/saturation layers were added. I also applied some of the actions that come with my new on-line Mastering HDR class.
The photograph above was taken near Hackberry, AZ back when I was following Route 66. As always, you can click on the image to see a slightly larger version.
Processing Notes: I processed the image three times as described in my new on-line Mastering HDR class, saving a copy of the image as each stage. I stacked those three images on top of each other and lowered the opacity of the 1x to mellow out the 3x version. I then applied a bunch of actions, hue/saturation layers, etc. I spent three hours working on this image. I spend 15-30 minutes on most images, but I just couldn't stop playing with this one, so I don't remember exactly what was done to get to this stage. The vignetting was unique in that I applied my Antique Color action and then applied a vignette to a mask to make it only affect the edges of the image. Here's what a single shot of this scene would look like if processed using the default settings in Camera Raw:
