Duckling One Four Challenge Wk 1 – click to embiggen
Yay its once more time for the One Four Challenge for Jan 2015 – if you are new to this, click on the link for all the info and details.
Because I have been suffering the Horrible Holiday Headcold, and doing some other things this kinda snuck up on me and I had NOT found an image to work with!!! Spending about an hour trolling through my archives got me this handsome fellow.
Post Processing Steps:
BASE IMAGE
– processed the image in LR, global adjustments to WB, exposure, contrast, highlights, shadows, clarity and saturation
– local adjustments to add a bit more texture to his head and wet chest feathers, and lightened up the eye colour a bit
– added a slight vignette
WEEK 1 CHALLENGE
– took base image into PS and added a coloured texture layer to enhance the colours, in overlay blend mode at 100% – I wanted a little bit more oomph to the colour.
– the texture file was actually stretched out bigger than the base layer to tone down the really dark edges and allow the duckling to be the point of interest and not overwhelm him
– wanted an extra little point of difference so added in the swirly edge decoration, which was colour adjusted first (was originally bright orange!) and blend mode overlay at about 45% opacity
Here is the LR adjusted Base image for comparison – this is not the RAW image file, as I use the processed image as the base for all my further post processing, so I choose to show you what I started with 🙂
I am still very new to Photoshop and trying to learn new techniques while experimenting with this challenge.
Feedback, tips, tricks and comments all welcome!
Learning to See Light 
Beautiful! I LOVE this photo!!
yeah ducklings are adorable and I can’t resist them 🙂
I know. They are irresistible!
I like the first photo: there’s so much warmth emanating from it, and it’s an unusual perspective.
Thanks, he had just had a swim in a puddle. The coloured texture layer i added in accounts for the warmer tonings and deeper colours.
He so cute!! You did a great job, nice enhancement. 🙂
Thanks John, yes cant resist ducklings and he posed very obligingly
so sweet and a wonderful photo!
thankyou, there is something special about ducklings 🙂
Stacey I am completely in love with this week’s image and this dear little fellow!!
I am so enjoying this textural journey you are on 😃
Such a wonderful start to the New Year!
Thanks Robyn, I am trying not to treat every image like a hammer and PS it to death so this month is very much about trying new variations and seeing what ELSE I can do with it 🙂
Im only halfway thru the course tho LOL
He he.. Funny girl 😃
Trying new variations is exactly why we are here. Im really enjoying watching – I guess I said that already 😜
I bet you are enjoying your course!
Hi Stacey, love the duck and what you have done. The details of his feathers and the water droplets on his front are beautiful, as are the swirls. Nice additional touch I would not have thought of!
Thanks Chris, can you tell Im learning heaps on my PS course 🙂 It has really expanded my horizons in relation to post processing and I hope improves my skillset over time 🙂
He’s a very cute little chap! I like the adjustments to the background, they really enhance the image, they compliment the colour of the duckling better than the original. 🙂
Thanks Katie, sometimes Im not always sure if a colour choice will work, its often a very personal thing 🙂
love the photo, just gorgeous
Thanks Julz, can’t miss with fluffy ducklings 😊
I thought the same with pelicans
We don’t have pelicans here, I have seen them in Australia but not up close.
They are really quite clumsy on ground….but there is something majestic about them
Awe, a sweet duckling. How can you go wrong with such a cute subject. His coloring, with your enhancements is so soft and loveable. I am looking forward to seeing this sweet little guy each week, great pick!
Thought I had replied already, thanks Carrie, he is a cute fellow
🙂
Oh, very nice! I like your subtle touch here. It’s a very welcoming, inviting, friendly picture. The processing emphasizes the warmth and softness.
Thanks Joanne, i was afraid it might be a bit orange 🙂
Considering you’re new to Photoshop you are way ahead of me and I’ve been using it so long I can’t really remember when I started. Love the little swirly motif to lighten up the left side and draw attention to the duck. I would never have thought of that!
Cheers, the course I am doing is teaching me so much, I got it as a holiday special so was lucky but even at full price its well worth it
He is INDEED handsome!
Haven’t had a chance to explore Photoshop yet — so I can’t give advice — but the end result here is wonderful — a great shot 😀
Thankyou, cant resist the fluffy ducklings 🙂
i love the golden blur with the added touch of the brush, great edit.
Thanks Ben, learning and trying new things 🙂
Love the little duck and I love what you have done with it! The texture is fun and it’s softness is appealing.
thanks, still learning as I go but trying to have fun with it too 🙂
Very cute and playing in PS is so much fun! I do love the purity of the original image though. There’s something quite compelling about it that got lost in the processing…well, that’s just my 2 cents.
Hey if you like any of my images then thats OK with me 🙂 Of course the point of the challenge is to process the image in different ways, and some will work for you and some won’t. Appreciate the feedback!
I really like how you processed this little guy … it would make a lovely card!
Thankyou, I appreciate the thought as I hardly ever do any printing or anything with my images.
A shame … you seem to have a knack for it.
I should probably do something about it at somepoint…..when I have time!
Ah … there the crux and how well I know the problem … time!
Nice warmth to this….what next?!
Who knows 🙂
😀
Love this little fellow and what you did with him!
Thanks Sari he is a cute little fellow 🙂
Too cute! You did a great editing job, subtle but noticeable. The swirl works nicely.
Cheers, I like that ‘subtle but noticeable’ yes thats what I was going for 🙂
Adorable. Really like the sepia-like effect….not so thrilled by the swirl.
Thats OK, the swirls will work for some people and not others 🙂 The point is to experiment with new things and Im doing that for all Im worth. No swirls in the next couple of weeks, I promise!
Love the subtlety you’ve achieved with your effects Stacy. The swirls are there but don’t take over and the texture layer blurs the background behind the duckling beautifully. Somehow I don’t think you could have gone wrong with this image anyway, it’s a gorgeous shot.
Thanks Lee, I was aiming for subtle but noticeable so thanks for that, was trying to enhance the image in a creative way which of course is the whole point of the challenge.
I should spend more time processing images in my archives, all my One Four images were shots that I never bothered with before hand and they have been received quite positively 🙂
It really is all in the processing isn’t it! I never realised just how much processing can add to an image until I did a tour with a photo group and saw what the tour leader could do with images he shot that were the same as what I had and had ignored as not worthwhile. He did all his processing in Lightroom, 2 mins per image and done! So I’ve been purposefully choosing images I didn’t thing would make the grade and working on them for this challenge, it’s opened my eyes 🙂 All good and fun.
I went back into my archives and worked on older images I had discounted after I did a Post Pro course on LR5 last year and with my new knowlege and technique it made a huge difference 🙂
Images that previously thought not retrievable in post turned out to be!
All my images so far are old untouched ones out of my archives too:)
Cutie-pie!!! I see how helpful it is to have the original image in as a point of contrast. LIke, duh. 🙂
Yes its a useful reference, most of us put it up on the first post for that reason 🙂 Some people chose to do a big reveal of all of them at the end, which ever works for you 🙂