A colorful walk in Portland: 1-to-3 Photo Challenge

May 20, 2022May 18, 2022 / SoyBend / 6 Comments

Today I’m sharing a photograph of a colorful walk in Portland processed three ways. We visited the Portland Japanese Garden in October 2021. The fall colors are a photographer’s dream!

I’ll be showing how I processed this picture from the garden three ways with Corel PaintShop Pro 2021. Prior to trying out the various effects, I increased the contrast slightly.

The first two show the original and the same picture with a retro effect. For this image I went to Effects>Photo Effects>Retro Lab>Hue 90. This effect blurred the edges like a vignette and cast a green glow over everything. Even the carp in the foreground is green! It’s easy to imagine this as a strange world in a fantasy or science fiction book.

The second two show the original autumn scene and the same picture with a warming filter effect. For this image I went to Effects>Photo Effects>Film and Filters. I chose the Vivid Skin Tones option with an orange warming filter. This effect intensified the foliage color and gravel in the foreground.

The third two show the original and the same picture with a distortion effect. For this image I went to Effects>Distortion Effects>Ripple. The pond in the image ripples as if a stone was dropped into it. The blurred image focuses your attention on the distinct colors, textures, and composition of this photograph.

I remember being amazed on this colorful walk in Portland, Oregon. The colors of the foliage and the structure and layers in the landscaping were so impressive!

One-to-Three Photo Challenge May 2022

Lost Forest Pine tree: 1-to-3 Photo Challenge & TTL

March 24, 2022March 24, 2022 / SoyBend / 14 Comments

Today I’m sharing a photograph of a Lost Forest pine tree processed three ways. The Lost Forest is a geographically isolated forest in the High Desert of Central Oregon. A visit to this unique forest inspired me to write a short story.

I’ll be showing how I processed this picture three ways with Corel PaintShop Pro 2021. Prior to trying out the various effects, I increased the contrast and vibrancy slightly.

The first two show the original and the same picture with a box camera effect. For this image I went to Effects>Photo Effects>Time Machine>Box camera. I was pleased how this effect enhanced details of the tree’s structure.

The second two show the original Lost Forest pine tree and the same picture with a warming filter effect. For this image I went to Effects>Photo Effects>Film and Filters. I chose the Warm earth tones option with an orange warming filter. This effect made the tree’s red bark stand out. The puzzle-like bark of ponderosa pines is one of their most interesting features. This effect also highlighted the bare branches better than other effects I considered.

The third two show the original and the same picture with a brush stroke effect. For this image I went to Effects>Art Media Effects>Brush strokes. I changed the Softness setting to 20. This artsy effect shows off the shapes and color of the tree and background sky.

One-to-Three Photo Processing Challenge March 2022

Thursday Tree Love (TTL) 126

Gentian in Yellowstone: 1-to-3 Photo Challenge

February 26, 2022February 26, 2022 / SoyBend / 13 Comments

I’m sharing photos I took of fringed gentian in Yellowstone National Park last June. We like to visit in the spring so we can take pictures of the wildflowers in bloom. This gentian can be seen on the trails overlooking Old Faithful. It’s the official flower of the park.

I’ll be showing how I processed this picture three ways with Corel PaintShop Pro 2021. Prior to trying out the various effects, I increased the brightness and sharpness slightly.

The first two show the original image and the same picture with a geometric effect. For this image I went to Effects>Geometric>Circle>Default>Wrap. It makes it look like a delicate ornament surrounded by more flowers.

The next two show the original image and a vignette effect. For this image I went to Effects>Photo Effects>Vignette. I darkened the frame slightly. This a great effect to use for flowers since you can blur out the background and sharpen the main subject.

The last two show the original gentian in Yellowstone image and a colored chalk effect. For this image I went to Effects>Art Media Effects>Colored Chalk>High Detail. This is more subtle effect. It mimics the softness of an art piece created with chalk.

One-to-Three Photo Processing Challenge February 2022

Double Arch, Arches NP: 1-to-3 Photo Challenge

January 31, 2022January 30, 2022 / SoyBend / 10 Comments

I took photos of Double Arch while on a trip to Arches National Park, Utah. I’ll be showing how I processed this photo three ways with Corel PaintShop Pro 2021.

Prior to trying various effects, I increased the brightness, contrast, fill light, and clarity. Since this photo was taken from a distance, I also adjusted the sharpness.

The first two show the original image and the same picture with a Film and Filters effect. For this image I went to Effects>Photo Effects>Film and Filters. I selected Warm Earth Tones from the first pulldown menu and Warming Filter from the second one. The filter intensified the color of the arches and darkened the sky.

The next two show the original image and the same picture with an Infrared effect. For this image I went to Effects>Photo Effects>Infrared. This effect softens the edges and highlights the contrasting vertical lines of lichens on the arches.

The next two show the original image of Double Arch and the same picture with the Rotating Mirror effect. For this image I went to Effects>Reflection Effects>Rotating Mirror. To me, this looks like a giant raptor of stone flying right at you. You never know what you’ll get with this effect! 😀

One to Three Photo Challenge January 2022

Pronghorn near Prineville: 1-to-3 Photo Challenge

December 31, 2021December 27, 2021 / SoyBend / 15 Comments

I saw this herd of pronghorn near Prineville, Oregon last spring. I’ll be showing how I processed this photo three ways with Corel PaintShop Pro 2021.

Prior to trying various effects, I increased the brightness, contrast, fill light, and clarity. Since this photo was taken from a distance, I also adjusted the sharpness.

The first two show the original image and the same picture with a Film and Filters effect. For this image I went to Effects>Film and Filters. I selected Vibrant Foliage from the first pulldown menu and Warming Filter from the second one. The orange filter brought out the pronghorn’s tawny coats. The vibrant foliage filter enhanced blues and greens in this scene.

The next two show the original image and the same picture with a Hot Wax Coating effect. For this image I went to Effects>Artistic Effects>Hot Wax Coating. This effect gives an almost comic book-like effect with enhanced edges. The images appear to be coated in a thin layer of wax.

The last two show the original image and the same picture with an Aged Newspaper effect. For this image I went to Effects>Artistic Effects>Aged Newspaper. You can choose how old you want the picture to look. I chose 50 years. More recent options appear more black and white, while older ones have a more yellowed appearance. This effect slightly blurs the edges to make them resemble images in old newspapers.

One-to-Three Photo Processing Challenge – December 2021

Mount Hood in October: 1-to-3 Photo Challenge

November 20, 2021November 20, 2021 / SoyBend / 17 Comments

I went on a road trip near Mount Hood in October and took this photo of the mountain. I’ll be showing how I processed it three ways with Corel PaintShop Pro 2021.

Prior to trying various effects, I decreased the brightness, increased the contrast, fill light and clarity, and used the local tone mapping setting. I made these adjustments because the gray and white mountain blended into the cloudy gray sky. Cloud cover can block your views of Mount Hood in October so we were lucky to see it on this overcast day.

The first two show the Mount Hood original image and the same picture with an enhanced edge effect. For this image I went to Effects>Edge Effects>Enhance More. I like this image because it showcases the trees in the forest.

The next two show the Mount Hood original image and the same picture with a film and filters effect. For this image I went to Effects>Film and Filters. I selected Vibrant Foliage from the first pulldown menu, Cooling Filter from the second one, and increased the filter density. This effect’s blue filter highlights the sky more.

The last two show the Mount Hood original image and the same picture with a glowing edges effect. For this image I went to Effects>Artistic Effects>Glowing Edges. The various shapes stand out in strong contrast highlighted by a touch of color. It’s one of my favorite effects!

One-to-Three Photo Processing Challenge – November 2021

A portal in Portland: Monochrome Monday

November 8, 2021October 31, 2021 / SoyBend / 8 Comments

When I saw this woman in a cape pass through an arch, it looked like she entered a portal in Portland. I imagined her entering a distant mystical land. Infrared processing enhanced the mystical theme I attempted to capture.

Monochrome Monday

Windmill at Fort Rock: 1-to-3 Photo Challenge

September 16, 2021September 16, 2021 / SoyBend / 6 Comments

I thought this windmill at Fort Rock would make a good candidate for showing three ways to process a photograph. I used the photographic effects in Corel PaintShop Pro 2021. This picture was taken at the Fort Rock Homestead Village Museum in Central Oregon.

Prior to trying other effects, I decreased the brightness by 4 and increased the contrast by 10.

The first two show the original and a platinum processed image. This processing was popular from 1873 to 1920 but was discontinued due to the high costs of platinum. For this image I went to Effects>Photo Effects>Time Machine>Platinum. I tried black and white processing but liked the slightly warmer tones of this effect.

The second two show the original and a cross process image. This process resulted from mismatching the film and development chemicals on purpose. For this image I went to Effects>Photo Effects>Time Machine>Cross Process. This effect oversaturates the colors and they really pop.

The last two show the windmill at Fort Rock original image and the same picture with a glowing edges effect. For this image I went to Effects>Artistic Effects>Glowing Edges. This is a more artsy effect. I bet it would look good under black light! 😉

One-to-Three Photo Processing Challenge – September 2021

Daisies Three Ways: One-to-three & Friday Flowers

August 27, 2021August 27, 2021 / SoyBend / 8 Comments

Here are pictures of daisies three ways I took on the Mill A Loop trail in Bend, Oregon. I used Corel PaintShop Pro 2021 to do the photo processing.

The first two show the original photo compared to a soft focus adjustment. I think it works well for these soft flowers.

The second two show the original photo compared to a colored edges effect. I like to draw and this effect created a work of art, minus all the erasing I usually do. 😉

The last images compare the original to a ripple effect. It appears the flowers are growing beneath the water’s surface in an alternate reality.

I admit, I tend to use the same settings on my photo editing program. It was a fun challenge to showcase daisies three ways while exploring some of the other options.

One-to-three Photo Processing Challenge August 2021

Friday Flowers

Seeing things differently with photo edits: LAPC

June 27, 2021July 9, 2021 / SoyBend / 20 Comments

Photo editing is all about seeing things differently. I had fun with my Corel PaintShop Pro editing program in this post.

Making colors shine

I was impressed by the rainbow of colors at our local Farmer’s Market. This photo looked like it would be a good candidate for the kaleidoscope special effect and I was right. Wow!

Seeing things differently kaleidoscope of veggies

The color or the structure?

I took this picture near Grizzly Peak in Wyoming and I couldn’t decide which edit I liked better — color or black & white? The blue sky in the background pops in the color version, while the structure of the trees gets your attention in black & white.

Eliminating distractions

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Using digital magic to edit photographs: LAPC

February 7, 2021February 14, 2021 / SoyBend / 24 Comments

I like using digital magic to bring out the best in my photographs before I post them. I use Corel PaintShop Pro, a less expensive alternative to Photoshop.

Clean up an image

This is a slide I kept in my tent during fieldwork and tiny spots of mold had grown on it. They couldn’t be removed physically so I used a digital scratch remover and cloning tool to erase them.

Edting with digital magic — Steens Mountain, Oregon (Unedited)

Purple mountain majesties Steens Mountain, Oregon — Steens Mountain, Oregon

Crop an image

I took this picture of a pair of burrowing owls at the High Desert Museum. There was a lot of glare on the window of their enclosure. I cropped the photo, and in the edited version, they look like they’re in a natural setting.

Editing with digital magic — Burrowing owls, High Desert Museum, Bend, Oregon (Unedited)

With two you can share wisdom. Burrowing owls at High Desert Museum, Bend, Oregon 2016 — Burrowing owls, High Desert Museum, Bend, Oregon

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Reflecting on my lunch: Wordless Wednesday

January 27, 2021January 26, 2021 / SoyBend / 2 Comments

Wordless Wednesday

Owls in the mist – Images & poem: BWPC

October 16, 2020February 14, 2021 / SoyBend / 10 Comments

Owls in the mist
glide into view
on silent wings

Owls in the mist, great horned owl 2020 — Great horned owl

Pondering us
Through eyes,
Round and wise

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Focus on the form of cactus: LAPC

October 3, 2020October 1, 2020 / SoyBend / 7 Comments

The Lens-Artists Photo Challenge this week is Symmetry. I decided to focus on the form of cactus in my garden by showing them in infrared. It highlights their prickly symmetry well.