stirring

 

Taking post processing to the extreme with these image totally transformed them. It's not usually how I approach processing my images but sometimes a particular shot warrants taking it to another stratosphere. In this case, it was a small series I shot of my daughter. I wasn't sure what would come of them but I am taken with the results. Letting myself muse and play with the images has made for something intriguing, unexpected and just plain haunting.

What happens when you have let processing run away with you? Show us, surprise us, stir something up.

Comments

[kosenrufu mama]

here...
http://esterdaphne.blogspot.com/2009/03/quotidiano.html
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23206424@N07/3310672027/

[Marcie]

Love these...and how you've processed them. Very unique..with exquisite results. Would be curious to learn yuor 'technique'. Here's one of mine. Not quite as dramatic..nor as effective..but nonetheless:
http://marciescudderphotography.com/index.php?showimage=713

[Jen May]

Beautiful diptych

[June]

The end-result completely complements her facial expression.

I don't know how I got here, but I did. It's one of my favorites.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/junedel/3012554672/

[Sue Henry]

After reading this challenge, I added this post to my blog. I had JUST completed processing this image yesterday!

http://suehenryphotography.wordpress.com/2009/03/10/stir-something-up/

[A Girl Named Me]

Here's mine . . .

http://followagirl.blogspot.com/2009/03/processing-extreme-edition.html

[Alicia]

Here's one that I did using picasa...
http://aliandsethinthecity.blogspot.com/2009/02/reflection-of-day.html

And here's another that I did using picnik...
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rDO_Ht2W86I/SbQnkTmXseI/AAAAAAAAB08/5EwrvzROVEY/s1600-h/SandA2.jpg

[Belinda]

Here's a picture I took of my father, then processed...it turned the photo from a mundane portrait shot into something entirely different (in my view!). I'm now thinking of getting all my friends and family to dress up in period clothing to pose...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/selfsufficiencygirl/3343217843/

[Puna]

I haven't done a diptych but I'm inspired. I do play with photo editing software - a lot. Perhaps I'm not yet trusting my instincts as a photographer. Or perhaps I like watching a transformation. Or maybe it's just the analytical side of me that needs to be fulfilled.

http://lifesignatures.wordpress.com/2009/02/02/before-and-after-blue-ice/
http://lifesignatures.wordpress.com/2009/02/19/before-and-after-the-bird/

[Busymomma66]

I love your dip--beautiful. I also love to play around with post processing (though I'm starting to stop playing more often as I learn more and more about photography).

Here are my shots:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/busymomma66/3338714735/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/busymomma66/3334604964/in/photostream/

[Vanessa]

Looking forward to the day when I'll have time to do more...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vanessa_r/3000655107/in/set-72157607625768404/

[Sarah A]

I'm not always a fan of extreme post-processing, but sometimes it is exactly what your picture needs. I love the beautiful close-ups of your daughter.

Here's photo I almost threw away but after playing with it has turned in to one of my favorites:

http://createeveryday.blogspot.com/2009/01/this-is-terribl-shot-technically-but.html

[benzismama]

Fun with Picnik

http://www.flickr.com/photos/benzismama/3207607753/

[Karyn]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kayak57/3342467362/in/set-72157612194737165/

it's just fun to be dramatic sometimes.

[mary]

Beautiful processing on those! I played around with a Pioneer Woman action called "Lovely and Ethereal" and added a texture to come up with this:

http://mary-simplethings.blogspot.com/2009/03/winter-thoughts.html

[Stevie]

Beautiful photos. You are an inspiration.

I have a fun photoshopped image to share. It might not be as obvious but they only really have 2 kids. I overlayed 2 photos on top of each other and masked what I didnt' want shown. I wanted to show the love and stability of their little family amonst all the chaos of having active kids. And the warning sign on the building just fit so perfectly.

http://www.stevietblog.com/2008/11/fun-family-shot.html

[s]

here are a couple that I am particularly fond of.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandis_art/3344299662/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandis_art/3343465179/

[liz]

Post processing is so much fun sometimes I find myself post processing for hours until I get it right or it feels right. Here is a more recent image that I feel the post processing adds a little something to the photograph.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ewhitaker/3335252153/

[Sarah Danaher]

I love post-processing, almost more than I love taking the images themselves. I'm not a fan of extreme processing, but I shoot with a Lightroom and Photoshop in mind, so that I can digitally create what I saw in my mind. I *love* using the burn tool in Ps! Here are a couple of examples:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/scdanaher/2980930013/in/set-72157608447455044/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/scdanaher/3202329916/in/set-72157612663467994/

[margie]

i played with this series of photos of my grandson david.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/margela/

[Kelly]

Beautiful processing, Tracey - the cropping here is wonderful! I was looking at assisting a wedding photojournalist (my preferred style of photography - I want even my details to tell a story) shortly before I got pregnant with my daughter and things fell through. As we were talking about it, he really encouraged me to shoot a broader shot than I thought I needed, to not be afraid to crop and process my photos, saturate them, make them more vivid. It has taken me a long time to accept his advice, but the more that I have embraced it, the more my eye develops, and I find myself shooting what could be because I see more than what is there before I shoot it. And even in shooting what is there, I find more beauty, because I know what kind of processing it would take to make it look that good.

Here are two of my early favorites, from my first CS-3 processed shoot:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8702729@N02/3343532247/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8702729@N02/3344365156/

[Vicki]

That's lovely. I don't think I've ever shared here before (but always lurking). I love post-processing... here are a some faves:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/knitorious/3171819767/in/set-72157610666894304/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/knitorious/3243892513/in/set-72157603966590903/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/knitorious/2710341052/in/set-72157603966590903/

Hm.... they all seem to be B&W conversions...

[Ashlee Newman]

Stunning, stirring, fabulous photos. This post has definitely inspired me to play a little more!

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_D70CoPfjchM/SYnJd5K3zoI/AAAAAAAAR_o/wilLz0lNi-w/s1600-h/LLL+024-2+copy.jpg
http://ashleenewman.blogspot.com/2008/12/chili-dog.html

[Diane Schuller]

lovely diptych.
Since I have only recently begun to embrace what transformations I can achieve with post processing, this would be one that I felt really 'worked'.

http://dianeschuller.aminus3.com/image/2009-03-04.html

[claudia]

The shots above are stirringly beautiful!

I am incredibly addicted to post processing, I apologize if I've post some of these before, can't remember, sucks to get old!
http://flickr.com/photos/laurohunt/3303118747/
http://flickr.com/photos/laurohunt/3341491856/
http://flickr.com/photos/laurohunt/3043708710/
I have to say the majority of the time I'm inspired by the rest of my shutter sisters, thank you.

[Amanda Johnston]

I love your images. They do look almost haunting. Lovely work.

Radical post processing seems to go along with digital scrapbooking for me:
http://endlesslightcreations.blogspot.com/2009/03/post-processing-pictures.html

[Laura Plouzek]

Lovely. In that quiet, contemplative, sighing sort of lovely.

I usually do little in post processing- since most of my photograpgy is to document...but here's one from Halloween a few years back that I love.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/smilinglaura/277686362/in/set-72157594332824625/

[Nessa]

This is beautiful Tracey, the cropping, tones and dip. So gentle and precious.
This was something I enjoyed processing, from being a dullish brown it developed its own qualities
http://flickr.com/photos/32387138@N06/3249316839/

[Charlane]

I love dramatic light
http://flickr.com/photos/charlaneg/3337298938/

[toyfoto]

http://flickr.com/photos/toyfoto/39698927/

Sometimes you just get carried away

[Oliag]

I wish I could remember what I did to create this still life of an ice cream dish...just playing around with a new camera and the limited editing available with the camera purchased...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/22733432@N08/3254505894/sizes/o/

[KL]

I can't help from tinkering...it can totally change the mood of a photo. Beautiful Tracey, children make such great subjects.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12418609@N00/3343926601/

[Sandra]

love your images! here are a couple of my recent faves...
i love natural shots, but sometimes, a little post processing can really help achieve the mood you
want to portray... :-D

i'm loving clicking through to all the great examples in the comments, too!



http://www.flickr.com/photos/myinspiredheart/3316829529/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/myinspiredheart/3335687355/

[Alejandra]

Here's my play at extreme processing.

Chinese Gardens at the Huntington:
http://fotografias-fotografias.blogspot.com/2009/02/vintage_28.html

Vintage cars:
http://fotografias-fotografias.blogspot.com/2009/01/hiking.html

[Alejandra]

Great captures, Sandra!

[Chookooloonks]

Tracey, these are ASTOUNDING.

[Angie Muldowney]

Sometimes I find it hard knowing when to stop!!!
Here's a before and after... http://www.lemonlight.org/weblog/2009/02/before-and-after.html

[Lecia]

Simply beautiful. I didn't do any special processing, but your images inspired this shot:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/a_day_that_is_dessert/3345109204/

[Leslie]

Very lovely and emotional image. Here's mine.
http://lesliephoto.blogspot.com/2009/03/post-processing-techniques.html

[jag]

I've really enjoyed discovering Picnik and its post-processing possibilities... Here's what I was able to do with a poor technical shot of Hubby doing yoga :-)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jagspace/3345696612/in/set-72157604073023608/

He hates getting his picture taken, so I'm hoping he'll be OK with this!
xox

[cara]

Here's an ordinary photo of dead black-eyed susans after a snow storm that turned into one of my favorites after playing with the processing for awhile:

http://caramoulds.com/index.php?showimage=263

[Katy]

A bit late, but here is one that I love, but is very processed:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/29536663@N04/3344996833/in/set-72157614992208583/

[jody]

I love how this came out even tho I don't exactly remember what steps I took too lol.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jodyangel/3297974622/

[Andy]

funny, I had just posted something yesterday that is a little out of the norm for me
http://www.flickr.com/photos/82507634@N00/3342588079/

[Holly]

this is my post production effort.....

my daughters mare.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=7547&id=1579830660#/photo.php?pid=97985&id=1579830660

[Janice (5 Minutes for Mom)]

Those are haunting and beautiful!

I am such a CHICKEN! I play with extreme processing and then never save the results. I guess I don't trust my eye. I need to get braver. (Oh I could say that about every aspect of my photography!) LOL

[kristin]

i love getting in close on my kids eyes.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/14811117@N02/3306775560/

[Jen]

I love those shots. Mine was taken by accident with the wrong white balance set & then I played with the colour in camera. Usually I am much more of a purist, I llove to get the shot as I want it to appear, but something about this one has captivated me even though technically it isn"t a perfect shot either, could be the subject :-)

http://jensphotographicjournal.blogspot.com/2009/03/beautiful.html

[Jen at The Cute Kid]

Haven't played around too much with my photos yet, still getting the hang of things. But o.m.g. the eyelashes on her!

[artnart.co.cc]

if only we had before shots.
btw is it done in photoshop?