transformation

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

[Jen at Cabin Fever]

I haven't dabbled in infrared, but you've done it tastefully!
Driving down the back roads is the only way I take photos.

http://www.only365words.blogspot.com


http://www.cabinfeververmont.com

[Marcie]

It's not so much a specific 'treatment' or 'process' that's capturing me..but more the limitless of creativity:
http://marciescudderphotography.com/index.php?showimage=1412

[Jennifée]

One of my eternal favourites is the holga-ish treatment in picnik - due, I suppose, to my love for medium format toy cameras in general:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/85057042@N00/5316527315/

[Puna]

I have been going through a little bit of a creative slump toward the end of the year so I decided to try new things this year.

http://lifesignatures.org/wordpress/2011/01/january-3-in-my-beautiful-my-beautiful-balloon/

[Jess]

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

[jnkay01]

The Boost function in Picnik is the one I really like, and maybe lean on. I just like how it, er, boosts color without making images look over-saturated and pixelated.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jnkay01/5253540712/

[Jess]

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?

[Kristy]

Hooray for the excitement of new processes! That's lovely IR treatment!

One of my favorite processes this past year has been digitally-colorizing my bw photo paper "film" pinhole images.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/crunchyfootsteps/4827753072/

[Patty]

I recently downloaded a trial version of lightroom and I am absolutely hooked on it...I haven't tried infared yet but the result is clearly awesome!

Here are some shots from a Christmas roadtrip my husband and I took...all the photos were processed in lightroom:

http://pmaherphotography.blogspot.com/2010/12/snow.html

[Trude]

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.

[rawqueenr]

This photo is haunting. I can feel the road there. Definitely communicates a sensory experience. I love saturation. Maybe too much. I gravitate towards images drenched in color. Almost drowning. Here is a recent example:
http://somethingblu.wordpress.com/2011/01/03/you-gotta-be-startin-somethina-wish-from-the-rock/

[Audra Van Vliet]

I have had a real hankering for these beautiful teals and pinks. This was processed in Lightroom. Perfect for little girls and snow.

http://avanvlietphotography.blogspot.com/2010/12/bluejeanbaby.html

And this one, that makes blues pop. I really have to tone down this sucker. A fine line. Lightroom.

http://avanvlietphotography.blogspot.com/2010/12/spongebob-squarepants.html

[Lisa Clarke]

I always bump up the contrast and the warmth on my photos, but lately I've been adding a bit of a vintage faded look on top of that.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/polkadotcreations/5300608606/

[Deanna]

Lately I have been intrigued by the look of older photos and the vintage finishes. I am waiting with baited breath for a newly purchased vintage Polaroid SX70 Land Camera to arrive. I am still very much a novice but having fun playing.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/djinjoe/5314560950/

[Heather]

I have always been afraid of black and white processing but have been in love with the emotion and mood that it can give. I have been a little obsessed with Pretty Preset's silver lining preset lately:
http://junevintage.squarespace.com/imported-20101103022830/2011/1/2/holiday-break-day-7-reflection.html

[Kathleen O.]

I've had a little thing for digital cross-processing pictures for a while now...with a light touch, I guess.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ko2008/5322154440/

[Texan Mama]

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/

[Deanna]

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.

[Michele]

I love when I get a great shot like this - sun flare, shadows .. and this is how I love to edit them!

http://michelesanteephotography.blogspot.com/2011/01/reach-for-sky.html

[georgia]

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/

[penny.l]

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! :)

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[Shawna]

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!

[Patti]

Love Lightroom. black and white creative 3 turned my daughter's messy room into art:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stakos/5317953841/in/set-72157625733679414/

also love flickr.s effects: the crown texture turned same daughter into a character from the movie Avatar!!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stakos/5310978650/in/set-72157625733679414/.

what fun!

[Heather]

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...

[Deanna]

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.