The Magic of Displacement Maps!

Displacement Mapping is all about utilizing different textures. Essentially the depth of the one image controls the distortion of the other.

Creating a realistic water surface in Photoshop is extremely challenging. The displace filter is an excellent tool for making this distortion. We've transformed the image below into a unique image with calm waters surrounding the beautiful scenery of Stowe, Vermont utilizing the power of the displace filter in Photoshop.

BEFORE

AFTER

And here is an example of an image edited using the method of displacement masking by utilizing the texture of one image of dirt and overlaying it over a portrait to create a unique and fun effect!

The Power of Blending Modes

The most common reason for using PS Blending Modes to a layer(s) is to achieve a certain result or perhaps to fix a specific problem. For instance, if you were to duplicate an image, switch the duplicate layer's blending mode to Multiply, and the result is always darker. On the other hand, if you were to switch the Blending Mode to Screen the result is always lighter. Here, you already have a quick and simple recipe to fix overexposure and underexposure.
The ways of using Blending Modes described above can be used as a means to an end or in other words for tactical use.
However, Blending Modes in PS could be used in a much more useful and creative ways. For instance where the image is copied into multiple layers and each layer's blending mode is carefully determined. Unlike tactical use of Blending Modes, using Blending Modes for creative purposes gets a bit more complex. You may not necessarily know off the bat when and when you might want to use the Blending Modes. What is helpful is to think of using Blending Modes as an alternative - an alternative method to PS filters, an alternative to using certain tools to enhance an image, or even sometimes when the only alternative is discarding an image altogether.

One of our favorite blending modes is the Pin Light. Pin Light can be used to create a fun, colored, line-drawing effect (as displayed below). Using the Multiply blending mode can darken the image, but of all the contrast increasing modes, Pin Light will produce the most natural effect.

HDR Processing: Taking It Too Far?

The human eye can process the dynamic range (variation between highlight and shadows) of a scene 30 - 40 times more efficiently than even the best modern camera.

High-Dynamic Range Image (HDR) often explained as "seeing more like the human eye," HDR imaging combines several shots of a given scene to overcome the exposure range limitations of traditional single-shot photography - and the final results have much more detail from shadows to highlights, and everywhere in between.

As digital sensors attain progressively higher resolutions, and thereby successively smaller pixel sizes, the one quality of an image which does not benefit is its dynamic range. This is particularly apparent in compact cameras with resolutions near 8 megapixels, as these are more susceptible than ever to blown highlights or noisy shadow detail. Further, some scenes simply contain a greater brightness range than can be captured by current digital cameras-- of any type.

The "bright side" is that nearly any camera can actually capture a vast dynamic range-- just not in a single photo. By varying the shutter speed alone, most digital cameras can change how much light they let in by a factor of 50,000 or more. High dynamic range imaging attempts to utilize this characteristic by creating images composed of multiple exposures, which can far surpass the dynamic range of a single exposure.

We would suggest only using HDR images when the scene's brightness distribution can no longer be easily blended using a graduated neutral density (GND) filter. This is because GND filters extend dynamic range while still maintaining local contrast. Scenes which are ideally suited for GND filters are those with simple lighting geometries, such as the linear blend from dark to light encountered commonly in landscape photography (corresponding to the relatively dark land transitioning into bright sky). In contrast, in scene whose brightness distribution is no longer easily blended using a GDN filter is a perfect candidate for an HDR Image.

Some may argue that post processing an image using the HDR method is taking it too far. Many of us might have seen instances where we feel that the editing simply took over the image and it no longer represented the image that was produced from the camera. However, if used correctly, we believe that HDR could greatly enhance specifically landscape images (as illustrated by the image above).

We would love to hear your thoughts regarding this topic!