Friday, October 22, 2010

Magical Cropping & Colouring

Most of the good photographs are not the ones that have directly come out of the camera, instead are the ones that have been made more impressive with some creative post-processing. Many a times the environment and lighting may not help in achiving the desired composition and effects. In such cases, post-processing the original image can help.  

Here I will briefly cover how to make a good snap out of an ordinary looking and possibly defective one; with the two most basic techniques i.e., cropping and colouring the images, to get a better effect.


This snap is the front view of Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna. The picture has a vast empty field as foreground, and enough sky on top to balance the scenery. Though reasonably good, the overall effect can be modified with cropping-out the empty sections.


 




With help of Kodak Easy Share  (freely downloadable software from Kodak), the empty-field in foreground and the sky in the background have been cropped-out, in effect changing the overall composition. This simple change gives a panaromic impression of the palace and its sorroundings, which is completely different from the original photograph.



Here is a snap of Hofburg Area, Vienna which lacks almost any charm. The colour is almost dull; the foreground is distracted with a garbage bin. This snap simply fails to attract the viewer. With a combination of cropping and applying scenic color effect to the snap, a completely different and stunning result is achieved below.

First the image has been closely cropped to exclude the unattractive foreground, leaving only the building and just enough of the green grass in front. Once done, with help of Kodak Easy Share, the image has been applied sunset effect multiple times (three times).

The end-result is quite different and far more pleasant than the original one.

So, anytime you feel that a snap is simply not good enough, try applying cropping and coloring; and the result can be something beyond your imagination.


!!! Always keep a copy of the original photograph. !!!

[Snaps Taken: October 2010]


Beauty In Sepia Tone

Many a times we take a photograph of some beautiful object or place, but the colour simply would not add to the overall beauty. It can be either the lighting that the environment offers, shadows, or it can be distractions caused by different objects or colours !!!

A simple technique is to convert the picture to a Sepia (or Black & White) one. The result can be impressive. Not only the lighting problem can be solved, but also, it can add a feeling of mystique and antiquity to the picture.

Here are 2 such examples.


This is a distant view of Schonbrunn Palace from the heights of Gloriette. Though it is framed well, sunlight has created a shadow of the frames themselves. Being in colour the shadows become even more pronounced.




This was converted into a  sepia-toned one, and the result is quite pleasant. Though the shadows still remain, they are no more pronounced. And the colour now adds a sense of antiquity to the overall scenery.





Here is one more. This picture was taken in the gardens of Belvedere Palace. The statue being white, it has got a blue-caste from the sky, which adds to the overall beauty. However, the greenery, the people and other objects in the background simply add un-welcome distractions. The eyes automatically move from the statue to the background, which is not offering much compared to the statue.



Converting the picture into a sepia-toned one, has added a mystique look to the statue, and the backgrounds no more distract. The eyes simply stay on the statue, the main object of attraction.

So, whenever you have a good picture, but it suffers from lighting and colorful effects, try converting it to Black & White or Shephia coloured one. And the result can be quite pleasant, most of the time.

Note: Many graphics software are available for such conversions. I used Kodak Easy Share a freely downloadable one from Kodak.

!!! Always keep a copy of the original colour photograph. !!!

[Snaps Taken: October 2010]

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Snaps From Prague, Czech

Prague the capital of Czech Republic is a beautiful city. Here are few snaps that I took from my recent visit. The photographs are from following places.
  • Charles Bridge
  • Prague Castle & Cathedral




Charles Bridge

    
    
    
    
    
    

    

Prague Castle & Cathedral
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    


[Snaps Taken: October 2010]


Thursday, October 14, 2010

Snaps From Vienna, Austria

Vienna, the capital of Austria, is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. It is filled with art and architecture and is paradise for photographers and tourists alike.

Here are few photographs from my recent visit covering following places. 
  • Schonbrunn Palace & Garden
  • Belvedere Palace & Garden
  • Hofburg Area & Stadt Park


Schonbrunn Palace & Garden















Belvedere Palace & Garden










Hofburg Area & Stadt Park






[Snaps Taken: October 2010]