2B Day 8 Part 2 : Matte Finishes and PSE Layout

This part of the lesson focused on an easy way to set up a layout in PhotoShop Elements using the Photo Prints > Contact Sheet option.  So quick and easy! It puts each picture on it's own layer.   I will definitely be using this technique again the future.    Please note : The images in the above layout did not get any of the Matte Effect treatments--yet.

After the layout was created, I added a few textures and the text to tie it all together.  The subjects are a series of steam engines in Fairbanks, Alaska.    I love rust!

So here are the Matte Finish experiments with another contacts sheet layout in PSE.  So easy!  The underlying background is Kim Klassen's Naturally Texture. 

I took one of the rust and steam pics from above.  The original picture needed some deaturating to tone down that green grass.  I also wanted to bring out the rusty colors.  When I was working on the initial desaturation, the image took on a mind of it's own resulting in My Matte.   Although I didn't think I had a matte finish by the end, I liked what I saw, so I saved it.  Then I took a new copy of the desaturated image and tried Kim's Matte Effect recipe in PSE.  Same for Light Room.  I added some textures to all 3 as the sky needed some texture.  In the end, I am amazed at how similar all three of them are.

 

Processing Step-by-Step for "My Matte":

Layer 1) Steam Shovel Background Layer
Desaturate :
     Layer 2) Background Copy
     Layer 3) Levels Adjustment - Screen Blend 28%
     Layer 4) Gadient Map > BW > Normal  72%
     Layer 5) Color Fill (Rusty Orange) - Soft Light  70%
Layer 6) Levels Adjustment > Pull in blacks
Layer 7) Texture - 2 Lil Owls Artist Collection 1(2) - Soft Light 69%
Layer 8) Add Text - Viner Hand ITC - Layer Style Rain - Layer Style Sun-faded - Normal 90%
Layer 9) Kim Klassen's Naturally Texture - Multiply 74%

 

Processing Step-by-Step for Matte Effect

1) Background Copy (Desaturated)

2) Levels Adjustment : Pull darks and lights in a bit

    Enhance > Adjust Color > Color Variation : Decrease highlights and shadows in blues and greens

3) Text : Viner Hand ITC

4) Kim Klassen's Naturally Texture at Multiply 68%

5) Copy Layer 4 - Soft Light 21%

6) Kim Klassen's Pumpkin Grunge - Soft Light 26%

Prosessing Step-by-Step :
1) Background Image (desaturated)
2) In LightRoom : Tone Curve : Upped the Shadows / Downed the Lights
                              Split Toning : 30/12    45/8
3) Pulled into PSE to add texture and text

Whew!  That took way longer than I thought it would.  I learned a lot, though.  It's a lot easier to rumble around in PhotoShop Elements these days.  And Light Room is getting easier, too.   Time to do something else, though--like mow lawn.  Cheers!