2021-07-20 Fine Art Photography SIG meeting notes

We met online using ZOOM 6:00pm-8:45pm

The goal of our Fine Art Photography SIG is to help each other to create fine art from our photography.

ATTENDEES
Mike Barry
Mike Dunnetts
Dave Fahrney
Michael Hohol
Paul Marcoux
Albert Wang

OUR MAIN DISCUSSION TOPICS WERE "BLEND MODES" and "BLEND-IF"
I have attached my notes for "BLEND MODES" to the end of this document.

I showed how easy it is to replace sky in a picture using Blend-If.
- stack image layer above the new sky layer
- double left click on the image layer to open the Layer Styles panel
- select the blend color (gray or blue, both worked in the example)
- drag the right end (brightest color or most blue) blend-if slider, and drag it left to hide the pixels with the brightest or most blue colors, and expose the sky from the lower layer
- ALT click and drag on the slider will break it into two parts which can be pulled apart to make the transition a gradual gradient instead of a harsh change between the image layer and the sky layer.
There are other uses for Blend-If, but we didn't discuss them.

OUR MAIN DISCUSSION TOPIC FOR AUGUST WILL BE "Disintegration/Dispersion/Shatter Techniques"

HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT - RESEARCH "Disintegration/Dispersion/Shatter Techniques"
Everyone has the homework assignment to research "Disintegration/Dispersion/Shatter Techniques", study them and bring back some information for the group to discuss at our next Fine Art Photography SIG meeting. If you find some good "Disintegration/Dispersion/Shatter Techniques" information online, tell me where it is and I will put a link to the information on our website.

FCDCC.com/resources.php
"The Hidden Power of BLEND MODES in Adobe Photoshop" by Scott Valentine
"How to Use Blend If in Photoshop like a Pro - by Jesus Ramirez
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAMXBYx0r5g

SIG Project - FINISH-IT-PHOTO
Several members showed their versions of the "Wizard" image by Albert Wang. Even though we started with the same image, we had different visions for the image and we all created different art.

If you haven't already sent in a FINISH-IT-PHOTO, please do send Mike Barry an image in RAW format. Mike will choose one of the images, send it out to the SIG members, and everyone will create their own interpretation of the image to show at future meetings. The idea is to show how all the members would process the same image in different styles.

The FINISH-IT-PHOTO for August will be: "Sitting Man" from Dave Fahrney.

Constructive Critiques
We didn't have time to discuss images this time.

What Project Are You Working On?
I showed a couple personal projects that I have been working on.

AGENDA FOR OUR NEXT FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY SIG MEETING - Tue 8/17/2021 @6:00pm
1. The main topic will be "Disintegration/Dispersion/Shatter Techniques" Please research on your own so we can all discuss it at the meeting (optional)
2. We will discuss our interpretations of the FINISH-IT-PHOTO Please, everyone send Mike Barry a RAW image file that we can use for this Project.
3. We will hold constructive critiques (optional) Pick as many as 3 images that you would like critiqued, and be prepared to show them by sharing your screen during the ZOOM meeting.
4. We will pick a topic for the next meeting

If you don't have time to research the topic, or you don't have any images that you want to have critiqued, that is OK, you can just attend the meeting and participate when you want.

I would like to see more pictures from our Fine Art SIG in the regular club meeting slideshows.

Jim Limburg will send out the Meeting ID, passcode, and meeting link when we have scheduled the meeting, which will be about a week before the meeting date.

We have put video of previous Fine Art SIG meetings online and you can link to them from the Fine Art SIG page of the club website.

Please email Mike, info@fcdcc.com, when you find mistakes, missing information or if you have suggestions for the Fine Art Photography SIG and I will try to address the issues.

======== Some notes on creativity from the meeting =========

============ BLEND MODES FROM MIKE BARRY ===================

Here are my notes about layer blending modes from the meeting.

Normal Modes
============
Normal
- result is a mix to top and bottom pixels, depending on opacity of top layer
- top layer opacity=100% (opaque) -> result is top layer
- top layer opacity between 0% & 100% -> result pixel is %opacity top and 1-%opacity bottom
- top layer opacity=0% (transparent) -> result is bottom layer
Dissolve
- result is a choice of either top or bottom pixels, depending on opacity of top layer
- top layer opacity=100% -> result is top layer
- top layer opacity between 0% & 100% and nearer 100% -> result is likely to be top layer
- top layer opacity between 0% & 100% and nearer 0% -> result is likely to be bottom layer
- top layer opacity=0% -> result is bottom layer

Darken Modes
============
Darken
- result color channels are the lowest values (darker) of either the top or bottom pixel for that channel
- result may be a new color, not top or bottom pixel color
- result = R,G,B where if(Rt<Rb), R=Rt else R=Rb; if(Gt<Gb), G=Gt else G=Gb; if(Bt<Bb), B=Bt else B=Bb;
- no change when blended with white
Multiply
- result is the multiplication of top or bottom pixel, on a channel by channel basis
- result = R,G,B where R=Rt*Rb, G=Gt*Gb, B=Bt*Bb (use percentage values when multiplying)
- result is always same or darker
- no change when blended with white
Color Burn
- result is bottom pixel darkened by increasing the contrast between the top and bottom pixels
- darker than multiply mode
- no change when blended with white
Linear Burn
- result is bottom pixel darkened by decreasing its brightness
- darker than multiply mode and color burn mode, but not as saturated as color burn mode
- no change when blended with white
Darker Color
- result is the color of the layer with the lowest sum of all 3 channels
- result = R,G,B where if(Rt+Gt+Bt>Rb+Gb+Bb) R,G,B=Rb,Gb,Bb else R,G,B=Rt,Gt,Bt
- no change when blended with white

Lighten Modes
=============
Lighten
- result color channels are the highest values (lighter) of either the top or bottom pixel for that channel
- result may be a new color, not top or bottom pixel color
- result = R,G,B where if(Rt>Rb), R=Rt else R=Rb; if(Gt>Gb), G=Gt else G=Gb; if(Bt>Bb), B=Bt else B=Bb;
- no change when blended with black
Screen
- result is the multiplication of the inverse of top or bottom pixel values, on a channel by channel basis
- result = R,G,B where R=1-(1-Rt)*(1-Rb), G=1-(1-Gt)*(1-Gb), B=1-(1-Bt)*(1-Bb) (use percentage values)
- result is always same or lighter
- no change when blended with black
Color Dodge
- result is bottom pixel lightened by decreasing the contrast between the top and bottom pixels
- result is always lighter
- no change when blended with black
Linear Dodge
- result is bottom pixel lightened by increasing its brightness
- result is sum of luminance for each layer on a channel by channel basis
- result luminance R,G,B where R=Rt+Rb; G=Gt+Gb; B=Bt+Bb;
- does not change saturation, just luminance
- result is lighter than Color Dodge
- no change when blended with black
Lighter Color
- result is the color of the layer with the highest sum of all 3 channels
- result = R,G,B where if(Rt+Gt+Bt>Rb+Gb+Bb) R,G,B=Rt,Gt,Bt else R,G,B=Rb,Gb,Bb
- no change when blended with white

Contrast Modes
==============
Overlay
- result is multiply or screen, depending on the brightness of the bottom layer pixel
- bottom pixel is darker than 50% gray -> multiply it by the top pixel
- bottom pixel is lighter than 50% gray -> screen it by the top pixel
- preserves the highlights and shadows of the bottom layer
Soft Light
- result is darkened or lightened depending on the lightness of the top layer pixel
- top pixel is darker than 50% gray -> darken (burn) the bottom pixel
- top pixel is lighter than 50% gray -> lighten (dodge) the bottom pixel
- similar to Overlay mode, but with less contrast
Hard Light
- result is multiply or screen, depending on the brightness of the top layer pixel
- top pixel is darker than 50% gray -> multiply bottom pixel by the top pixel
- top pixel is lighter than 50% gray -> screen bottom pixel by the top pixel
- useful for adding highlights to an image
Vivid Light
- result is burn or dodge, depending on the brightness of the top pixel
- top pixel is darker than 50% gray -> bottom pixel is darkened by increasing contrast (color burn)
- top pixel is lighter than 50% gray -> bottom pixel is lightened by decreasing contrast (color dodge)
Linear Light
- result is burn or dodge, depending on the brightness of the top color
- top pixel is darker than 50% gray -> bottom pixel is darkened by decreasing contrast (linear burn)
- top pixel is lighter than 50% gray -> bottom pixel is lightened by increasing brightness (linear dodge)
Pin Light
- result is either top or bottom pixel color, depending on the brightness of the top color
- top pixel is darker than 50% gray -> result = R,G,B where if(Rt+Gt+Bt<Rb+Gb+Bb) R,G,B=Rt,Gt,Bt else R,G,B=Rb,Gb,Bb
- top pixel is lighter than 50% gray -> result = R,G,B where if(Rt+Gt+Bt>Rb+Gb+Bb) R,G,B=Rt,Gt,Bt else R,G,B=Rb,Gb,Bb
- useful for adding special effects
Hard Mix
- result pixel channel values are either 0 or 255, depending on the sum of the top and bottom pixel channel values
- result = R,G,B where if(Rt+Rb=>255) R=255 else R=0
- only 8 possible colors: Red, Green, Blue, Cyan, Yellow, Magenta, Black and White
- good for developing geometric patters and textures

Comparison Modes
================
Difference
- result is absolute value of top pixel channel value - bottom pixel channel value
- result = R,G,B where R=abs(Rt-Rb), G=abs(Gt-Gb), B=abs(Bt-Bb)
- useful when comparing or aligning image layers
Exclusion
- result is similar to difference mode, but lower in contrast
Subtract
- result is bottom pixel channel value - top pixel channel value, negative values are clipped to 0
- result = R,G,B where R=Rb-Rt(or 0), G=Gb-Gt(or 0), B=Bb-Bt(or 0) (negative values are clipped to 0)
Divide
- result is bottom pixel channel value divided by the top pixel channel value
- result = R,G,B where R=Rb/Rt, G=Gb/Gt, B=Bb/Bt
- mainly intended for use with calibrated technical images, microscopy and astrophotography

Compositing Modes
=================
Hue
- result = luminance and saturation values of bottom pixel, hue value of top pixel
Saturation
- result = luminance and hue values of bottom pixel, saturation value of top pixel
Color
- result = luminance value of bottom pixel, hue and saturation values of top pixel
Luminosity
- result = hue and saturation values of bottom pixel, luminance of top pixel

=============== DIVIDE BLEND INFO - FROM MIKE HOHOL ==============

These are the steps that Mike used to convert the Ballerina image to line art with color.

Open an original image (Background Layer)
Open or duplicate that original image as a 2nd image (Layer 1 but change name to Original)
Turn off Layer 1
Working on the Background Layer
Image > Adjustments > Desaturate
Duplicate the layer (Background Copy)
Change Blend Mode to DIVIDE
Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur modify to give you a hand line sketch drawing effect - somewhere around 3 to 10; I used around 5
Turn on the Original layer
Create a black mask on this Original layer
Click on a selection tool like the lasso, then Select > Subject, that puts a selection around the ballerina
Select a soft edged brush or use a pressure sensitive brush, and paint white on the black mask to revel the colors of the original image. You can either change the brush opacity to a value you like, or use 100% opacity and with the mask selected just adjust the master opacity.