Ash Cave

[Dennis Bishop]

Even though I have lots of new -- and even not so new -- photos to work on, I'm re-doing some old ones. This one was taken in the Hocking Hills area of southern Ohio six years ago. (I can't believe I haven't been back since. It's a wonderful place. Maybe this winter for frozen waterfalls???) Ash Cave isn't deep, but the opening is huge. While I was there, a wedding ceremony started, and I had to photograph this scene.

Nikon D2X, f/8, ISO 100, three-exposure HDR (perhaps the first day I shot HDRs) at 1 EV intervals, zoom lens at 26mm.

processing

• Topaz Simplify -- Watercolor II at 100% opacity
• Alien Skin Snap Art -- Watercolor, Color blend mode, 100% opacity
• A couple months ago, I would've reduced the opacity locally with a mask to un-Simplify the people a bit. Recently, including for this image, I duplicated the background layer and applied it lightly over the people in Luminosity blend mode
• Flypaper Textures -- two different ones in Pin Light blend mode, one masked to specific locations
• five B&W layers --three Fractalius, one Alien Skin Snap Art Stylize Line Art, one Topaz Simplify edges, all at Multiply blend mode
• Kim Klassen texture -- Multiply blend mode and reduced opacity for a vignette

[Cheryl Slechta]

Dennis, I love the people in the beam of light - it looks very ritualistic (which of course a wedding is). I'm intrigued by your un-Simplify step. Could you explain it a little further (or am I being dense?).

[Nancy Bell]

Love the lighting! You have a real mastery with these processing techniques! What a wonderful natural place to hold a wedding.

[Dennis Bishop]

. . . I'm intrigued by your un-Simplify step. Could you explain it a little further . . .

After reading, again, what I'd written about that, I realize I could've said it more clearly. Working up from the bottom of the layer pallette are the background, Topaz Simplify, and Alien Skin Snap Art layers. The Snap Art doesn't do much but add some color variations to the Simplify layer, so the people don't stand out, at all, from the background. The version on the left shows how it looked at that point. Then, I plopped the background on top with a black mask and painted the mask with a low-opacity white using a soft brush. To my eye, the Luminosity blend mode gives a nicer color glow than the Normal blend mode. The version on the right shows the image after the masked background layer is applied.

Later in processing, I added some custom contrast to the people with a Curves adjustment layer, but it was really set up by the background overlay. In the end, I don't know how much difference, if any, there would be between the background overlay and light masking of the Simplify layer. However, the background overlay is easy to finesse because I can use a grayish mask to get close to what I want and fine tune with the opacity of the layer.

[Cheryl Slechta]

Thanks, Dennis!

[Jackie Schuknecht]

The light is beautiful with those subtle rays coming down and the diagonal rock brings me from top to the gathering below. I like the colours and the simplified effect. Well done Dennis.

[Anita Bower]

Excellent composition, colors dark and light, and light. The rays of light streaming in are lovely. This looks like a beautiful place to have a wedding. Excellent processing, as usual. In this image, I think I would prefer less simplification, perhaps because there are people in it. Your explanation of how you unsimplified the people is very clear, and your examples show the importance of it.