Volkswagon Picture Stacking

 

Finished Merge

This was my first attempt at picture stacking.  Picture stacking is where you merge multiple images of a stationary object or landscape at different focal lengths and then in an editing program (Affinity Photo) focus merge them together to produce an extra-sharp final picture. Hold on, not entirely, there's post-merging, fine-detail, editing work to be done.  

Equipment: Fujifilm X-T5 Camera. Fujinon Super EBC XF 16-80mm 1:4 

Software:  Affinity Photo

Help: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvMCUaGYNf8  

Process:  

In Affinity Photo (AF) you select FILE- NEW FOCUS MERGE and then add the pictures.  AF analyzes the pictures and combines them into one picture file.  It does a good job but there is still haze and artifacts from each picture that show up that need removed.  After AF merged the three pictures there were now four pictures in the Source Panel (the three original and the merged picture).  

The following three pictures are my original pictures.  I took three pictures (see below).

Front of car focus

Middle of car focus

Back of car focus

The next step is to remove the out of focus areas in each picture.  For example, when merged the front of car focus picture is sharp, but the back of car focus picture is overlayed, so the out of focus areas from the back of car picture show up on the front of car focus picture and vice-versa.  To fix this,  you use the clone tool to manually clone areas from specific source images.

Here's the process:  In the Source Panel where your pictures are located, there is an eye-icon at the bottom.  To clean up the front of car focus, I selected that picture and then selected the eye-icon.  The eye-icon makes that picture the source for the clone tool.  Next, I selected the back of car focus picture. I did not select the eye-icon because I need to keep the front of car focus picture as the source.  Once I selected the back of car focus, I began to drag the clone tool around areas that were blurry.  The clone tool was using the front of car focus picture as the clone and as a result, was removing the blurry areas. There was a bit of trial and error and EDIT-UNDUE, but I was learning and figuring it out. 

Final Thoughts: 

I was pleased with the final result but if I was to do it againg I would take more pictures than just the three I did take.  I would focus on more specific areas than just the fore-mid-background.  I believe that would have allowed me to get an even more pin-sharp final image.  

For this process to work, you have to use a tripod and the object must me stationary. For this project, I laid my camera on the desk and was very careful to not move it.  I also put the camera on a two second delay so there was no movement of the camera from me pushing the picture button.  

Post-Apocalyptic Survivor

Post-Apocalyptic Survivor

 This project was to practice combining two different pictures together to make them look like one. During the Covid "apocalypse", I took a picture of myself wearing a fancy portable air-filtration system. I also added my swim goggles for extra effect.  Not wanting any good picture go to waste, and to try something different than natural landscapes, I thought it would be fun to take a go at a science-fiction theme. 

Original

In Affinity Photo 2 (AP2) I used the Selection Brush tool with "snap to edges" and "soft edges" options and selected the background. The soft edges option reduces the hard "cut" that looks jagged and unnatural when placed against a different background.  Under the Layer option, I selected "Inverse pixel selection", by doing that it selected me, the post-apocalyptic survivor.  I created a second layer and copied and pasted the selection. Finally, I returned to the background and erased all remnants of the kitchen wall.

Next, I did a Google picture search for an apocalyptic background I could use.  I saved one and used "File--Place" within AP2 to place the picture in the scene.

Original Background
https://www.peakpx.com/en/hd-wallpaper-desktop-fiywo 

The background scene was much larger than my photo so I moved it to get a good background image.  Then I saved the picture as a JPG and opened it up in Luminar NEO for the rest of the project.  There was still much work in order to make it look like I belonged in the picture.  That's where the magic of NEO came into play.

My first task in NEO was to darken the survivor. The original lighting made it look like there was a flash. In the scene, the sun is behind me, and naturally, my frontside would be darkened.  So in the Edit menu, I used the Develop option to reduce the exposure by 2.35.  To do that I selected Mask, then Mask AI. At that point, the NEO AI analyzes the photo and identifies the different features of the photo.  That could be sky, landscape, buildings, people, faces, etc...The first time around it did not identify my body and head. Not too surprising since there is a contraption attached to it and I am wearing goggles. So I canceled the operation and tried again. BINGO!  I was happily surprised a different AI analysis got better results.  

After darkening the exposure, I adjusted the hue to a more yellow to try to match the background.

Next, I added a texture (acrylic finish) layer on top of the picture. This accomplished two things. First, it gave the picture more of an old-picture feel. But most importantly, it really merged the two pictures together, in both lighting and texture.  

Next, I used the Atmosphere edit to add a little fog in the midground.  That again increased blending and diminished the acrylic finish texture across my forehead. 

To give it a more gritty feel, I used the Mood option and add "Color Punch Hot" at 97%. I played with this a lot and almost didn't use it.  

I used "Dodge and Burn" to lighten and draw out the goggle lens white areas. If you go to the original, you'll see what I mean.  Before, the lower contrast made the goggle lenses all black, not enough grittiness for me. I also used "Dodge and Burn" to darken the shadows of the mask and hose.

In my finishing touches, I used the cloning tool around the perimeter of my body to reduce a slight yellow hue, mostly around the shoulder.

Overall, I was pleased with the final product.  It was a challenge I wasn't sure I would be able to pull off.  I really sharpened my editing skills and confidence on this one.  I look like a legit Post Apocalyptic Survivor!

Special Plate "Crawfish" at Ani's on Riverside

 

Original

Patti is showing off her crawfish to me in this picture.  I was using the S22U telephoto lens to get the shot.  I used Luminar NEO to enhance the sky to bring out the texture and add some color and contrast to everything else. I used a 15% film grain edit to soften the background just a tad to reduce some of the busyness.  

"Bluebonnet Glory" First composite Photograph

"Bluebonnet Glory" Composite
Evening sky and sun with light beams added.

Original

Equipment: Samsung S22 Ultra (auto mode)

Software: Luminar Neo for light editing and lighting.

In the spring of 2023 I drove past a massive field of bluebonnets NE of Austin on FM Rd 486--about halfway between Taylor and Cameron. So I stopped and took a handful of pics. This is an edit and my first composite (adding other pictures/graphics to enhance the original photo). I replaced the sky and added a sun with sunbeams. Spring of 2023 with S22 Ultra auto mode.

Process:

When you see a large beautiful landscape that you want to photograph, never forget that you really have to be there for the effect, a picture of a wide open space rarely is able to capture your experience for others to enjoy the same way. So it's very important to consider the foreground and perspective before shooting a bunch of pictures.

Here's an example of what I mean:

This picture is of the same field but I was trying to get all of it. And all it accomplishes is turning into a flat, mostly 2-dimensional picture with nothing to draw the eyes to. I did get a little lower, not low enough, and there is some foreground happening, but I knew I had to do better. The cloudy blue sky helped for the lighting but it was boring to me. For the natural purists, I will admit the original clouds did have potential in post-editing. There is enough definition to accentuate the clouds with added contrast. Maybe I'll go back and try that another day.

Here is another picture where I used the barbed-wire fence and wooden posts. At this time I was experimenting with different skies. Notice how the background skies drastically change the look and feel of the photo. Of course, you have to change the lighting of the field to match the sky.

Luminar Neo has a "Sky" AI that analyzes the picture and identifies what is sky, ground, people, etc...and it really does a good job at it, not perfect all the time, but impressive. Once the sky is identified, you then have the option to make edit adjustments to the selection or replace the sky with a sky pic of your liking.

Now let's get back to "Blue Bonnet Glory".

After adding the sunset sky I added a sun and sunbeams. This is an option in the edit options in NEO. You can place the sun anywhere and you have control over it's brightness, number of light beams and how far they cast.

I then added the Preset "Easy Landscapes: Forest stream100%" This preset desaturate the photo more helping with clarity and darkened the blues with added contrast.

To add more depth to the picture I used "Dodge and Burn" to lighten the midground and darken the foreground. I think it gave a more mystical feel. The barbed wire running through the foreground also adds some pop.

The only editing I did besides light was there was a brown straw that went up from the front center bluebonnet that went all the way to the tree line in the back (see original). I used the healing brush to remove it.

If I was to take this picture again I would do so in PRO mode and RAW files to go with the JPG auto mode. RAW mode adds more information and potentially you have more information to work with in post-edit. With that, I would be hoping to have even more detail/sharpness in the mid and background of the field.

Full Moon Shot with the Samsung S22 Ultra Telephoto Lens

Flexing the Samsung Galaxy s22 Ultra telephoto lens in Pro Mode. Handheld (no tripod). Took the shots a few miles outside of Smithville,Texas and away from as much ambient light I could avoid. It helped it was a clear night and the humidity was low for June. If I had used a tripod it would have been even more crisp. I held my breath and used the 2-second delay to avoid movement from pressing the take pic button.

All pictures are unedited. The two close-ups are only cropped. The difference in colors was due to adjusting the ISO.

REDO:   I should have used a tripod and tried the night mode setting.  Also, change the picture size to 3:4 108 MP.

F2.4, -2.0ev, 1/1500 s, 69 mm, ISO 50

F4.9, -2.0ev, 1/6000 s, 230 mm, ISO 640, WB 5900K

Downtown Smithville, Texas on a Friday Night. 6-2-2023

 

Cropped out the foreground and a little from the right side to follow the sidewalk line.
Darkend the sky just enough to give more of a night shot.
Added a little contrast and warmth to set the mood.

Original

Took a Friday evening to hang out with Bradley and Makenzie in Smithville, Texas.  They took me to a favorite spot of theirs, the Wine Bar (subject of picture).  Enjoyed a great New York style bacon, chicken, ranch pizza.  Around 8:00 pm we left and I noticed the dusk lighting was perfect for pictures, so I took this shot.  I didn't want to bug the gentleman sitting outside so I stayed back for the picture. 

If I could RETAKE this photo I would ask for his permission and get in close (less cropping and more detail/information to work with).      

Ancient Window of Masada

Ancient Window from Masada.
I captured this photo visiting Israel in Feb 2019.

Looking westward through a "window" from Masada, an ancient Roman fortification on top of an isolated rock plateau In southern Israel on the eastern edge of the Judean desert. Herod the Great built two palaces on the mountain between 37-31 BC. But in 66 AD, a group of Jewish rebels overcame the Roman garrison of Masada and took control of the fortress.  

In 73 AD the Roman government finally sent a legion of Roman soldiers (8,000-9,000 fighting soldiers) and Jewish prisoners of war (6,000-7,000) to Masada and laid siege to it. They used the slave labor to build a giant siege ramp of stone and rubble.  At the bottom left corner of the window is the beginning of the siege ramp.  

If we could rewind time to the spring of 73 AD we would be seeing the countryside sprawling with tents and command posts for the nearly 15,000 soldiers and slaves.  If you leaned forward and looked down from the window, you would see the slaves carrying and pouring rock as they gradually built the siege ramp higher and higher. After three months of laying siege, on April 16th, the Romans pushed a large battering ram up the ramp and breached the wall of the fortress. According to the Jewish historian, Josephus, "when Roman troops entered the fortress, they discovered that its defenders had set all the buildings but the food storerooms ablaze and committed mass suicide or killed each other, 960 men, women, and children in total.  Only two women and five children were found alive."

The eastern view of Masada.
Tourists can ascend by cable car or on foot.

"Move a Little Closer" Romantic city skyline with couple at the lake.

 

"Move a Little Closer"

Photo Title:  Move a Little Closer.  The setting and atmosphere had great romantic potential. I thought if I was that guy and on a date, I'd be thinking of a way to "Move a Little Closer".

Setting:  Late afternoon overlooking Town Lake and the city skyline in Austin, Texas circa 2019.  

Equipment: Handheld Samsung  Note 9.

Software:  Affinity Photo 2.1 and Luminar Neo

Original Uncropped.
I saw the potential, but clearly too much happening up top. The branches create a nice framing effect, 
but the top is too long/wide.
There was also too much of the lake in the midground.
Notice the log in front of the woman and the camera behind them in the middle--both were 
cloned out of the scene.

1st crop with basic lighting edits.
Haven't finished cleaning up the lake
or color balance on the people.

Process:  Cropping the picture definitely improved the impact. There were too many distracting tree branches over the top of the frame. Cropping zoomed in the city skyline nicely but it was a bit fuzzy. So I used the Sharpening tool in LN at medium strength and that helped nicely.  But there was a problem with just cropping out the top, there was still too much lake and the couple and rock ledge were too small and not really in the picture. Using AP I used the selection brush tool with soft edges applied and selected the couple and rock ledge. I used the Refine option to smooth the edges some more before grabbing and adding it to a second layer.   Then I moved the couple and rock ledge layer up to fit them better in the frame.

Next, I used the healing brush to spot remove the various debris that was floating in the lake. Then I noticed there was a log floating in front of the girl just at her waistline. Using the clone tool I removed the log.

Next, I thought the Neo Presets darkened the couple too much.  I brushed a mask and selected their clothes and then adjusted the white balance and slightly lighten the colors.

I've read those new to photo editing make the mistake of doing too much. Add to that the power of software that doesn't require a degree to learn or 1,000 hours of experience to become proficient, and you'll find out it IS very easy to do too much.  I wonder what my five-year future self will think of these photos.  

Dark and Rich Preset