BIG BOY4014 Steam Engine Locomotive and using Neo Editing and Presets

UNION PACIFIC BIG BOY 4014.  Largest Steam Locomotive in the World. 
Parked at College Station 10/8/24

 I used the Affinity Photo clone tool to carefully remove the people on the right and the cars on the left (see below).  I wanted to remove all modern-day artifacts but didn't have the time/patience to tackle the apartment complex.  I might end up doing it and updating at a later time.  Next I used Luminar Neo to edit a mystical look, dropped in a sky with a little character,  and added the preset Dirty Look.

Original.  Fujifilm XT-5 16-80 Fuji lens.

I took my daughters and one-year-old grandson to see BIG BOY at College Station. It was a clear, blue sky and the pictures were taken around high noon.  

I plan to print and frame this for the little guy.

Used the new Color Transfer edit option (tropical Landscape--match similar objects' colors) and a little Mystical edit. Also dropped in a different sky.

NEO Preset Monochrome Low Key 75%

Info links on BIG BOY.

https://www.up.com/heritage/steam/4014/
https://youtu.be/Hszu80NJ438?si=0kuSU_f5ivYFqOn3
https://youtu.be/5YMAqqCYe00?si=7_v60fgXwZ6gIbo1

Tips for Mom and Baby Outdoor Photo Shoot

 

NEO Dirty Look Preset Filter @ 80 percent

Original. Fuji 16-80 lens.  Autofocus. 17.7mm. f/5. No flash.  

Post Reflection Points:

--FLASH:  Using a flash for most of the pics was a winner.  Always bring backup batteries.  My flash died early and fortunately was able to repurpose some AA batteries from one of the baby's toys.  This would have been very embarrassing and unprofessional had I been paid.  

--LIGHTING:  Set up photo shoot in the evening about an hour and a half before sunset.  Perfect lighting but you can't lolligag.  Also be aware lighting is constantly decreasing ever so gradually.  Start by taking impromptu pics and easy staging pics to get your bearings.  Save your best staging for the middle of your photo shoot for best lighting. 

--SETTING:  We took the pics outdoors at a ranch and had a lot of different areas/backgrounds to choose from.  I chose the area because it had a decorative rock bed and a tree with some character in the foreground, a wooden fence in the midground, and the tree line in the background. The sky was clear and uneventful so I tried to minimize it.  We added the hay, saddle, iron wagon wheel, and a gunny sack material to set the baby down for props.  We had to clear the area of some horse manure and watch out for patches of sticky grass thorns.

--ATMOSPHERE:  It was a clear, hot, upper 90's, humid, Texas summer day. Have cold bottled waters, handkerchiefs for wiping sweat, and take short breaks. Pay attention to faces and sweat beading. 

--BABIES:  Matias, the baby, is one year old.  His mother (Georgia) and grandmother (Patti) were great at jumping and calling to get his attention to smile, hold head up, and look at the direction of the camera.  Be patient when taking toddler pics by themselves.  When he cried, which was often, I paused quickly to allow the mother to play and settle him.  I didn't want him to cry so hard as to get emotionally upset to the point of no return.  Sometimes you can avoid it, others times it is what it is. 

--EXPECTATIONS:  I shot 90 pictures and maybe had 10 that were worthy of mention.  There is maybe another 10 with potential and good for personal sharing.  A 20% return rate is exceptional in my experience.  What helped this shoot is the lighting, backdrop, and a baby that did really good considering it was really hot and humid and he was in an unfamiliar place.  Good job Matias!  Good job Georgia!

Now for some final pics to share.

Enhanced skyline.

NEO Composite. Added sky. Sepia filter.  Also created the Wanted poster using another picture, clipart of Wanted Poster, and BeFunky.com to turn it into a drawing.   

Composite.  Rocky Mountains added to sky.

NEO Dramatic and Mystical Edit

NEO Preset My Preset

NEO Preset My Preset

NEO Preset Autumn Glow

NEO Preset Instant Results

NEO Preset Warm Glow 85 percent

NEO Preset Ginger Look 50 percent

Union Pacific 5514 Locomotive in Smithville, Texas

NEO "Matte noir" filter

Snapped this locomotive sitting on the tracks in Smithville, Texas.

Equipment: Fujifilm X-T5 camera. Fuji16-80 lens.

Added "forest stream" NEO filter

Original.  Added "Dirty Look" preset filter in NEO.

Original. Added some contrast to the skies.

This is a composite pic.  Using Luminar NEO I added some dark clouds and changed the lighting to match.  

Original unedited.

Composite. Added NEO wispy clouds.

Last Train to Denver.

Another composite.  This last picture was purely for fun.  Found a Rocky Mountains picture (stock) to replace the original sky. NEO has a great option for this sort of thing.   

If I had to do it over...

--Would get more perpendicular to the engine for a better full-side angle. 

--Use my wide angle 10-24 lens (didn't have it at the time).

--Use a tripod, use a ND filter, and open up the aperture.

--Makes me wish I had a fisheye lens...Up close with that engine may have produced some great close-up in-your-face engine pics. 

-The upside is I believe engines stop there periodically, so I may get a second chance.  One more reason to always have my camera with me. 

Mercury Sighted

 

Snapped this vintage Mercury sitting in my neighborhood while taking Abigail for a walk.  Finally I had my Fuji XT-5 and not just my camera phone.  I'm getting better at taking the extra effort to carry it, and it pays off.

I had my 16-80 mm lens, wide tracking AF mode, PROVIA/STANDARD film simulation. Did some very light removal of a couple paint chips on the hood.  I threw it in Luminar NEO and cut out the background and threw a solar/lens flare layer behind it. Also did a Neon Skyline preset.  

If you look close you can see my reflection in the front bumper!

Creating a Composite Picture to Make a 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!

"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.