Ahhh….my favorite challenge is upon us. One Photo Focus is here! Every month Stacy gives us a photo and we edit it to come up with our own take. Below you’ll find my image as well as the original which was provided by Katie Prior, so thanks Katie for your very fun image! And if you have time, check out Stacy’s blog to see everyone’s submissions. I’m excited to see what everyone came up with.
I thought about making a sea monster come out of the water but in order to be different than last month, I chose to go with the look of a painting this time.
Basic Process:
1. Normally I don’t use Adobe Camera Raw opting for Lightroom, but this time I opened the image directly into Photoshop so using Adobe Camera Raw I leveled off the image and flattened out the horizon.
2. Opened in Photoshop and then tone-mapped the image in Nik HDR.
3. Colorized the image in Topaz Restyle.
4. Added some detail by using Topaz Glow Natural Neon as an overlay and at reduced opacity.
5. Added a curve to add more drama to the shadows and highlights.
6. Used Topaz Impression for painterly look.
7. Used a high pass filter to add sharpening to some areas of the stone.
One Photo Focus – August
Original Image by Katie Prior
Laura Macky Photography 
August 7, 2015 at 5:12 am
Excellent transformation, Laura. I really like what you’ve done here.
August 7, 2015 at 6:33 am
Thank you Robin….I’m really glad it works for you. You know me and my color drama. 🙂 This challenge is so fun!
August 7, 2015 at 5:18 am
Very cool. Moody and dramatic!
August 7, 2015 at 6:33 am
Thank you! You described me to a T! hahaha
August 7, 2015 at 6:33 am
Heheheheh
August 7, 2015 at 5:19 am
Excellent, Laura.
August 7, 2015 at 6:33 am
Thank you Barry. So glad you like it. 🙂
August 7, 2015 at 7:11 am
Great editing. I love the colors on the stone jetty.
August 7, 2015 at 7:16 am
Thanks Mary. I’m so glad the colors work. Sometimes I get a bit wild. O.o
August 7, 2015 at 7:23 am
Wow! What a difference, thanks for sharing all your steps.
August 7, 2015 at 7:58 am
You’re welcome!
August 7, 2015 at 7:26 am
Laura, such a marvelous edit for this months challenge. I love the dramatic effects to added.
August 7, 2015 at 7:59 am
I’m so glad you like it. This challenge really gets me to push things a bit. So fun!
August 7, 2015 at 10:33 am
Well done! Excellent…I will learn photoshop…someday.
August 7, 2015 at 10:39 am
Yay glad you liked it! Thank you. 🙂 Photoshop is soon fun. 🙂
August 7, 2015 at 10:56 am
Wow, Remarkable edits, Laura! I hope to learn PS someday…
August 7, 2015 at 1:47 pm
So glad you like it! Thank you. I’m addicted to photoshop.
August 7, 2015 at 6:17 pm
That’s wonderful Laura isn’t amazing what can be done with PS? Photos can turn totally in another dimension, beautiful job done I love your transformation a lot you create depth and lighting adding a dramatic effect to the whole photo! 🙂
August 7, 2015 at 7:29 pm
Thank you so much Carolina! It’s a great time to push the envelope. 🙂
August 7, 2015 at 10:05 pm
Yes that’s for sure 😉
August 7, 2015 at 7:33 pm
Well done Laura!! I must try this to augment my editing skills. No PS for me though. The GIMP will have to suffice.
Now I have to pray for a rain day to do this.
August 7, 2015 at 8:22 pm
Thank you! I used to use GIMP before I got PS. It’s always fun even if it’s an iPhone app. 🙂
August 7, 2015 at 8:15 pm
Interesting interpretation. I have been away for a while. I may start participating as it is interesting to see the different styles
August 7, 2015 at 8:23 pm
Thank you. I’ve noticed you haven’t been around much. This challenge is so fun. Hope to see you next month.
August 7, 2015 at 9:21 pm
dramatic.
August 8, 2015 at 7:16 am
Thanks Gav. I do love my drama lol.
August 7, 2015 at 9:22 pm
Nik HDR. is so much better than Photomatix.
August 8, 2015 at 7:16 am
I like Nik for tone mapping and Photomatix for true HDR photos where I have bracketed images.
August 7, 2015 at 9:53 pm
Im really going to have to get my hands on Impression, I see so much great work being done with it in my Awake group. Lovely moody image Laura 🙂
August 8, 2015 at 7:17 am
Yessss…get it! lol You’ll have fun with it. Thanks for the nice comment. 🙂
August 8, 2015 at 5:55 am
Stunning version, really looks beautiful.
August 8, 2015 at 7:18 am
Thank you so much!
August 8, 2015 at 3:13 pm
Beautiful and dramatic transformation, Laura. No wonder these couples walk there to admire the interplay between the skies and the seas 🙂
August 8, 2015 at 3:28 pm
Thank you Tiny. I would love to take a walk out there!
August 8, 2015 at 4:04 pm
I like the mood you have created Laura and the detail in the stones. Very nice result!
August 8, 2015 at 4:05 pm
Thank you! I do love my moods 😜
August 9, 2015 at 2:49 pm
Talented, Laura.
August 9, 2015 at 4:29 pm
Thanks much Tommy. 😀
August 9, 2015 at 7:04 pm
You are the Topaz guru, Laura (among your other awesome talents)! I had a difficult time making saturated colors work in my post-processing efforts; but yours really work well. I love the creamy tones you added to the sky and the stones. It reallly complements the lovely blues of the water. Just lovely!
August 10, 2015 at 6:40 am
Thanks Stacy! I never much liked Topaz before Impression, Glow & Clarity with the exception of Denoise. I really love that noise reduction program!
August 10, 2015 at 6:56 am
I’ll have to try it. I usually use Nik if needed, but I do have deNoise. Always good to have alternatives!
August 10, 2015 at 10:43 am
I use Nik define too. And yes! Variety is the spice of life!
August 10, 2015 at 12:00 pm
Like the effect of the high pass filter, Laura.
August 10, 2015 at 12:44 pm
Smarty pants. 😛
August 10, 2015 at 12:32 pm
Beautiful, Laura. You’ve perfected what I’ve been playing with for a while now in my processing- adding streaks of highlighting to add depth. So far I’ve only been doing it in b & w but this shows me how well it will work. Thank you. I love this processing and always look forward to your posts!
August 10, 2015 at 12:46 pm
Thank you Emilio. I mask a lot for different areas of the image. I really love masking! Thanks for saying you look forward to my posts. That is so nice of you. :))
August 10, 2015 at 9:59 pm
Beautiful edit Laura, such rich, warm colours and so dramatic. Really nice effect.
August 11, 2015 at 7:05 am
Thank you! Me and my drama lol.
August 13, 2015 at 3:00 am
The added drama to the image has really brought a new perspective of the image. It is interesting that that there seems to be a softness in cobb itself which contrast with the whole feeling of tension in the rest of the image.
August 13, 2015 at 8:32 am
I’m so glad you like the drama. I was debating whether to make the entire image dramatic but then I thought to add another dimension or feel by standing on the hard rock looking out to what may be the tail end of the storm…something quieter waiting in the distance. Not sure if I succeeded and you are the only one to comment on this. Good eye Ben! But I’m not surprised. 🙂