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Friday, June 22, 2012

Back when the world was black and white

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At first glance would you believe these photos were from my grandfather’s photo album?

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They aren’t – I processed them to look vintage but my guiding inspiration was a photo album from the 1930s or 40s

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Process to a vintage look is the suggested theme from Bonnie for Photo Art Friday this week and I’m keen to see how others approach the vintage look.

This is the method I used

1. Use gradient map to turn the photo black and white

2. Duplicate the photo and use blending mode overlay or hardlight to sharpen the lines and add more contrast

3. Add some warmth and texture – On the lobster pots I added the bronze gradient map on vivid light at 16% opacity;  On the portrait orientation boats I added Bonnie’s Age It texture using vivid light blending mode at 54%; on the landscape oriented boats I used Bonnie’s Vintage Craqueline texture on hard light blending mode at 85%

4. I then added them to 3 of the aged frames from The CoffeeShop blog

Now off to work on the theme for next week – process to look like a painting – I feel some Impressionist beach scenes coming up

16 comments:

Amy said...

I think your have done marvellously well Helena! I don't know anything about gradient maps and my approach to converting these pictures would have been very different - that's the beauty of PS. You have reminded me that I want to take another digi class; very soon!

Merike said...

Hi, Helena :) Lovely vintage images. Looks just a postcards!

-Merike-

Elizabeth said...

I love working in black and white. It's a world I remember well, and I just think photos in b/w look better. It must be the contracts that appeal to me.

Sian said...

You had me completely convinced. I think they look like lovely old postcards too.

Melissa said...

Wow, great job giving these photos a vintage look. I especially like how the frames add that touch of vintage!

Anonymous said...

such a great set. I think my fab is the first one. it looks truly vintage!!!

Jean Baardsen said...

I enjoyed what you did with your photos - they do look like they've seen better days! This vintage challenge was a good one. I look forward to the painting challenge too - I'm always trying to get my photos to look like paintings!

A Garden of Threads said...

Fabulous job, they look original.

Maria Ontiveros said...

I agree - you completely transformed these.
Rinda

Pat said...

You did a great job on these photos!

Ida said...

You gave these photo's a wonderful vintage feel. Well done.

Bonnie Zieman, M.Ed. said...

These don't look like photos edited to be vintage at all. They look like they really are from another era! Great work!!! Thank you for sharing with Photo Art Friday.

Miriam said...

Hello Helena, I love what you did with these images.. Really wonderful vintage feel.

Marilyn said...

Wow, they really do look like they came from a vintage album. Great editing.

Lynne with an e said...

Very interesting to read about how you "processed" these photos. The scenes look almost exactly as if they were taken in the area I live in in New Brunswick Canada, on the Bay of Fundy.

Alison said...

They really do look vintage Helena..great job!
Alison xx