New Photoshop plugin

RD · Addict Joined: 22 Apr 2003 Posts: 626 City: Discovery Bay

Velvia is a film stock known for it rich, saturated colors. Digital just doesn't provide this look straight out of the camera which is one of the reasons Photoshop exists. The only problem with PS is you need to spend an inordinate amount of time learning it. So when someone comes out with a reasonably priced plugin that does the thinking for you, well I'm all for that. Below are before and after pictures of Chris shot on a mid, overcast day (not the best conditions), that I worked over with this plugin. I personally love that slightly oversaturated film look, some may not, but I thought I'd share my experience with it. If you're interested in it you can get it at Fred Miranda's sight:

http://www.fredmiranda.com

It's called Velvia Vision. Check out his other plugins as well, they're all reasonably priced and great timesavers for us "PS challenged"

chaz28o · Posted: Oct 29, 2004 8:35 am Post subject:

The second photo does look better, but all it looks like it did was increase the hue?

640Pressman · Addict Joined: 14 Nov 2003 Posts: 753

It looks like it added more Magenta and Yellow to me.

Zach M · Posted: Oct 29, 2004 1:57 pm Post subject:

I'd rather have the control to fix it how I want. I don't need a machine telling me how my picture should look.

Mike Isler · Moderator Joined: 11 Jan 2003 Posts: 718 City: New York

Zach M, I use the Velvia Vision plugin, and before I used it, I used FredMiranda's Digital Velvia action.

They do more than just saturate the image, or add magenta and yellow. What they do is mimic the spectral response of Fuji Velvia film. That means certain colors, and certain shades of certain colors, are selectively enhanced. Not just saturated, but lightened or darkened as well. Regular saturation, as well as photoshop saturation with certain colors selected, may result in posterization if used excessively. The Velvia Vision and Digital Velvia plugins/actions give you images free of posterization.

Velvia Vision also allows for digital "dynamic range expansion" which opens up shadow tones and helps retain highlights that are close to blown out.

I believe in the software. It speeds up my workflow greatly. Yes, while the same effects can be achieved without using additional software, it can be very difficult to do properly. Very few people can get the proper results without a plugin (I can't!). You would have to know how to use L*A*B colorspace, Channel Mixer, Curves, and other parts of photoshop. Basically, Velvia Vision does that for you much faster, more precisely, and it's easily repeatable. It can be incorporated into other actions, greatly speeding up workflow.

640Pressman · Addict Joined: 14 Nov 2003 Posts: 753

Mike, If You ever want to make litho prints out of Your work let Me know.

Sorry to get off topic RD.

Liquid*Force*Rider · Posted: Nov 02, 2004 8:57 pm Post subject:

is Adobe PhotoShop 7.0 anygot it Question

i just got it

DavidHoff · Posted: Nov 02, 2004 8:59 pm Post subject:

Liquid*Force*Rider, Are you asking If 7.0 is good or If It has the plug-in. I have 7.0 and I love it, I'm not really skilled at it, but I like It better than any other photo editing program.

Liquid*Force*Rider · Posted: Nov 03, 2004 7:44 am Post subject:

no man
i didn't want to make another useless topic so i though i would just ask here
i got the program tho

Josh R · Posted: Nov 03, 2004 7:25 pm Post subject:

I've been considering getting that for a little while. I've been manually changing a lot of my pics to look a little more like Velvia lately with adjustment layers and curves, and really like the look, at least for certain things like wakeboarding.

It may be time to actually shell out some cash and get the plugin.

Zach M · Posted: Nov 04, 2004 1:00 am Post subject:

Now that I've read about it and seen the results, it looks like a pretty good program. I can usually get the look I want with photoshop work, but that could make things faster and easier. It also looks like you have a lot of flexibility and power over what you want it to look like. Something many filters don't have.

I stand corrected.

JamesWatts · Addict Joined: 21 Feb 2003 Posts: 685 City: Santa Monica

personaly i think it made the picture look bad...not worse. but not good. the guys face has way to much magenta and red

RD · Addict Joined: 22 Apr 2003 Posts: 626 City: Discovery Bay

oldschoolripper · Outlaw Joined: 26 Jul 2004 Posts: 143 City: Tupelo

Nice RD,

I have been contemplating trying that plugin. What other FM plugins are you using?

Wakebrad · Ladies Man Joined: 11 Dec 2003 Posts: 12257 City: Dallas

yeah there is definately too much red in the face on the picture. The rest of it looks really sharp though. It looks like it does some in depth work on the picture.

RD, great edit job. The second looks 2-3x better.

RD · Addict Joined: 22 Apr 2003 Posts: 626 City: Discovery Bay

JamesWatts · Addict Joined: 21 Feb 2003 Posts: 685 City: Santa Monica

it worked a lot better in the tree picture.

Buergday · Guest

If you guys want a great plugin package that provides cheats for all kinds of stuff, get "Adobe Photoshop One-Click Wow". You can order it on Amazon for like $30. It comes with TONS of time-saving, one-click effects. Everything from text effects, darkroom styles, buttons, borders, blah blah blah. It's worth it for the pre-made metallic styles alone (see example below). It comes with a book and CD-rom. Check it out - I swear you'll love it. Works with 6.5 and 7.0

Buergday · Guest

Here's a few ideas of the kinds of stuff you can do with these plugs...

My old profile and a few sequences I did a while back....

RD · Addict Joined: 22 Apr 2003 Posts: 626 City: Discovery Bay