I’m a color photographer for the most part, although I love black and white imagery. In fact I’ve had several darkrooms in my life and learned the basics under the safelight in front of trays of magic chemicals. The digital darkroom is a fantastic advancement in photography and I take advantage of it to convert some of my color images to different versions of monochrome. These images were further enhanced with a blur effect that I think gives them a distinct feel.
The quick version goes like this:
Use the channel mixer to convert to monochrome and adjust the color sliders to taste.
Apply a vingette using the Lens Correction feature under the Distort filter.
Apply a color filter using sepia at 25% strength. Make your opacity and other adjustments as you go according to your own vision.
Use the Elliptical marquee tool and make a circle on the image that separates the blurred portion of the image from the non-blurred. Go to the Select menu and choose Inverse. Feather it between 50-80.
Go to Filter and use Radial Blur with an amount between 3-5.
I think this simple technique gives the photo a dreamy, nostalgic feel. It’s a nice change from the more literal pictures I’m used to producing.
Small church in Talpa, New Mexico
Votive candles.
Cow skull at Taos Pueblo.
Adobe entrance, Cerrillos, New Mexico
San Francisco de Asis, Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico
