Love Potion #9

Happy Valentine's Day!

love

New York - Flatiron Building

The Flatiron building in Manhattan, located at 23rd, Fifth Avenue and Broadway.

Not a very good example of dodge tool. Free transform tool changes the angle.

Blue Sky

This is a slight variation on the prior post. The background layer is again the sky. But, the sky was duplicated (cntrl + shift + D) and then flipped vertically.

Changing the Sky

There are many different things you can do to make an unexciting sky come alive. With Fioreworks or Photoshop filters, you can sharpen the image, change the hue and saturation, or both.

But, another technique is to layer images. The bottom layer is a background image that consists of the new sky. The top image is your building. Lock the bottom layer and work with the top layer, the building. Use the magic wand and eraser tools to clear the sky revealing the bright sky behind the buildings.

Fast Speed Photography

A fast shutter speed combined with a larger aperature freezes motion and softens the background detail. In the Nikon D5000, shutter speed is controlled by setting the mode dial to S. (This is page 80 of the user manual. Mode S is discussed at page 82.)

After selecting the S mode, check the view finder for information on shutter speed for values between 30s and 1/4000s. Remember a slow speed will blur action and a high speed will freeze action. Now, rotate the command dial (next to the mode dial) and set the desired shutter speed. Use 1/4000s for high speed. Here, for example, is my own shot of a coffee pot under the spigot at a shutter speed of 1/2500s.
Focus and shoot.

This image is from Digital Photography School.
If you would like to see other images by Ahmed, click here.

Mirror Reflection

This tutorial is inspired by an Adobe image. Adobe likes to use gradients in its backgrounds. The background on the image is a radial gradient with two colors a blue and black.

The mirror reflection effect on the lettering is not difficult. I used the Fireworks: mirrorReflect tutorial as my guide. You can click on the link and follow along or use my steps.

1. Create a new fireworks image with a black background. Then, add a rectangle with a radial gradiant. You can expand the rectangle or shrink it so as to give your gradiant the right look.

2. With the Text Tool type in the words you wish to use. Select the text and then choose Modify from the top menu. Choose symbol and name it if you wish.

3. Now we are going to duplicate the newly created symbol. To duplicate select the symbol and choose cntrl + shift + D. Don't worry if you don't see a change yet, the duplicate layer is laying right on top of the original layer.

4. In the top menu choose Modify, Transform, Flip Vertical. Now that your duplicate symbol is flipped, move it with the selection tool below the original symbol.

5. Now we need to tweak the reflection. Select the duplicate symbol that is the reflection. First, with the skew tool skew the bottom of the symbol out, and then with the scale tool flatten the bottom.

6. Now that the reflection is the right shape, we need to reduce the opacity in the properties panel. Next let's fade the reflection by going to Commands, Creative, and Fade. Select the upper right hand fade.

7. Finally, spice up the lettering with Styles.