Layer Blending options can be a lot of fun, as you can see with my images below. These may not be the most practical examples, but if you need some kind of weird effect, this is a quick way to get it.
This is the original snapshot taken with a Kodak DC3200. IOk, I'm better at Photoshop than at photography....
Anyway, I made anumber of different version by using various filter effects, and It hought I would experiement with layered effects now that I have all these images to play with. If Gather will let me upload them, that is.
This is a rendered lightiing filter--a spotlight to add some light to the darker part of the boquet. The image on the right is the neon glow filter set to 1, which makes the glow appear on the darkest part of the image, and then the image was zoom-blurred.
Layerig the original, the spotlight and the zoomed blur made this miage which appeas to be glowing like red kryptonite. A second version is color-altered using hue -saturation-lightness under the image adjustment menu with the neon1 glow blur added.
Ok, I watch too much Smallville, too.
This orange and purple gradient is from the gradient tool under Image Adjustment. I layered it over the glowing edges image which I adjusted with levels to have a much higher contrast to add the orange and purple to the glow with a vivid light layer blending.
this uses the neon1 glow layered as exclusion over the original.
The next one uses a difference layer blending of the image with neon glow set to 24, which desaturates the image and puts a red glow on the lghtest parts, layered as exclusion over the original image. I could probably have done the same things with changing the color of the neon glow, but this way, I don't lose the red in the roses as much. .
This is the neon1 glow layered as exclusion over the original. Note that what was light is now dark, and what dark is now bright.
With both neon glows are overlaid on the original, the effect is an eerie turquoise, which is the opposite red in RGB. All the other color informaiton is lost to desaturation.
I hope you will be inspired to try some layering and use of filters for your images. This is helping me to have some idea what the filters do and mabe I'll be able to use them for something in the future.
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A Scandalous Overture
I love playing with Photoshop too. The best way is to get in there and just start messing around with it.
It is a good idea to keep notes on what you did. I didn't while I was playing and there for my article is a bit too sketchy. I did push most of the filters up as far as they would go to see that would happen, without any expectations that it would be a good thing.
I didn't have any particular effect in mind. That helps too. .
You are a smart girl!
While I took college courses for these, I have used lynda.com to update to current software.
Although you can create animations in PS CS, I like the wizard in Paint Shop Pro. It has several pre-programmed effects and within seconds you have a high quality tag, blinkie, or animation. You can also create your own, import them into Paint Shop Pro and get on with your life.
Both programs are awesome. Coming close on their heals are the ULead Photo Editing programs. I've tried it in several versions and find it limiting but with promise. The biggest disadvantage is that Both Paint Shop and PS CS can save as file as virtually any extension you want, ULead has a dedicated file extension that requires a LOT of manipulation to get into other programs.
The main issues I have with these programs are as follows:
Paint Shop Pro is VERY temperamental. IF you damage any part of it by going in and 'tweaking' the program, it will NOT default to the original settings no matter what you do. It's better to work with a backup copy of the program and never touch the original unless in an emergency.
Photoshop CS is an extremely powerful program with a lot of excellent features. In my opinion; for the price, Paint Shop Pro does just as well.
ULead has many different programs and the trial versions are all free. File sharing is NOT one of its strong points. Purchasing a full blown version is a case of 'you get what you pay for.
I played with the Ulead program a few years back. The one I had was mainly for quick and easy banner creation. Everything else was hard. I always liked Paint shop Pro, but when I was able to use PHotoshop at work, I leaned into that. It's a truism that we like the program we learned on--I used to like Word better than WordPerfect, until they tied it up with the Ribbon...but I guess I'll learn to like that too.
I have played with GIMP some what, and there are lots of built-in effects and such. It works so differently than Photoshop that I have quit trying to learn it. IT's also powerful and free.