Graphic Design Blog - An Ultimate Resource for Graphic Designers » Photography

25 Amazing Not-Photoshopped Pictures – See it to believe it!

Charlie B. Johnson — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:42:42 +0000

Photoshop manipulation is an art practiced by a lot of artists and designers. It is even used in creating print advertisements for major brands and for designing other promotional props. Every now and then, we witness several pictures on the internet that are altered or manipulated using Adobe Photoshop. But there are some pictures that baffle us into thinking they must be manipulated, even though they are not photoshopped at all.

Do you know the real secret involved in these pictures that claim not to be photoshopped? Well the answer is really simple…forced perspective. In the field of photography, forced perspective is a creative technique of taking pictures in a way that creates a visual illusion. Either the object appears to be away from its actual position or the photo is taken at the accurate moment to make it seem likewise.

Today, I have amassed a collection of 25 unbelievable not photoshopped pictures. I would leave it you guys to decide which ones are real and which are not.

1. Fall by Kristin Manson

2. Uprise of tourism by martinb1

3. Fall by A. Zahron

4. Holding on to daylight by hb19

5. Moving Statue

6. Loss Of Impulse

7. Marta’s Power

8. A Perfect Stairway

9. The Balcony

10. Kiss On The Forehead

11. Bonfire

12. I Need Time

13. Touch my sun

14. Fixing the WA Monument

15. Metamorphosis of my Wife

16. Baskeeeeett

17. In Memoriam

18. JULIO-APARICIO-GORED

19. Car on skates

20. Kicking The House

21. In Troubled Waters

22. Gravity Fools

23. Baby on the Wall

24. Levitation

25. Valentine Drawing

28 Examples of Conceptual Photography – Every Picture Says a Story!

Charlie B. Johnson — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 10:39:44 +0000

In regular photography, a photographer simply captures critical moments that are there to be incarcerated. However, hallmark of a genius photographer is to capture a concept or meaning in a picture which a normal eye cannot understand. One of the genres of photography that follows this principle is called Conceptual photography. This kind of camera work exactly follows the old adage “A picture is worth a thousand words”.

A photograph, by nature, is still and motionless with not much action or dynamism in it. But with clever camera work and abstract thinking, photographers can create a conceptual picture. Photos that are taken with a conceptual framework in mind hold a certain story within them. With this kind of photography Photoshop manipulations is involved to achieve stunning results but many artists prefer working without it too.

Have a look at these 28 dramatic examples of conceptual photography and see if you understand the concept behind each of them.

My own little sun

XXI century drug

BehindTheSmile

Cuddle

Life Cycle

Piece of Me

Challenge

Nothing more to say

No more space to play

The hunt for a predator

HeadShot

Anorexia

CatWalk

CONTROL

Anxiety

Faces

The last letter

SMOKING KILLS

Christmas

Energy

Shyness

Pouring?

Tax Collector

Silent Dialogue

Stop The Time

The Magician

Clyde Beamer

George Gradinaru

30 Chilly Examples of Winter Photography – Frost Bite!

Charlie B. Johnson — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 11:05:06 +0000

Christmas is right around the corner and with Christmas comes the chilliest season of the year…WINTER. Some people consider winter to be a boring and dreadful season, while others seem to enjoy the chills and thrills of the cold weather. Nevertheless, it gives a great opportunity for photographers to take out their equipment in the open and capture the frozen moments of this thrilling weather.

Winter season is associated with elements like snow, frost, snowflakes, icicles blizzard and fog. The cold and treacherous conditions make it difficult to take pictures, be it day and night photography. To capture the ice-covered moments in these circumstances is an art in itself. The photographer has to avoid getting frost bite by adjusting to the chilly environment.

Today, I have amassed a collection of 30 beautiful examples of how winter photography is executed. I have also further categorized my collection into three categories namely: Snowy, frosty, and hazy.

Snowy Winter Photography

Snowy 1

Snowy 2

Snowy 3

Snowy 4

Snowy 5

Snowy 6

Snowy 7

Snowy 8

Snowy 9

Snowy 10

Frosty Winter Photography

Frosty 1

Frosty 2

Frosty 3

Frosty 4

Frosty 5

Frosty 6

Frosty 7

Frosty 8

Frosty 9

Frosty 10

Hazy Winter Photography

Hazy 1

Hazy 2

Hazy 3

Hazy 4

Hazy 5

Hazy 6

Hazy 7

Hazy 8

Hazy 9

Hazy 10

Which of these phases of Winter Season you would enjoy the most and how would you make it memorable for yourself…do share with us

15 Examples of Split Toning in Photography – Reviving Old Memories

Charlie B. Johnson — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 11:32:01 +0000

With respect to photography, the term toning is a technique of transforming a monochrome photograph (usually black and white) to color form. This method has originally transported from the world of cinematography. But after being adopted in the digital graphic design world, the term split toning has evolved and gained more prominence.

• Origins of Split Toning:

Decades ago, our ancestors were exposed to only black and white film and photography as there was no other technology to capture color effects. But in the mid 19th century, hand-colored film processes were developed and many epic films and cartoons were re-created and re-distributed in color mode.

A famous example is the Three Stooges Movie that was colorized and re-distributed.

• How Does Split Toning Work?

The split toning used in photography these days, is relatively different from general method of toning. Firstly, it is done through digital software like Adobe Photoshop Lightroom. Secondly, it is not restricted to a particular tint of color. You can use split toning to add any tint of color to the black and white photography.

But the digital effects are not limited to photography. Even graphic designers should learn how to perform split toning as it may help in their endeavors. For those who have Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, there is a default option of “Split Toning” that makes life easier.

However, for new Photoshop users, here is a simple step-by-step tutorial on how to use split toning on Adobe Photoshop:

1. Select a black and white image. If you select a colored image, make sure to convert it into black and white format by pressing Ctrl + Alt + Shift + B.
2. Now add a color balance adjustment layer that will be used to create the split toning effect.
3. Use the color balance tool to modify the shadows, midtones, and highlights. We will be working with only the shadows and highlights
4. Once you have adjusted the shadows and highlights of the image to your desire, add a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer.
5. The final step of adding contrast or brightness is optional and solely relies on how you want the final image to look like. If you choose to do so, add a brightness/contrast adjustment layer and make the final adjustments.

• Creative Examples of Split Toning Photography:

Train Station

Old Nikon

Wooden Bench

Black Beauty

Vertorama!!

Chess

Last Rays of Sunlight

Hazy Tracks

Rise in the Sky

Can the Kitty come

Step by Step

Headstone

Movement or Moment

Train Track

The Path

If you possess your own creation of split toning photos where you tried restoring old pics using this unique effect, do share them with us.

28 New Cinemagraphs Worth Staring At – The Sequel!!

Charlie B. Johnson — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 10:47:34 +0000

A few months back, I did a post on moving cinemagraphs, an entirely unusual yet exciting addition to the field of motion graphics. A cinemagraph provides the effects of a video within a GIF image. For those who don’t recall, Jamie Beck (Fashion Photographer) introduced cinemagraphs, in conjunction with Kevin Burg (Motion Graphics Designer).

As graphic designers, we should always be eager to learn about the latest developments related to our field. The concept of cinemagraphy is to animate some parts of the image while leaving the rest motionless. A good number cinemagraphs animate somewhat similar objects like fire burning, hair blowing, and vehicles in motion. Lately, I stumbled upon 28 new and fresh cinemagraphs that I wished to do a sequel post.

Let me remind my readers that these cinemagraphs will take some time to load. So, be patient because you will find them worth staring at.

Cinemagraphs 1

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Cinemagraphs 28

25 Stunning Underwater Photography – Float Your Mind!

Charlie B. Johnson — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 09:05:27 +0000

Being a photographer is as hard as being graphic designers. Similar to graphic design, photography also necessitates a combination of exceptional talent and specialized equipment to perform. One of the most difficult styles of shooting pictures is the underwater photography technique.

Underwater thrills are hard to capture. It requires utmost skills and temperament to capture. The tranquility of the underwater environment is difficult to incarcerate with the camera. It is one of the most challenging areas of cinematography since it merges the skills of scuba diving and using complex equipments. As a graphic designer, I feel that creating a logo design is far easier than carrying out this type of dangerous photography.

Today, I bring together 25 stunning collection of underwater photography that will float your mind away.