Thank you Bugleone...I think I explained it once before somewhere buried in this long thread...but I can no longer find it :-(
BLENCOMO (BLENding COlour with MOno) treatment...
In a nutshell make a colour image as best you can in PS...Then from that image make a separate punchy monochrome image as best you can (Burning and Dodging and even Toning if desired).
Apply the mono image over the top of the colour image (aligned) on a separate layer...Now fade the top layer back to allow some of the colour image below to show through...Flatten layers off.
You now have a muted colour image that you now need to replenish the colours back...Now add saturation or vibrance or both to suit your own personal taste...hope that helps explain the process.
I find DXO/Nik Silver Efex Pro 2 a great tool for making mono images -
https://nikcollection.dxo.com/silver-efex-pro/
Hi Barry and Bugleone
I did copy your text Barry at 22. August 2015 - in case I would use it later on - but never did - I'm a C1-guy.
But here the copy comes unedited:
OLD UNEDITED TEXT FROM BARRY HAINES comes here:
I will put both the tone mapping process that I still currently use here and also the BLENCOMO (BLENded COlour with MOnochrome) treatment, although my workflow has changed since writing this earlier.
Tone mapping (page 100).... Fun with the Sony A7 Series Cameras( all of them)
I am still currently playing around with Photomatix, it’s not exactly the most natural looking of all the tone mapping programs out there!
I figured if I could tame the OTT aggressive effects with this program (worse case scenario) I could then apply the same techniques with other more natural looking tone mapping programs.
I generally make no more than 3 tone mapped images now, each one concentrating for either the highlight areas like skies, another for the mid tones and a darker version for the shadows.
I will then compile these 3 images as layers on top of the natural original worked up image...Fading the opacities to taste, then erase/dodge/burn different parts of those layers to accentuate different parts of the image...Once happy I will then merge the 3 layers together with the original.
It can be a little time consuming but I quite like playing around with this sort of thing, it’s a bit like assembling a jigsaw but in 3D!
My old workflow back then incl. BLENCOMO treatment (page 62)... Fun with the Sony A7 Series Cameras( all of them)
GetDPI is a sharing community so here is my typical workflow as best as I can remember for you or anybody who is interested (apologies to those who are not).
RAW>DNG>CS (ACR..Only basic corrections like exposure, vignetting etc...) open.
When in CS straighten up the images horizon and then correct perspective and crop...Save as a Tiff.
Open the Tiff into LR and then Export to Mogrify 2 LR/Mogrify 2 - Add Watermarks, Border and Text Annotions to Images Exported by Adobe Lightroom 2 the image (In other words add a preset frame with title, author and lens info etc.)
Re-open back into CS (for Labcolor processing) and run this free downsizing/sharpening Web Sharpener CS4+ script Web Sharpener - Better Sharpening for the WebAndreas Resch ? Naturfotografie
Andreas Resch - Websharpener script is just wonderful IMO, you can control the final output size (I use 1600x1600px maximum output for Flickr) and the actual amount of sharpening on layers together with contrast and saturation...I have pretty well tried most downsizing sharpeners out there, this is my favourite for sure but it can only be done in CS4 (or above) because it steps down in increments using the Lab color method.
Once happy with the image flatten off the layers off and convert the Lab colour to SRGB and save as a new Tiff.
Zoom into the corner where the image touches the frame and make a selection around the image only (This means all changes from now on in only have a effect upon the image itself and not the frame)...Make a thin black, grey or white (penline 1 px wide your choice) using Edit>Stroke.
BLENCOMO (BLENding COlour with MOno) treatment.
Keeping the same selection (marching ants) and now open filters (Nik software Silver Efex Pro 2)...I use a slight variant Preset of my own which is very similar to the std. Preset *015 included - but with less noise.> OK. (It’s like getting an instant black and white TONEMAPPED image which adds some drama to an image...vary the SOFT CONTRAST slider to taste or even add a tone like, sepia, selenium etc... should you so wish).
Go to the Layers and fade the opacity to around 50% (It much depends on the colour within the image itself) and then flatten off the layers, you should now have a pastel coloured image which needs bringing back to colour life by adjusting the (Image>Adjustments>Vibrance) Vary the vibrance and saturation to taste.
Still with the selection on use the graduated filter to Colour Burn down the Sky (Edit>FADE GRADIENT) and the Ground up (Edit>FADE GRADIENT) to form a base for the image.
Correct the White balance (I use Pictocolour PictoColor Software: PictoColor Software: Color Correction Software and Photoshop Plugins ).
Final step...Auto Contrast (Edit>FADE CONTAST) whilst watching the Histogram doesn’t burn out the Highlights...Add some curves, dodge tool (highlight) along pier strip and clone out birds and insects flying in the sky, deselect selection and save as a jpg....Takes me about 30-40 minutes most images.
Hope that gives you some insight to my typical workflow....Cheers Barry
EDIT...I will just add that these were copied from their respective earlier pages, when I was still finding my way with the process.
Later experimentation showed me that the IQ increased dramatically by changing the sequence of the workflow.
Just work the full sized image 24mp/36mp/42mp or whatever size you happen to be using to it’s fruition including the BLENCOMO treatment, then finish off with framing (Mogrify - LR) and then the Web Sharpener downsizing script in CS4 upwards.
END of Barrys text.
hope it can help you both - and others perhaps...
best thorkil