Haunted House

[jclguru]

While going thru my negatives, I found a pic I took back when I was
in high school....22 years ago

It was our town's 'haunted house'.

I've enclosed two pics....

1. Is the original scan from my negative. If anyone has any ideas to bring
out this b&w photo and the steps they took, go for it.

2. The blank sky from #1 always bothered me. So I layered in a very,
rough demo of a sky. How do you think that would look? OK? Fakey?
Once again, go at it with any other ideas you might have.

I am using psp 7.

Thanks...as usual

Doug

[barry_uk]

Hello Doug I think myself your photo is brilliant! why remove the sky it to me gives it character. I use psp all the time, what I did with your picture is press "Shift M" to give it hight light and tone shadow, the second image I used under effects "enhance photo" I used clarify and contrast enhancement
I love this image and will have a go later with adding colour. When i am back from work.

Regards Barry

[jclguru]

Thanks Barry. The original image didn't have the sky. I added it to see
what it would like if it did. So far thats one vote for the fake sky

BTW, people will probably think I'm crazy, but I actually use photoshop and
paint shop pro 9 together.

Doug

Originally Posted by barry_uk

Hello Doug I think myself your photo is brilliant! why remove the sky it to me gives it character. I use psp all the time, what I did with your picture is press "Shift M" to give it hight light and tone shadow, the second image I used under effects "enhance photo" I used clarify and contrast enhancement
I love this image and will have a go later with adding colour. When i am back from work.

Regards Barry

[Caitlin]

Another vote for a fake sky here. The only thing I might do is go for something slightly less 'busy' as the brickwork is so detailed itself I'd try a sky with more gentle clouds and a less complex texture. (Though actually on second thoughts, maybe this echoes it quite nicely....)

I love this photo though, and I don't think it needs any change in highlights or contrast - it looks just about right to me. The sky balances it out well.

[Janet Petty]

WOW what I wouldn't give to be a house restorer. With something like that to work on, I'd be in seventh heaven. What a grand old mansion! I can sure see why the town would call it haunted however. Tis sad when something that grand goes neglected. Take a color pic of it and let us play with "restoring" it today???

As to your sky...too many clouds in it to be realistic for the existing shadows on the house. Other than that, replacing the other sky is a good decision. Try a sky with only one or two clouds and a good gradient that will reflect existing shadows. If you look at the sky, in sunny pics like that one, the sky is lighter near the bottom and turns bluer (darker) near the top.

Janet

And no, no one thinks you are crazy for using psp and photoshop together.

[barry_uk]

I had too play LOL gone for a clear day sky and a spring colour folage dont look to bad even though I say so my self LOL. the house or castle what ever it maybe I just left alone. Your work on the cloud Doug is just amazing great job.

Regards Barry

[jclguru]

Talk about timing, after I took that picture, the city demolished it a
month later.

I tried another stab, this time making my own sky and clouds. To many
clouds? To big? I'm not sure on the color of the sky either. All I did was
get the color of a blue sky from my eye dropper, then converted that to
black and white.

Doug

Originally Posted by Janet Petty

WOW what I wouldn't give to be a house restorer. With something like that to work on, I'd be in seventh heaven. What a grand old mansion! I can sure see why the town would call it haunted however. Tis sad when something that grand goes neglected. Take a color pic of it and let us play with "restoring" it today???

As to your sky...too many clouds in it to be realistic for the existing shadows on the house. Other than that, replacing the other sky is a good decision. Try a sky with only one or two clouds and a good gradient that will reflect existing shadows. If you look at the sky, in sunny pics like that one, the sky is lighter near the bottom and turns bluer (darker) near the top.

Janet

And no, no one thinks you are crazy for using psp and photoshop together.

[Gary Richardson]

Hi Doug, loved your picture, just had to have a play with it.

[barry_uk]

It was a dark night and the skys open up LOL

Regards Barry

[jclguru]

One of the nice things about this group...the ideas.

I've attached my latest.

Originally I was going with the darker sky, but something about it brought as
much attention on that as the house (I'm talking about my attempts here).
So I went with a more grayer (if thats a word..looks funny) sky.

Which, to me at least, matches a little more closely with the overall shade
of the house.

And Barry...that last one you did...uhhh, that was really out there
I'm on my way to the eye doctor now

Doug

[Caitlin]

Doug - I think that sky is working well. Something in me says that the clouds on the right are too low in the sky though?

[Legacy~Art]

Doug your picture of the house reminds me of those films years ago (showing age) called Hammerville or what was it called now Horror house, haha cannot remember now.

Heres mine i played about with the RGB and put a few layers with different opacitys and such but not sure in all how it was done.

I was after a 3d kind of theme.

[jclguru]

I love what everybody has done with this manson. Maybe tomorrow
I'll put everybody's creation together so we can see them all side by
side.

Doug

[Sean2]

Couldn't let this one pass.

Had to fire off a quickie, when I saw this house this afternoon. Tried the Worth 1000 colroization .

Hope you enjoy, had a lot of fun with the dramatic scene

Sean

[jclguru]

Don't know if anyone is still going to read this, but I have GREAT
news!!!!

I'm going to be in Popular Photography's Fix This feature!!!

I posted the picture I took of my haunted house in their forum and asked for their suggestions (I also plugged how you people helped me on retouchpro.com) on the before and after.

I received an email from their editor that they want to use it along with
their 'fix'.

I am on cloud 9!!!!!

Doug

[Legacy~Art]

Wooooooooooooooooooohoooooooooooo Doug!!!

Well done good going hun!

[Fizzgiz]

Doug, that is awsome!! Congrats to you!! I don't have time today to play with that pic, but I'm hoping to take a stab at it tonight. I just wanted to mention that I use Photoshop6 and am also starting to use PSP8. I don't think you are crazy for using both. I started to use PSP8 to try to help another newbie on this site. I was trying to help her do some Photoshop tutorials in PSP. Well anyway, I only have a 60 day trial of PSP8, but can tell you that I will be getting it. I love working with both programs now. Great pic, and congrats again!!

[Gary Richardson]

Nice one Doug, look forward to seeing what they do with it. Keep us posted.

[stout52]

Jclguru, this photo is wonderful and in my opinion is begging for a night sky, few clouds and a big ol' moon! Maye a peeking moon. Then enter it in a contest somewhere. Good luck, the newbie, Beverly

[Janet Petty]

Congratulations and kudos Doug. That's a nice feather in your cap!

Janet

[JayNads]

Originally Posted by stout52

Jclguru, this photo is wonderful and in my opinion is begging for a night sky, few clouds and a big ol' moon! Maye a peeking moon. Then enter it in a contest somewhere. Good luck, the newbie, Beverly

Whenevery you use PS to create a sky, use free transform to make it appear to be receeding into the distance by widening the top/narrowing the bottom. Otherwise, it will always look like it just sits behind your image.

BTW - what an amazing old house! I hope the attachment loaded - I did a quick butcher job with the mask, so please (PLEASE!) excuse how horrible it is. I just wanted to demonstrate what I was talking about.

[Gary Richardson]

Hi Jason,

Welcome to RP. Your point on perspective is well made. However, unfortunately the sky in your posted image has pixellated badly, diminishing the effect you wished to illustrate.

Your contribution though is much appreciated (and of course we forgive the quick mask job).

[TylerRB]

I'm not sure exactly how scary this is. The dark-side is not usually within my thoughts. I gave it an attempt anyhow...

T

[Legacy~Art]

Hey Doug before you become famous can i have your autograph now please?

Tyler that is far out SMART!!!

[JayNads]

Originally Posted by Gary Richardson

Hi Jason,

Welcome to RP. Your point on perspective is well made. However, unfortunately the sky in your posted image has pixellated badly, diminishing the effect you wished to illustrate.

Your contribution though is much appreciated (and of course we forgive the quick mask job).

I spent about a minute longer on this job - I hope it came out less pixelated. I used a channel mask rather than masking from color range this time (pound-wise . . . )

I hope this better illustrates what I was referring to, by free transforming the sky layer, it appears to recede into the horizon, more like a real sky.

[TylerRB]

Legacy

Thanks for your remark! I am learning so much through this forum it is unreal. The kind words keep me motivated.

T

[Succiu]

I just had to give a try at this one, it's a great photo

[nebgranny]

Hi Doug: Thanks for the news. That is super. Please let us know what all happens so we can keep up with this exciting event!! Neb

[jclguru]

I haven't heard anything recently, but the last word I did get was the
photographs will appear in the June issue. I sure hope so, cause I don't
think I could wait until July

Doug