Photoshop: Favorite Filters, Uncommon Uses for Common Filters, Etc.

[pstewart]

I found a PS7 filter I'd never used before...the "custom" filter under "other." I am very excited about it since it has infinite possibilities. These two butterfly pics were made by setting the upper left box to negative one (and leaving the middle boxes preset at 5 surrounded by four -1's...PS set those). The first pic A is the original, B is the result of applying the filter setting 1, 1, -1 (that's row 1, column 1, type in -1). Pic C shows what happens when that result is faded in luminosity mode, and pic D shows what happens when the original result is faded, instead, in overlay mode.

Anyone else find a good use/setting for the custom filter? We could start a forum just for good settings, and possibly actions we make using it, if anyone has something to add.

Phyllis

[DannyRaphael]

Two posts by Chris Russ in another tread are by far the best I've every seen RE: The custom filter.

Click here for the first one...

...and here for the second.

~DannyR~

[Stephen M]

I agree with Danny - Chris Russ has done a fantastic job of explaining a very deep subject.

I have lost the link to where I got these custom convolution kernels from - JW Kernels, so I will upload the archive. These are more for artistic use I guess, I am into convolution for more boring production based things like sharpening, incremental movement or edgefinding so I have not used these kernels apart from my initial test to see if they were for me (they are not, but others may have more use for them).

Enjoy.

Stephen Marsh.

[pstewart]

Thanks to Danny and Stephen (and Chris of course) I have found enough info on convolution settings so that I can actually make sense of the custom filter now. It was confusing at first, but I think I'm getting the hang of it a bit better now. Have gotten some neat results with it so far.

Phyllis

[pstewart]

Here are two quick and simple ways I found today to get nice effects by combining gaussian blur with the equalize adjustment. Results are both shown on the attached pic.

On the left:

1. Dupe layer, make b/w
2. Invert
3. Gaussian blur
4. Equalize
5. Layer blend mode to overlay

On the right:

1. Dupe layer, make b/w
2. Gaussian blur
3. Equalize
4. Layer blend mode to hard light
5. (Optional) Dupe original, place on top in color mode if desired
6. (Optional) To get an even darker background leaving the subject lit as if glowing, dupe step 4 layer, keeping mode setting, and fade opacity for desired darkness in background.

Phyllis