Laetitia Vineyards

I went out yesterday thinking I’d do some HDR with my d7000, but so far I’ve only processed the hdr from my iPhone. This is out at Laetitia Winery. Theres no shortage of wineries around here. Thats one of the perks of living between Paso Robles and Santa Barbara.

The image was created with ProHDR. The one above was processed with Snapseed and SimplyHDR. After I processed with Snapseed, there was a lack of focus and the image looked dull. I like how you can change the lighting of an image by applying tints in SimplyHDR. It definitely fixed this one.

This second image is the same one from above. Created with ProHDR and edited with Snapseed before painting it in PhotoViva. I left the original sky alone, but needed to reduce the noise with FilterStorm. I also tone mapped the whole image while in Filterstorm. I tried to take it a step further by using Percolator on the sky and blending it in with ImageBlender. The circle watercolor look didn’t quite mesh with the painted ground. No harm in trying though.

 

Painted Lake

This image was taken with ProHDR, but I didn’t think the app did a great job of blending the exposures. I didn’t want to trash the image, so I used PhotoViva to paint this myself with a few brushes. I have to say that I’m enjoying this app more and more. I find it easy to get immersed in the creative process when you have to make each brushstroke.

While the above image looks nice, I wanted to try something different, so I took the painting into Snapseed to see what would happen by working my magic. I added a little drama (#2), made a selective adjustment, added some warmth and ambience. It certainly adds more life to the image/painting…oh, lets just call it art. I like discovering new workflows and seeing the different outcomes.

App Review: PhotoViva

PhotoViva is an app that allows you to turn your images into paintings with total control. Instead of selecting a filter to achieve a certain look, you choose brushes and paint each stroke. This allows for endless creative possibilities. Not only can you use this app to turn your photos into paintings, but you can also use it just for painting in general.

PhotoViva flower

Photograph:  a picture painted by the sun without instruction in art.

~Ambrose Bierce

I used PhotoViva to paint this myself using a few different brushes. I have to say it was a fun process. Its much more engaging than selecting a filter that can give you a similar effect. I’ll give it a proper review after I use it on another image in the next few days.

This is what the image looked like before. Its another macro shot of a daisy bush. The flowers can’t be more than 2-3 inches wide.

Free App: PhotoViva

This is an app that I got a promo code for recently and I’m going to review it when I get the chance, but it just came to my attention that its currently free in the app store.

I’ve only played with it on one image, but it looks like it could be fun. A lot of apps that turn your images into paintings give you a very limited amount of control. You can use a filter or adjust a slider. With PhotoViva, you create each brushstroke.

Visit their website to see some images created wtih PhotoViva and if you do end up downloading the app, watch the demo video there.

Normally, its a $2.99 app, so you might as well download it and check it out while its free.