looking through the viewfinder


[Pink Garden Roses]

Livy from A Field Journal recently mentioned her experiments with applying filters to her wonderful photos. The filters are designed to give the effect of the dust you would find when taking a photo of a plain white wall with a vintage camera. It gives the photo some grit.


[Tin Toy]



[English Gardening Books]

You can find many filters in the Noise and Dust Through the Viewfinder group on Flickr. I loved the look and
I used this one. [Update 4:30 pm] I didn't do this correctly until Livy told me exactly what to do and I have updated the instructions. [Note to self: books are meant to be read; the Photoshop book is 12" away!] Here are the correct instructions -
  • Copy the filter and create a new layer in your image file.
  • In the drop down menu near the top of the layer tray, change "normal" to "multiply" and it will clear the white background in the right places.
  • That's it! I corrected all of my images and now they look cohesive. I'd really like to find a unique, recognizable style for my photos and this could be interesting!

[Pansies]


[Vintage Drapes + Geranium]

Give it a try; it's so easy ;). And, be sure to take a look at Livy's photos, which are so moody and wonderful. Thanks Livy!

xo, Cindy
Photo Credit : Cindy

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow! What a great filter! And the perfect subjects for it, too!

please sir said...

What a great idea - I love the effect!

AMM blog said...

Lovely, especially the roses!

Livy said...

Thanks so much for linking to me! The multiply option is in the drop down menu right near the top of the layer tray. It by default has "normal" selected, but if you change "normal" to "multiply" on the viewfinder layer, you should get that grittier look. Enjoy!

Cindy said...

thank you so much everyone! and, livy thanks, i'm such a dork. i see what you mean and i'm all over it.

Livy said...

No you're not. :) I should have done a better job explaining!

Cindy said...

livy, you didn't ask for the responsibility ;). i changed my photos and replaced them here. i also updated the instructions. hope i got them right this time.

THANK YOU so much as this really may lead to a new approach for me regarding my photos.

Anonymous said...

Fantastic!! The roses are brillant.

Mrs.French said...

Oh you know I am all over this one. I am so excited! Wheeeeeeeee!!!!

Cindy said...

hi sara and thank you! mrs. french - cheer up ;)!

julie king said...

i love the grittiness of this filter! i really must look into this. i'll mark it as item # 741 on my to-do list! thanks for sharing.

Cindy said...

thanks julie - that is a mighty long list you have!

ThePeachTree said...

Incredible images):)

Cindy said...

thank you peach tree!