Create a negative image

[Triglav]

I am doing this great photography course in Amsterdam. It is really nice to talk to other wannabe :p photographers about each others work. Also we get assignments. One of them is to hold a presentation about a photographer and following that you have to recreate one of the photographers photo's.

I chose Lynn Davis (http://www.houkgallery.com/davis-iceberg/davis-iceberg.html) as photographer. The photo I chose to reconstruct is this one:

http://img260.imageshack.us/img260/8427/23ldlooming88cy7.jpg

To get to the question after this long introduction: How can I recreate that negative effect in photoshop? I could not find a descent tutorial, maybe you guys can help me out.

Thanks!

[Nicole]

Triglav- I've got some ideas on how this was done. I'll post up something better when I've got it better worked out. But, from some preliminary stuff, it looks like if you desaturate the the blue, and depending on what the foreground is (I'm guessing dirt?), then partially desaturate the rest of the image, then invert the picture, you'll get a pretty similar result. Will post again in a little bit after I try out a few things. Just to add, I don't think it's a simple Invert (Ctrl + I in photoshop).

[Nicole]

So, this is based purely on trying to recreate the look in the picture that you posted, so I'm not sure if you're only looking for a tutorial on that or on negative images in general, but hopefully this helps.

My first step was actually inverting the sample picture that you provided to see what it would look like in the positive. This presented a mostly greyscale and desaturated yellow picture. The other thing I realized was that if you invert blue, you actually get orange, hence my theory that the blue has been desaturated.

Here's the before and after:
http://static.flickr.com/61/227640584_f21e0296a9_m.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/nicolesphotos/227640584/) http://static.flickr.com/253/457396071_2ef17621c4_m.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/nicolesphotos/457396071/)

1. First, I created a new hue / saturation adjustment layer. I desaturated both the blue and the cyan to -100. I then desaturated the master colour to approximately -35. This kept some of the colour, but made it more muted.

2. I merged the layer down and inverted the image using Ctrl + I (or Apple + I if you're using Mac).

3. This created a close approximation, but I then created a new levels layer and moved the grey point closer to the white point.

4. To finish it off, I used the burn tool on the cloud highlights to darken the clouds a little bit.

I realize it's not perfect, but that kind of gives you the basics, and with these steps, hopefully you'll be able to work more on your own image and get it even closer.

Hope that helps :)

[Triglav]

I am impressed! Thank you. I will try this as soon as I get home from work.

;) yes, i am at work now:D

[mikem12188]

Nicole,

Are you helping someone with their homework?????:eek:

[Triglav]

:D I must admit..it felt a bit like cheating on an exam...

[Nicole]

lol man, I'm seriously passing up an opportunity to make some money as a tutor ;) Seems like I'm always helping someone with their homework :p I'm just too helpful ;) lol Besides, Triglav asked nicely

PS Congrats on your 100th post Triglav :D

[Triglav]

He..cool..I never noticed..

thanks!

[Saralonde]

Nicole, as a Photoshop klutz, I'm impressed!