Steve Bohne ARTISTIC FILTERS NEON GLOW I think it is very interesting to read many publications that consider the NEON GLOW (NG) filter nearly useless . . .one book on filters calls the filter ". . . a very odd filter. [I'm] not fond of it at any setting." Another makes the claim that ". . . [the filter] has no practical use that I can see immediately." And finally, another says, ". . . I'm not sure this [the NEON GLOW filter] has any major uses." Well, I guess I'm stupid, because I did find a use for it. In 1998, I had a senior boy who had several Dennis Rodman items (posters, T-shirt, etc.) and wanted the items used in his senior portrait (for those of you living outside North America, Dennis Rodman is kind of a quirky basketball star/celebrity/ twistoid). I photographed one of the posters, straightened it up using the TRANSFORM command, and applied the NG filter. I then reduced the poster (using the SCALE command) to make a 1 x 1.5" "tile" to place as the background layer, applying his images on top-very kool! It makes me wonder: did they even try the filter? I'll be the first to admit the NEON GLOW filter does not do what might jump to your mind's eye at first blush, and that is, to build a soft glow around an object. However, I think the filter has its uses, not only on type, but on images as well, for those of us who are photographers and designers. Let's cast off the opinions of others and take a look at this filter ourselves, shall we? I feel that if you think of the NEON GLOW (NG) filter as icing, and not as the cake, you will find it useful, especially on elements you wish to place in the background of a layered composite. It is especially good at abstracting an image and adds an almost Netherworld feel. Open the file BALL NO_LAYERS, and duplicate the image (IMAGE->DUPLICATE). Go to FILTERS->ARTISTIC->NEON GLOW to open the NEON GLOW dialog box. GLOW SIZE can be set from -24 to +24; for now, set this to +9. BRIGHTNESS is controlled from zero to 50. A setting of less than 7 gives no change in image regardless of the amount of GLOW SIZE you have selected. When the GLOW SIZE is set in negative numbers, your end result is a negative image. For now, set this to 28. GLOW COLOR obviously lets you select the color used in the glow, but be aware it acts a little differently than you might expect. When BRIGHTNESS is at 50 and GLOW SIZE is at -24, the dark areas show color and the highlights show the FOREGROUND COLOR selected on your toolbar (the midtones show a COMBINATION of FOREGROUND and BACKGROUND COLOR). When BRIGHTNESS is 50 and GLOW SIZE is +24, the lightest areas will display the BACKGROUND COLOR, the highlights are in the FOREGROUND COLOR, and the midtones show a mixture of FOREGROUND & BACKGROUND COLOR; the COLOR is not used! At a small GLOW SIZE setting, such as ZERO, the light areas of the image show up displaying the COLOR setting. Select a GLOW COLOR in the blue range, and then apply the filter to the image. I get a feeling of inverse or negative appearance. The BALL image has quite a bit of blue in it; try the same settings with the GLOW COLOR set in the range of yellow. Now you may see more readily where the filter applies its "mojo". Do some experimentation: change the GLOW COLOR to 20 and the BRIGHTNESS to 28 and apply the filter. Fade the filter by going to FILTER->FADE NEON GLOW, and slide the opacity slider to 60 and select the DISSOLVE mode. WOW! Don't you feel this has definite possibilities? How could these other "experts" think this is useless? This would be a killer effect on text. Experiment with the different MODE options. Change the foreground color before using COLOR DODGE and COLOR BURN and see what the results are. Try different settings on the sliders and make a note of those you find effective. Now let's try the filter on an individual layer with the same settings. Open BALL W_LAYERS, and then IMAGE->DUPLICATE. Go to the Layers Palette and click on the BALL layer ONLY to make it active (make sure the paintbrush icon appears). Apply the filter ONLY to the BALL LAYER with a setting of -24 & 9. Again, this is definitely an effect I think I can use! It gives almost a feeling of transparency or "just barely there"-an ambiance of mystery, even. Now go to FADE NEON GLOW, and move the OPACITY slider to 70%, but don't click O.K. just yet (so you can still preview all the effects). Change the MODE to DISSOLVE. Kind of cool! Then try DIFFERENCE: totally out of this world! Now cancel the effect. Apply the filter to the BACKGROUND only with a setting of +24 and 22 and a COLOR in the light green range. You now have an image with an entirely different feeling! Try setting the GLOW SIZE to a negative number, fading the effect, or applying the filter to individual elements by selecting them with the lasso or pen tool. OK, let's agree that we all are not going to load up Photoshop and use the NG filter on every image we process. However, if you are looking for a totally killer effect on type for that next brochure, or if a punk band wants a totally opposite look from Hootie and the Blowfish's last CD cover, then this is definitely useable IF you will practice and take notes on the results. It is a handy tool to make a dramatic background for an individual portrait or color card, as well as abstracting either portions of an image or the entire image depending on the end results you are hoping to achieve. Until next time, Steve All information contained herein is Copyright (c) 1999, Steve Bohne M Photog., Cr. All Rights Reserved; may not be reproduced without written permission of the author. Image titled BALL is (c)Adobe, Inc. and is for your personal use ONLY; image may not be reproduced without the owner's express written permission.
ARTISTIC FILTERS
NEON GLOW
I think it is very interesting to read many publications that consider the NEON GLOW (NG) filter nearly useless . . .one book on filters calls the filter ". . . a very odd filter. [I'm] not fond of it at any setting." Another makes the claim that ". . . [the filter] has no practical use that I can see immediately." And finally, another says, ". . . I'm not sure this [the NEON GLOW filter] has any major uses."
Well, I guess I'm stupid, because I did find a use for it. In 1998, I had a senior boy who had several Dennis Rodman items (posters, T-shirt, etc.) and wanted the items used in his senior portrait (for those of you living outside North America, Dennis Rodman is kind of a quirky basketball star/celebrity/ twistoid). I photographed one of the posters, straightened it up using the TRANSFORM command, and applied the NG filter. I then reduced the poster (using the SCALE command) to make a 1 x 1.5" "tile" to place as the background layer, applying his images on top-very kool!
It makes me wonder: did they even try the filter? I'll be the first to admit the NEON GLOW filter does not do what might jump to your mind's eye at first blush, and that is, to build a soft glow around an object. However, I think the filter has its uses, not only on type, but on images as well, for those of us who are photographers and designers. Let's cast off the opinions of others and take a look at this filter ourselves, shall we?
I feel that if you think of the NEON GLOW (NG) filter as icing, and not as the cake, you will find it useful, especially on elements you wish to place in the background of a layered composite. It is especially good at abstracting an image and adds an almost Netherworld feel. Open the file BALL NO_LAYERS, and duplicate the image (IMAGE->DUPLICATE). Go to FILTERS->ARTISTIC->NEON GLOW to open the NEON GLOW dialog box.
GLOW SIZE can be set from -24 to +24; for now, set this to +9.
BRIGHTNESS is controlled from zero to 50. A setting of less than 7 gives no change in image regardless of the amount of GLOW SIZE you have selected. When the GLOW SIZE is set in negative numbers, your end result is a negative image. For now, set this to 28.
GLOW COLOR obviously lets you select the color used in the glow, but be aware it acts a little differently than you might expect. When BRIGHTNESS is at 50 and GLOW SIZE is at -24, the dark areas show color and the highlights show the FOREGROUND COLOR selected on your toolbar (the midtones show a COMBINATION of FOREGROUND and BACKGROUND COLOR). When BRIGHTNESS is 50 and GLOW SIZE is +24, the lightest areas will display the BACKGROUND COLOR, the highlights are in the FOREGROUND COLOR, and the midtones show a mixture of FOREGROUND & BACKGROUND COLOR; the COLOR is not used! At a small GLOW SIZE setting, such as ZERO, the light areas of the image show up displaying the COLOR setting.
Select a GLOW COLOR in the blue range, and then apply the filter to the image. I get a feeling of inverse or negative appearance. The BALL image has quite a bit of blue in it; try the same settings with the GLOW COLOR set in the range of yellow. Now you may see more readily where the filter applies its "mojo". Do some experimentation: change the GLOW COLOR to 20 and the BRIGHTNESS to 28 and apply the filter. Fade the filter by going to FILTER->FADE NEON GLOW, and slide the opacity slider to 60 and select the DISSOLVE mode. WOW! Don't you feel this has definite possibilities? How could these other "experts" think this is useless? This would be a killer effect on text. Experiment with the different MODE options. Change the foreground color before using COLOR DODGE and COLOR BURN and see what the results are. Try different settings on the sliders and make a note of those you find effective.
Now let's try the filter on an individual layer with the same settings. Open BALL W_LAYERS, and then IMAGE->DUPLICATE. Go to the Layers Palette and click on the BALL layer ONLY to make it active (make sure the paintbrush icon appears). Apply the filter ONLY to the BALL LAYER with a setting of -24 & 9. Again, this is definitely an effect I think I can use! It gives almost a feeling of transparency or "just barely there"-an ambiance of mystery, even. Now go to FADE NEON GLOW, and move the OPACITY slider to 70%, but don't click O.K. just yet (so you can still preview all the effects). Change the MODE to DISSOLVE. Kind of cool! Then try DIFFERENCE: totally out of this world! Now cancel the effect.
Apply the filter to the BACKGROUND only with a setting of +24 and 22 and a COLOR in the light green range. You now have an image with an entirely different feeling! Try setting the GLOW SIZE to a negative number, fading the effect, or applying the filter to individual elements by selecting them with the lasso or pen tool.
OK, let's agree that we all are not going to load up Photoshop and use the NG filter on every image we process. However, if you are looking for a totally killer effect on type for that next brochure, or if a punk band wants a totally opposite look from Hootie and the Blowfish's last CD cover, then this is definitely useable IF you will practice and take notes on the results. It is a handy tool to make a dramatic background for an individual portrait or color card, as well as abstracting either portions of an image or the entire image depending on the end results you are hoping to achieve.
Until next time, Steve
All information contained herein is Copyright (c) 1999, Steve Bohne M Photog., Cr. All Rights Reserved; may not be reproduced without written permission of the author. Image titled BALL is (c)Adobe, Inc. and is for your personal use ONLY; image may not be reproduced without the owner's express written permission.
