Fun with filters.

David · Oct 25, 2006

Thought I'd share the following image, which was created using only the filters found in Photoshop. Ok, so I used an adjustment layer to add colour, and the transform tool to change the perspective at the end, but the image itself was created entirely from filters.

Water ripples

I'll post the destructions if anyone's interested.

David.

Philip Weir · Nov 19, 2006

Yes David, please post your instructions [destructions] if you would. I think the shot is great.

David · Nov 21, 2006

Hi Philip, and thanks for the interest. In truth I'd forgotten I'd posted this, but as requested here are the steps used to produce the image.

1. New document (800*800 at 72dpi) with white background.
2. Create a new layer above the background and run the Difference Clouds filter (with default colours, i.e. black and white) and then reduce the opacity of this layer to 35%.
3. Go to channels palette and drag the RGB composite channel down to the selection option at the bottom of the palette (left hand of the four icons) and then using this selection create a new alpha channel (click on the second icon from the left at the bottom of the palette - "Save selection as channel").
4. With this new alpha channel active, deselect (Ctrl D or Comd D) and then run the Gaussian Blur filter at 3 pixels.
5. Select the RGB composite channel and then go back to the layers palette and create a new layer above the Difference Clouds and fill it with white.
6. With this new layer active, run the Lighting Effects filter using the alpha channel you just created (probably called "Alpha 1") as the texture channel and with the following settings:

7. (Optional) Run the Zig Zag filter with settings of 100, 9, Pond Ripples.
8. Run the Chrome filter at 0, 100. If you're going to do the Zig Zag filter (or any other Distort filter: Waves etc.) I found that doing it before the Chrome filter gives a more realistic result, because the chroming kind of smooths everything out.
9. Use Transform, Perspective to change the.....errrr perspective if you wish. I also used distort a small amount to compress the image vertically.
10. Crop the image to remove the areas at the top and the bottom that don't quite work (you'll see what I mean).
11. Add a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer set to 'Colorize' and with settings of 225, 25, 10.
12. Add a second Hue/Saturation adjustment layer above the first, and once again set to 'Colorize' with the following settings: 165, 25, -10.
13. Finally change the blend mode of this second Hue/Saturation adjustment layer to 'Soft Light' and reduce the opacity to 60%.

Hope you find it useful, but if you have any questions then let me know. I love playing with Photoshop, and it always amazes me what you can produce starting with a blank canvas and using only filters and layers. The fun is in trying to make it photorealistic. I know some people get all hung up on using filters and call it cheating, but if it's there why not use it?

David