Rain effect in Venice

[Didache]

Hi all

I've been experimenting with a rain effect plug-in. Both these images were originally taken on foggy grey days anyway. I think it's pretty effective.

What do you think?

Cheers
Mike

[MonkeyWrench]

Very interesting to say the least. Could you post a before and after so we could see how dramatic the effect is? Is this a plug-in for PS? I never thought of using the rain like this to enhance/add to a picture. Most Impressive. The first one looks more natural than the second one to me. The second one has an OIl Paint feel to it. However, because this is such a new concept to me I am going have to put a little more time and thought on the second one.

[Didache]

MonkeyWrench .. as requested, the original images. Actually, it is an action which I downloaded from a site (if you are interested, see the Help Files forum where there is a thread on this).

Cheers
Mike

[Frog]

Interesting. Never would have thought of a raindrops effect until I read the help files post.
I like the first one better, too, and the one you posted in help files.
The gondola one seems too, too if you know what I mean.

[Ronnoco]

Having shot a lot in the rain, I don't find the plug-in at all realistic.

Ronnoco

[GB1]

The top image looks decent. It seems like a painting to me. The bottom one, not so successful, as it looks artificial, but it was an expt worth trying!

Btw, the top shot is really nice, but I find the sky a bit washed out and having a negative effect on the rest of the exposure. Not sure what you could have did about it, however..
GB

[jkriminger]

I like the artistic effect. kinda Monet in an uneducated description

[ZL4life]

I agree with ronnoco and gb, too artificial.
it looks more like a snow storm than a rain shower. at first I thought you were shooting through a window in the rain. I don't' know...
maybe a layered motion blur going down would help.

[gahspidy]

Mike, the effect in the bottom shot is too much and does not work well. The effect in the top photo looks very good. I would not describe it as a rain effect, but rather an oil painting look. Also a bit impressionistic as well.
I think you may have a real keeper with the bottom shot if you tone down the effect closer to what you have in the other.

[Didache]

Thanks all for having a look. With some experimentation (on other images as well as these two) it seems to work best with muted colours where the weather was grey and foggy anyway. With bolder solid colours (like on the bottom pic) it's not so effective.

On these two I used the default settings - I also discovered that reducing the raindrops and increasing slightly the condensation effect seems to work better too.

I will try a print later to see what it looks like on paper. I will also try a few night shots downtown (nightclub area) to see how it works with lights and neon ("Rainy night in London" type of thing),

Cheers
Mike

[Overbeyond]

I prefer the first one. It has a good "wet" ( though not necessarily rain fall) effect as though taken through your window on a bad miserable day. It comes accross well to me. The same effect applied to the second one would have been preferable to the more snow like effect used.
BTW Mike how did your panel go? or have I missed out.
Tom

[Didache]

Overbeyond - thanks so much for asking! I was successful with the panel. Fortunately I was first up (of about 40 entrants) so I could enjoy the rest of the day without too much nervousness. There were 5 assessors who peered and glared and conferred for, it seems, the longest time. They were very complimentary in the end though. The fail rate on the day was around 40% so I am especially delighted

Back to this thread ... I attach the newest (and final!) version of the first picture which, I admit looks a lot better than the other one. With this version I have cloned out the pole which was blocking the gondola, darkened slightly the church in the mist at the right top, added a navigation light to the left, and removed an orange rope bottom right. I also reduced the number of drops. It prints up pretty well I think.

The idea is to make to make it look as though I took it through a window (in fact, there are little restaurants all along that stretch of the Grand Canal so a "real" image like this would be quite possible.)

Cheers and thanks for looking
Mike

[Greg McCary]

Mike I feel the first one works well without seeing it in person or on a large scale, the upper right portion of the picture helps make the shot.
In the second the rain drops just form to much of a pattern. Ronnoco makes a point that they look unrealistic but with that said I don't feel that they should since you are going for a more painting and artistic look. I feel you are on to something very original and when you get the details ironed out these will make for some beautiful pictures. Keep at it.
Greg

[Overbeyond]

Overbeyond - thanks so much for asking! I was successful with the panel. Fortunately I was first up (of about 40 entrants) so I could enjoy the rest of the day without too much nervousness. There were 5 assessors who peered and glared and conferred for, it seems, the longest time. They were very complimentary in the end though. The fail rate on the day was around 40% so I am especially delighted

Back to this thread ... I attach the newest (and final!) version of the first picture which, I admit looks a lot better than the other one. With this version I have cloned out the pole which was blocking the gondola, darkened slightly the church in the mist at the right top, added a navigation light to the left, and removed an orange rope bottom right. I also reduced the number of drops. It prints up pretty well I think.

The idea is to make to make it look as though I took it through a window (in fact, there are little restaurants all along that stretch of the Grand Canal so a "real" image like this would be quite possible.)

Cheers and thanks for looking
Mike

Very well done Mike on both counts; your panel success and your new edited image which looks great now.
Tom

[Didache]

Overbeyond & Greg - thank you very much. I have fiddled with it some more (I won't post it as the differences are pretty minimal now) but I think I am getting closer to something which is effective in an impressionistic sense, without being too "fake". Less is more in this case!

Cheers
Mike

[Has He Lost His Mind?]

The second picture is better without the raindrop effect.

[gahspidy]

Much improved, Mike. Congrats on the panel, although I did read your thread about it,but had not posted a comment. Nice work

[HowLowCanYaGo]

It is interesting but I think it it just way to intense. Mind if I make an attempt at adding my own "rain" effect?

[Didache]

It is interesting but I think it it just way to intense. Mind if I make an attempt at adding my own "rain" effect?

Sure, go ahead

Mike

[Didache]

gahspidy - thanks on both counts - I just got my official letter this morning from the RPS about it - enclosing a very nice little "LRPS" lapel pin

Cheers
Mike

[readingr]

Mike,

I really like these - its got that painting feel to them.

I agree that the bottom pic is a bit too much but I still like the concept behind the filter.

Roger

[Didache]

Thanks Roger.

This is really and truly the final version! I tend to agree with some comments that the effect may be just a little intense. So I've toned it down a little - with just a little tweaking and a few window drops.

The reason I'm working on this is for a local photography competition on the theme "Weather". I won the comp last year and I don't want to give the trophy back

Cheers
Mike

[HowLowCanYaGo]

Ok, here's an edit I did. Let me know what you think.



things done:

_added raindrops (obviously)
_added slight splash areas
_made the wood look "wet"
_top of the buildings look "wet"
_added reflection in the water with a slight ripple
_added "mist" around things getting rained on.
_darkened the day

[readingr]

Thanks Roger.

This is really and truly the final version! I tend to agree with some comments that the effect may be just a little intense. So I've toned it down a little - with just a little tweaking and a few window drops.

The reason I'm working on this is for a local photography competition on the theme "Weather". I won the comp last year and I don't want to give the trophy back

Cheers
Mike

Mike,

I think this one nailed it for me. Just the right blending of the effect.

Good luck on the competition.

Roger

[Frog]

That last one is definitly top notch, Mike. I see the extra lites, the green boat is sharper as is just about everything but it still has that gloomy wet day feel. Good job!

I think how low's is over done and looks more like looking through a curtain or something.