T is for Too Much Fun with Filters

 

Sometimes I like to play around with built-in filters in photo processing programs. Usually I work with my photos in Lightroom and sometimes in Photoshop. I even have a basic version of Lightroom on my phone. But sometimes I'm just a bit lazy and simply like to see how much a photo is changed when I apply a filter.

The above photo I took in the summer while we were in Bandon, Oregon. This was the view from our balcony which meant that we could see the sunset from here if the weather was cooperative (which it only was once or twice). This is a very mediocre photo, but it has a quiet mood which I like. I was curious - what would happen if I applied one (or more) of the built-in filters on my phone?

The first filter I applied is "Afterglow".

It enhanced the sunset vibe of the image, pulling all the magentas and purples and saturating them in full force. While I like it, I also think it's the kind of photos we see everywhere. I also think it's unfortunate that the colors are only in the sky and not reflected in the water.

"Luminous" was the filter that I used next.

Now this was a lot better and more balanced. It resembles the mood of the evening, the not-so-perfect weather with clouds and subtle colors. I could see this on the cover of a mystery novel "Murder by the Sea" where the days would be windy and often gray with only an occasional presence of the sun. Have you read the books of Elly Griffiths' Ruth Galloway series? The setting is Norfolk, a part of England I know well and love. It can get quite moody there, and this is what this photo reminds me of (and next to the Pacific Ocean I like the North Sea best, so there). If you like mystery novels tied in with some archaeology, the Ruth Galloway series is for you (it's a good idea to read the books in order, starting with "The Crossing Places").

Back to the photo - I tried some more filters, none of which I liked, until the very last one - "Stormy".

This is my favorite one. I like the dark mood with the deep colors. You could almost think it's not the sun in the sky, but a full moon. Why not? The cover for a spy story maybe? Or another mystery novel? What do you think?

Which one is your favorite? 

Wait - isn't this a T Tuesday post that is hosted every week by the lovely Elizabeth? Of course it is! So, last Friday was the Geek's birthday. Whoever has a birthday in our family can decide whether they want to get out for dinner or what they want to have if we're staying home. The Geek opted for staying home and he wanted steak - so that's what I cooked, a Bloody Mary steak. I also baked focaccia, and our drink was a glass of wonderful Zinfandel from one of our favorite wineries.