Digital BW, The Print

In 16-bit I usually use the Elliptical Marquee Tool to select a large inner
oval, Select/Inverse, Feather 250 once or twice, Image/Adjust/Levels and
then darken it down.  Any ideas about this approach?

 STEPHEN    JENNINGS
     P h o t o g r a p h e r
        Cambridge, MA
 sgjennin@...
www.stephenjennings.com

> From: "Martin Wesley" <mwesley250@...>
> Reply-To: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com
> Date: Tue, 7 Oct 2003 20:05:57 -0700
> To: <DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com>
> Subject: RE: [Digital BW] Edge Burn question
> 
> Allen,
> 
> For this type of thing I generally make a selection, save it as a Channel,
> deselect, choose the channel, apply Gaussian Blur to the channel, load the
> Channel as a selection, go back to the Background layer and create a
> Brightness/Contrast layer. You can then play with the brightness, contrast
> and opacity of this layer to get the effect you want. I have not had to add
> noise as David described but his suggestions would be really helpful in
> delicate tonal areas.
> 
> Most often I do not do an overall edge burn but do each edge separately.
> What I am finding is that I am doing little or no edge burning any more.
> Scanners don't have the edge fall off that enlargers do and I don't find it
> as necessary.
> 
> I also will use the Rubber Stamp tool or the Burning tool to take out or
> reduce specular highlights along the edges which can help with the "framing"
> effect you are seeking.
> 
> Martin Wesley
> http://www.carolyn.cc/Guests/MartinWesley/pages/MW_01.html
> http://www.borderless-photos.de/guests.html
> 
> 
> * -----Original Message-----
> * From: Allen Birnbach [mailto:allenbirnbach@...]
> * Sent: Tuesday, October 07, 2003 4:47 PM
> * To: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com
> * Subject: [Digital BW] Edge Burn question
> * 
> * 
> * I usually create an edge burn in Photoshop for my black and
> * white images, much as I
> * did in the darkroom, so that the edges fall off about 5% to
> * hold the viewers eye on the
> * image.  The way I have done that in the past was:
> * 1-Create new layer
> * 2-Fill the layer with black
> * 3-Add layer mask
> * 4-Make selection for edge using rectangular marquee or lasso
> * (select center then
> * select inverse to get the edge).
> * 5-Backslash so I can see the overlay for the mask.
> * 6-Use black as foreground color and paint in the edge
> * completely with paintbrush.
> * 7-Deselect
> * 8-Change layer style to "Multiply."
> * 9-Apply guassian blur to mask. Because I am working with
> * large files, I've applied
> * 250 blur, three progressive times.
> * 10-Work with opacity of layer to adjust density of edge burn.
> * 
> * This worked in the past just fine, but on a recent project,
> * I've noticed straight lines
> * that look like boxes (in synch with the frame edge) within
> * the mask. and can't figure
> * out what is happening.
> * 
> * Any suggestions would be appreciated.