Anne McKinnell Photography

  • Home
  • Blog
  • Photos
  • eBooks
  • Courses
  • Presets
  • Textures
  • Gear
  • About
  • Contact
  • View Cart

Photo Editing Case Study: Shanghai

November 24, 2018 By Anne McKinnell 8 Comments

I’m not big on cities. But photographing cityscapes makes it all worthwhile! And Shanghai must have one of the prettiest skylines I have ever seen.

When I visited China a couple of years ago, I had an extra day to explore Shanghai and get used to the time change. It was hot, muggy and raining. So when I processed this photo I decided to make an abstract impressionist version to replicate the feeling of the place I had when I was there.

In this photo editing case study, I show you how I processed the image from beginning to end using Lightroom, Photoshop, and Topaz Impression.

Click here to watch the video larger on YouTube.

Here is the image after I was finished with it in Lightroom:

Shanghai, China

 

Here’s how the final image turned out after adding my abstract impressionist effects in Photoshop and Topaz Impression:

If you enjoyed this video demonstration, please subscribe to my YouTube Channel so you won’t miss the next one.

Share Button

More from my site

  • Two Days in Shanghai, ChinaTwo Days in Shanghai, China
  • Lightroom vs. Luminar – What’s the Difference?Lightroom vs. Luminar – What’s the Difference?
  • Creating Unique Photo Effects with TopazCreating Unique Photo Effects with Topaz
  • Enhance Your Photos with TexturesEnhance Your Photos with Textures
  • How to Upgrade to Lightroom Classic CC and What You Need to do FirstHow to Upgrade to Lightroom Classic CC and What You Need to do First
  • Topaz Texture Effects ReviewTopaz Texture Effects Review

Filed Under: Tutorials Tagged With: lightroom, photoshop, post-processing, shanghai, topaz impression

950_300 (1)

Comments

  1. Bob Rich says

    November 27, 2018 at 3:27 pm

    Hi Anne, love the tutorial and the effect with the Topaz filter. I’ve used Topaz filters for some years, mainly with the 3D pictures I used to create but not a lot with my photography. I think I might start playing around with the Topaz plugins again and see what I can create using my photos. Thanks again for the videos.

    Reply
    • Anne McKinnell says

      December 2, 2018 at 11:51 am

      Hi Bob, I’m glad I’ve inspired you to try something new with your photography! The Topaz filters are a lot of fun to use. There are so many options it can be hard to choose, and then once you choose you can fiddle with the settings inside the preset to get even more unique effects.

      I’m enjoying making the videos, so I plan to do more. Thanks for your comments!

      Reply
  2. Naomi Zottoli says

    November 28, 2018 at 2:30 am

    Really enjoyed your video, learned some new creative effects. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Anne McKinnell says

      December 2, 2018 at 11:36 am

      You are most welcome Naomi! Thanks for taking the time to give me your feedback, much appreciated 🙂

      Reply
  3. beyondmetaphor says

    November 29, 2018 at 11:15 pm

    lot of effort for not much change. I always wonder what Man Ray would have done with these programs? any ideas out there?

    Reply
    • Anne McKinnell says

      December 2, 2018 at 11:34 am

      I feel that the two photos are totally different! One is a straight photograph and the other digital art with an entirely different feel. I’m sure the purists out there would think they are different.

      That’s a great question about what Man Ray would have done with the software available today. Since he was a surrealist and very experimental in his art, I’m sure he would find unique ways to use all the tools that are available today. It’s a bit like asking what Henry Ford would think of a Tesla.

      I could certainly push this piece a lot further down the digital art path but this result is exactly what I was trying to achieve. Just a bit of blur, texture and rain to give it the feel I had on the day I was there.

      Thanks for your visit and comments!

      Reply
  4. J T says

    January 27, 2019 at 4:05 pm

    Hi Ann,

    Great training video. Both Shanghai photos look nice. Have safe travels in 2019.

    Reply
    • Anne McKinnell says

      January 28, 2019 at 10:01 am

      Thank you JT. The two versions are quite different from each other I think. I don’t always do digital art, but sometimes it can be a lot of fun. Thanks for your comments.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You have to agree to the comment policy.

I’m Anne. This is my new life.

I traded in a traditional career for a new life as an outdoor photographer and writer. I live in an RV and travel around North America photographing beautiful places. I write about travel, photography, and how changing your life is not as scary as it seems. Read More…

JOIN OVER 50,000 FOLLOWERS!

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Monthly Newsletter

Exclusive articles, free photography eBooks and more!

Find out more

We take your privacy seriously. No spam. Read our Privacy Policy here.

Popular Topics

  • Great Subjects
  • Tutorials
  • Product Reviews
  • Gear
  • Top 10 Lists
  • Animals
  • I am changing my life

Donate

Want to donate to Anne's fuel fund? Click on the pump below to donate via PayPal.

Wondering why the fuel pump is green? It's because RVers use fewer resources and have a smaller carbon footprint than homeowners. We use less fuel than typical homeowners who commute to work and use planes for vacation. We use propane to heat our 200 square feet. We conserve water due to the size of our holding tanks and we use solar power to charge our batteries.

Places

Archives

Search

Copyright © 2019 · Anne McKinnell Photography

Affiliate Disclosure | Privacy Policy