PI8-tut

PI Version: 8
Level: Intermediate
Featured tools: None
Additional filters: virtualPhotographer
Additional files: If you download the zip version of the program, you'll need Win Zip or another program to unzip your files.
Tutorial: Copyright © Inge Klement

DESCRIPTION: I want to show you, how you can install and use the wonderful program virtualPhotographer from Optik Verve Labs with PhotoImpact. All English talking people can get a much more detailed information on the homepage of Optik Verve Labs ... the only different I've done here, is that I've installed the program at once inside my filter folder. But since I intend to translate the tutorial also into German, I suppose I should also have the English one up and go.
But enough talk ... let's get started :))

Remember to save often!

	Download the program to your computer. I downloaded the Self-extracting archive.exe to my folder called Diverse_Nedlasting (white arrow). VirtualPhotographer (red arrow) will show up like you can see on this screenshot. Below the program you can see the 10 different preset sets (vph Set1 ... vphSet10), which I also downloaded at the same time.

	Double-click the program ... virtualPhotographer (red arrow). That opens the Self-Extracting Archive window. Click on Browse (1), and find the folder you want to store the program. Here I used the folder, called filters_06 (white arrow). I've saved all filters/plugins I want to use with PI inside the folders filters_01 - filters_06. After finding the folder you want to use, click OK (2). Your chosen folder should now show up in the window ... Extract to: Click OK (3).

	On this screenshot you can see the virtualPhotographer (white arrow) inside the folder filters_06 (red arrow). On the right preview window, you can also see the downloaded presets, which I've extracted to the same folder. (vph Set One - vph Set Ten)

	Open your PI ... make sure you've put a Preference link to the folder you've used for virtualPhotographer, and open a picture you want to use. Go to Effect/optikVerveLabs/ VirtualPhotographer (red arrow).

	That's how the virtualPhotographer window looks like. Under Presets you'll find a drop-down menu, where you can find a lot of different presets (red arrow).


The next part of the tutorial is an summary from the description on the homepage of Optik Verve Labs: 1) Preview ... This area allows you to preview the applied filter effect. Clicking and holding the left mouse button on the Preview image will display the original image. If the image is zoomed larger than the Preview Window then you may move the image by clicking and dragging with the left mouse button. 2) Zoom buttons ... This area allows the image to be zoomed for better viewing. The "-" and "+" zoom buttons zoom out or in by a fixed amount. The "100%" button shows the image at full size while the "FIT" button fits the entire image into the Preview Window. This area also contains the "?" link to help button, and also the Progress bar on the left that shows the progress of the filter being applied to the image. 3) Presets ... The is the main functional area and is the first thing you should do. Effectively, the Presets are applying all the other control settings for you. Apply the various Presets to see their impact on the image, when you get close to what you are looking for you may then fine-tune the image using the other controls if necessary. 4) Film Type ... This allows you to set either a film type which causes the image to appear more like regular film, or slide film which results in a slightly more contrasty image The sliders allow you to adjust brightness and contrast of the input image. 5) Film Speed ... The Film Speed dictates the speed of the film and therefore how much film grain is applied to the image The slider adjusts the amount of grain applied. 6) Photographic Style ... Firstly these settings allow the film emulsion (warm, cool, green) to be applied In B/W mode, these settings simulate colored filters in front of the camera lens The slider adjusts the emulsion characteristics or the strength of the filter. 7) Photographic Effect ... One of the most powerful settings, this allows blur, color shift, and blend effects The slider adjusts the strength of the effect. 8) B/W ... Converts the image to black and white based on other settings above, also allows tints The slider adjusts the strength of any tinting. 9) Settings ... These buttons allow you to save your own custom settings (.vph files) to use on other images and load additional settings (.vph files) available separately To access the additional/saved settings Click the LOAD button. Then browse to the .vph file. Cancel (white arrow) and Process (red arrow). These buttons either apply the current filter to the original image, or cancel the plug-in.
	If you want to use another preset ... one of the vph files you've downloaded (or one of your ones), click the Load button (red arrow), and find the folder where you've saved the vph files. Choose one preset ... here I used seafoam.vph, from the vph Set Three ... and double-click on the file. If you use a preset, and you change some of the settings ... making your own preset ..., you can save your settings by clicking the Save button (white hand).

	That's how the virtualPhotographer window would look like with the preset seafoam (from the vph Set Three). If you like the effect as it appears, just click the Process button, and you're done. But if you want, you can change any of the settings to fit your needs. (Even the color under the B/W - Picker) You surely can achieve a lot of beautiful effects by that way. (And you also can save your settings for later use!)

	Here I wanted to show you some of the effects you can achieve by using virtualPhotographer. Those are just made with the standard settings, but as said before - there are lot of possibilities by changing the different settings. 1 = Original 2 = Ambience 3 = Bright Shade 4 = Satin Steel 5 = cherry ... vph Set Six 6 = lessFlourescent ... vph Set Ten 7 = blueberry ... vph Set Five 8 = filmnoir ... vph Set Eight

	For this picture I first used the standard preset Halo. Clicked Process and then I opened the virtualPhotographer one more time. This time I used the preset seafoam (from the vph Set Three), but I changed the settings under Effect into Blur, and under Film Speed to 100 ASA.

That's it! A beautiful picture, easily made with the virtualPhotographer and PI. HAVE FUN!!!
If you need any help with this tutorial - or want to make suggestions to improve it - please email me!