Zingerman's Deli

I was in Ann Arbor, MI, my old home town, around the turn of the year, a few weeks ago, and I did what one must do every time one visits Ann Arbor: I stopped in at Zingerman's Deli. Here's a photo:



Well, okay, that's actually a photo that I've heavily worked over in Photoshop to make it look like a watercolor painting. I'm always exploring new techniques in Photoshop to make pure photos look more like paintings or drawings. This is a new watercolor emulation process I'm trying out. (Click on the image itself for a larger version.) I've developed one or two original filters and processes in Photoshop that are good for pen-and-ink looks; this watercolor look is still a work in progress, in terms of dialing in the settings.

One thing that must be remembered is that every image needs individual tweaking. Even a standardized look is never identical from image to image, but has been slightly customized in each case to maximize the look for that particular image, with its individual color balance, lighting, and contrast.

In some cases, I've printed Photoshop images out, worked them over with paints or colored pencils or technical pens, then brought them back into the digital realm for finishing touches. It's interesting to work back and forth in both analog and digital media, and find a good blend of the two. It makes for some interesting effects. I'll be experimenting more with this anon.

Of course, if you want to just go visit Zingerman's directly, which I highly advise everyone should do, you can start by visiting the Zingerman's website.