For digital photographers, there are many tutorials online that show how to achieve similar results in Photoshop, mostly using simple curves adjustments.

Left: original image, Right: cross-processed in Photoshop by adjusting curves
(view a larger version)

However, I use Aperture (version 2) to manage my photo collection - and while I love Photoshop, I'd like to do as much as possible in Aperture in order to save on time and hard drive space. So, I set out to recreate the cross-processing technique in Aperture, which is somewhat problematic since it doesn't have the same curves adjustments as Photoshop. Instead, you can do "levels" adjustments on the red, green and blue channels... but, as I discovered, you have to do quite a bit more tweaking in Aperture to get the same results. So, I created a levels preset in Aperture that results in images that pretty closely match what you'd get from following the aforementioned Photoshop tutorials.

Without going into too much boring detail, I did this by applying only the red channel adjustment to an image in Photoshop - then, with the same image in Aperture, adjusted the red channel levels until it matched what I was seeing in Photoshop. Then I did the same for the green and blue channels individually. Finally, I combined all three channel adjustments and compared the Photoshop version to the Aperture version for some final tweaking to make sure I got it right. Hardly a scientific process, and the match is far from perfect - but I think it's close enough to be usable - especially considering the fact that the overall look of an image is very subjective anyways.

Left: cross-processed in Aperture, Right: cross-processed in Photoshop
(view a larger version)

I'd offer the preset as a download, but there doesn't appear to be any way to import/export adjustment presets in Aperture... so, I'll run through the exact steps required to create the preset here:

STEP 1

In Aperture, select an image to cross-process and bring up the adjustments panel. You may want to make any necessary exposure adjustments now using the "Exposure" part of the adjustments panel... a badly underexposed image will still look badly underexposed after cross-processing.

Find the "Levels" portion of the adjustment panel. That is what you'll be working with for this tutorial. If you've already made adjustments to the levels, you'll want to reset them or choose a different image. Near the upper right corner of the Levels pane, is a button that has a rectangle with two vertical dotted lines running through it... click that button to show the "quarter-tone controls":

STEP 2 - SETTING THE RED CHANNEL

Select "Red" from the "Channel:" pulldown menu, and do the following steps in the order listed:

1. set B: to 0.21
2. set W: to 0.92
3. set G: to 0.53
4. set 1/4: to 0.38
5. set 3/4: to 0.66
6. at the top of the levels graph, drag the first triangle to the left about 2-3mm (the triangle whose line connects to the 1/4 point)... unfortunately there's nowhere to enter a numerical value for this adjustment

Now your Red channel should look like this:

STEP 3 - SETTING THE GREEN CHANNEL

Select "Green" from the "Channel:" pulldown menu, and do the following steps in the order listed:

1. set G: to 0.42
2. set 1/4: to 0.25
3. set 3/4: to 0.63

Your Green channel should look like this:

STEP 4 - SETTING THE BLUE CHANNEL

Select "Blue" from the "Channel:" pulldown menu, and do the following steps in the order listed:

1. set W: to 0.94
2. set 1/4: to 0.21
3. set 3/4: to 0.81

Your Blue channel should look like this:

STEP 5 - SAVING THE PRESET

In the upper right hand corner of the "Levels" pane, click on the icon that looks like a gear and select "Save as Preset...". Give your preset a name like "Cross-Process" and click the "OK" button. You now have a Levels adjustment preset you can use on any image - simply by clicking on the gear icon in the Levels pane and choosing "Cross-Process" (or whatever you named it). Your results may vary depending on the image, but it should get you in the ballpark and you can make adjustments as needed from there (the same goes for the Photoshop tutorial cross-processing techniques).

STEP 6 - TAKING IT A STEP FURTHER

Some of the cross-processing tutorials suggest also adding a color layer to give the image more of a yellow or green tone. While there's no exact match for doing this in Aperture, you can add a "Color Monochrome" adjustment for a similar effect. Choose something like a pure yellow with RGB values 255, 255, 0 for your color, and move the intensity slider to somewhere in the 0.2 range as shown here:

The difference between Photoshop and Aperture here, is that Aperture applies the adjustment as a color change - rather than simply overlaying the solid color like a "Normal" layer in Photoshop... which means that the effect won't be as noticeable in dark areas of your image. You can compensate for this some by raising the "Shadows" adjustment in "Highlights & Shadows".

If you like, also add some vignetting using Aperture 2's new vignette adjustment.

The Finished Product

Now your retro cross-processed masterpiece is complete, and you have a preset saved within Aperture to easily reuse the effect on any image you like. Here's a comparison of the final images from Aperture and Photoshop after the color toning and vignetting are applied:

Left: final image in Aperture, Right: final image in Photoshop
(view a larger version)

I work a full time job from 9am to 5pm, then head straight home to help make dinner, spend a bit of time with the family, then help clean up and get my daughter to bed. My free time starts around 9pm, and I usually push myself to accomplish some personal goal before I pass out around midnight. Sometimes it seems like an accomplishment just taking some time for myself to not think about anything and simply relax.

So, one of the first thoughts that came across my mind when discovering SoFoBoMo was, "would I have enough time to do that? to create my own photo book in just one month?"

It's taken me three years to come up with the 21 photos that I feel worthy of posting online in my "Beginnings" series - and even then, I know that many of those images could be improved by taking more time in Photoshop. Of course, that never really solidified into a project until I started this website a few months ago. Up until then, they were just part of a large collection of raw photos sitting on my hard drive. My photography had no direction.

SoFoBoMo will be different though - my first real photography project with tangible goals. I'll be held accountable to produce good work within a set time - especially since it's something I'll be blogging about publicly.

For my project, I'll need to pick a series of photos that can be taken within my time constraints - which means either in my house at night or while out and about over a couple of weekends. Or, do I use this as an opportunity to take a vacation to some exotic locale for one week in April? Hmm ...

Now that I think about it, the first sentence I wrote isn't quite right (so I'll cross it out). It should be:

I need to pick specific goals in my photography, so that I can plan my time accordingly.

It's time to stop making excuses and start taking pictures.

"for photographers who want to take a crack at putting together a solo photo book in one month"

The idea that Paul has presented, is that you make a commitment to take 35 or more photos within a month, and then create a book with them. The book can just be a nicely formatted PDF file - there's no need for a printed hard copy (although, you can do that if you like). You can start anytime from April 1, 2008 to May 1, 2008.

One of my favorite photo bloggers, Gordon McGregor, wrote an excellent post about SoFoBoMo. I like this part:

"Along the way you'll learn about editing your images - making those final painful choices on what to include or not. You'll probably learn a bit about book layout, design and what goes in to making a book. You'll find out how good you are at working to a deadline - or not. You'll actually finish something. That in particular is powerful stuff. It forces you to make decisions and live with them."

That's what this challenge is about. Learning and self-discovery. Not only will you learn through the very act of doing the work, but also by being engaged in a community of photographers who are all working towards the same goal: 1 book with 35 photos in 1 month.

Sign me up! I've needed something - a goal to work toward, some outside motivation - to help me push my photography to another level. So, I'll be participating and blogging about my experiences.

Here's a list of other SoFoBoMo bloggers.