How to Create Timeless Photographs with PSP X2's Time Machine

Corel's Paint Shop Pro Ultimate X2 is my digital editor. There are quite a few to choose from I just happened to use and enjoy this one. One of my favorite, easy to use features is the Time Machine Filter. Offering filters from the box camera of the 1800's to the colorful Warhol-esque filter, which adds a funky 60's flair. You can use preset intensity, or adjust the intensity to your liking. You can add the pre-loaded photo edges (frames), or not. I'll show examples of both so you can see the difference.

Follow the steps below to create an amazing adventure with a single picture.

Start by opening your original photograph in Corel's Paint Shop Pro X2. Use the crop tool if needed, under the Adjust menu I prefer to use the Smart Photo Fix where I can adjust brightness, sharpness, color, highlights and shadows, etc. You can preview the changes on the photograph to decide if you've made the right choices. If you're happy with it, save it as the original. (ex. Freckles1)

Corel automatically creates an Auto Preserve file, however, I always preserve my own original. Duplicates take up a lot of memory on your computer and I usually go back and delete the Auto preserve file.

This is one of my favorite photographs I took of our mare, Freckles. Now let's transport her beautiful face through the time machine, shall we?

Under the Effects menu click on Photo Effects and Time Machine.

The Time Machine screen will look like the screen shot above. Showing a before and after comparison, and a checkbox at the top to preview on your original. This is a great tool, I often turn in on and off to get a better perspective on how my photo is effected by the filter.

Settings - which are defaulted. The Intensity bar is set to a default but can be increased or decreased, entirely up to you. Play with it! Have fun. The seven photos are of your original in each filter format. Below that is a great little tid bit of history of that particular type of film process. I love this feature, since I love history.

So, let's select the first type of filter...

The first filter is the Daguerrotype, with the grain and color essence of the old tin type photos.

To apply to your original photo simply click on the first filter picture from left to right. By clicking the Preview on Image box you can see full screen how the filter effects your photo. Often I will toggle this off and on before making my final decision.

The default intensity is set to 30 and I show pictures with the preset Photo Edge and without so you can view the difference.

I personally like this edge....... a lot! It adds to the worn with age look as if she's been tucked away in an old photo album for a hundred plus years.

According to PSPx2, Daguerrotype was used from 1839-1855 and the first popular form of photography. Images were captured directly on a thin piece of silver-plated copper. Each image was unique because no negative was made. I'm a little freaky about historical things, so of course I had to go to Wikipedia and look up the various film processes to learn more. If you're like me, I've included the link below.

Remember when saving the edited photo use the Save As option under the file menu. Change the name or revise the name, so it will create a new file with the changes, while still preserving your original photograph. (ex. Freckles1 rev 1)

The second filter option is called Albumen. It has that sepia tone, old time effect. I've used it often and creates truly beautiful, timeless photographs.

Simply click on the second photo. The intensity is defaulted to 55, again, entirely up to your taste. Click on that bar, move it up or down and see what happens to your image, stop where you want to. You can opt for the Photo Edge. The preset, is another of my favorites.

PSPx2 says that Albumen was widely used through 1855-1890's. An Inexpensive method produced paper-based photos. Negatives were captured on glass, and the print was then created on paper that used albumen from egg whites (of all things!) to bind the light-sensitive chemicals to paper.

I was amazed to read that Cyanotype was invented in 1841! I've yet to see an old photo so blue and funky.

The default intensity is set to a low 25 and when you move the button to a higher intensity you'll understand why. I love this photo edge, gives the illusion of having been created with a painter's brush.

Cyanotype, the images are created when ultraviolet light converts the light-sensitive chemicals to Prussian Blue. This method was used for creating blueprints. (Aha! I know why we don't see photographs with this process). Again I also searched for more history... fascinating stuff!

Not a true black and white, not a sepia... it's Platinum! Some in the Collector's world believe that this process is one of the most luminous, visually extroardinary photographic processes in history and rare due to the lack of access to the process. PSPx2's rendition of this historical photographic process is impressive.

The default intensity is set to 50 and increasing or decreasing doesn't effect a significant change, so I usually leave it on the default. Seems to be the perfect balance.

The history tidbit says this photographic method used platinum-based developing materials and placed the paper in direct contact with the negative. Although the resulting high-quality prints remained stable over time, the high price of platinum, made this an expensive method.

Platinum is certainly hot again!

The fifth filter option, is called Early Color. The default intensity is set high on this one at 80. Reminds me of some of the pictures in my mother's photo albums, a slightly muted color photograph.

PSPx2 says Autochrome was a popular method of producing early color photographs. This method was created by the Lumiere brothers in 1904. It used potato starch granules, dyed red, green, and blue, to create colored images on glass, similar to a slide. (Huh, egg whites, potatoes? Great recipes for fabulous photos).

If you are happy with the result, click OK and the original is transformed.

The simplicity and portability of the Box Camera meant that anyone could take pictures.

The default intensity is 10. I slid that tool bar right up to 50 to add more contrast, enhancing the blacks and whites.

The Photo Edge option on this filter, I do not use often. But try it, you just might. PSPx2 has frames you can add once the filter is applied.

Adjusted your original to perfection? Click OK and the Time Machine window will close.

The seventh and final process filter is called Cross Process.

Corel says that Cross Processing is a modern photographic technique that creates unique color effects by mismatching the film and chemicals used to develop the film. This effect can be achieved by processing slide film in chemicals designed for color negative film.

However it is done, what a fabulous result! I've used this filter quite a bit on portraits and the results are amazing. The default intensity is set to 50. The higher you go the more intense the colors, or you can go lower just to enhance the tones of your original.

This Photo Edge is subtle yet makes the vivid colors of this filter pop and also gives it a somewhat three-dimensional appearance.

Whichever filter you prefer, remember the Save As recommendation and have fun with it!

Which one was your favorite? Vote below.