Deep Dream Generator — The Sewing Machine Files

Not all my readers like the output from Deep Dream’s processing engine but many readers do. This post is for the latter. 

As I play with Deep Dream, more and more I come to rely on a small set of “go-to” Style images that have a good chance of producing results I’ll like. 

These are the images used as the “Style” for the AI to blend into the main photo. Meaning, the original photo is still recognizable but incorporates elements of the Style photo as determined by the AI. 

Once you choose a Style photo, you can adjust how heavy or light you want it applied. Heavier, and less of the original will be retained. For 90% of what I do, I leave it at the default settings. 

This post is about one of my Style “go-to” photos:

Honest, when I first looked at this as a possible Style candidate, it was from an impulse to “be weird” and I had no expectations regarding the results.  As it turned out, I applied it to one of the more difficult images I’ve been playing with and liked what I got. 

It was the eyes. With every other Style image, the eyes were washed out or darkened and thus removed as an influence to the viewer. But not the Singer sewing machine. The eyes popped.

I then tried it on another difficult primate shot . . . 

I also liked that the colors got livelier and jumped out without being overpowering. 

How about the other gorilla photos? All winners in my book (some might not agree, but again, it’s a matter of preference) and all more striking than other processing efforts with software like Topaz and ON1. 

It’s difficult picking a favorite, but that last one sure is impressive. 

It doesn’t work with all images, of course, but at the very least — as I said — it ampes up the colors.

Here are some of the “lesser” images as far as results:

I’m not saying those are “bad” but in comparison to some of the other subjects, they are not as striking. On their own, I still like them otherwise they wouldn’t be in this post. 

Sometimes, the effect is pretty wild and that — as much as the subject and colors combinations — is what gives the images their punch.

Other times, the effect is subdued but still results in a visually striking offering.

If I look at these three, I’m hard-pressed to describe what the algorithm did to the colors. They are more striking, yes, but in a way I can’t do by playing with saturation and intensity. There’s a blending similar to what you might see from a painter who knows exactly what colors to pair and in what quantities to augment the judicious use of style elements that are sometimes nuanced and sometimes in-your-face. 

Take this skull . . . 

Now that I see it, I notice how well the application of some colors and features work with the features of the skull, but I’m not sure I’d ever been able to come up with something like that. 

I mean, yes, I don’t have the Photoshop skills, but I’m also referring to what the AI chose to do. And, yes, I get it; some readers might look at that and yell out “It’s CRAP!” in whatever language Australians use. 

But, I also know that for some of us — in ways we can’t rightly explain — the results are visual feasts. 

I’ll keep this post short as I offer up what were for me perhaps the most surprising results. 

The originals of these photos have all appeared on this blog. You might even recognize a few. And now, here’s the gallery and the photos were also added to the ongoing SmugMug Gallery HERE.

The detail on this one gets lost when subject to other processing.

Look! you can finally see the finger!

That’s it. This post has ended . . . except for the stuff below.

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