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Cellpic Sunday – The NDSU Newman Center at Night

Saint Paul’s Catholic Newman Center. (Altered reality)

Fargo, North Dakota.

In 1958, a group of Catholics held a groundbreaking ceremony for the original Newman Center. This Catholic Students Club was established in 1928, and its aim is to foster religious interests and provide a sense of community for Catholic students at the University. It took 30 years to grow the need for a dedicated space for North Dakota State University (NDSU) Catholic students. The center is diagonally across the street from the NDSU campus.

Fast-forward to 2015, the “Changing Hearts, Changing Lives” Capital Campaign was launched to raise funds for a new, modern Newman Center. By 2019, another groundbreaking event took place, and the new church was dedicated and completed in 2023.

I drive by the church almost every day in Fargo while on my way to my local gym. Since its completion, I’ve been impressed with the Center’s design and construction. Unlike many modern churches that look more like business offices than places of worship, The Newman Center is an “old school” church design.

About the photo: On a cloudy day, I parked across the street in a lot and snapped a few cell phone pictures. My goal was to complete another Day-to-Night conversion. Since I discovered Jamie R. Mathlin on YouTube here, I’ve been enamored with his techniques in Lightroom and Photoshop for changing from day to night. The process is easy but time-consuming. His videos run upwards of an hour or even more. I enjoy manipulating the file and feel accomplished at completing a project, even though I am not as adept at the process as he is.

Newman Center-1
Original photo: Saint Paul’s Newman Center.

To start the project, I used Luminar Neo to replace the gray sky with a starlit night sky. I picked one with twilight rising from the east. Then, I sent the file to Photoshop for its generative fill to remove the large utility box and the four yellow safety posts at the curb. I used Photoshop instead of Luminar’s fill tool, which isn’t as accomplished. The Generative Fill tool generated three potential trees that could have been behind the utility box. I picked one.

Next, it was time to darken the exposure. I only lowered the exposure by about half a stop, but that and the night sky were enough to give the impression of a night scene. The long lamp in the entryway was already lit, so as a first step, I took a radial fill mask and raised the exposure in the doorway, then another tilted to increase the exposure of the floor underneath the entrance.

Then, it came time for the big project in Lightroom Classic: illuminating the many lamps on the wall and on the church grounds. That took the most time. I won’t describe the details here, as Jamie better explains the technique in his video for those interested in the methods. All in all, 24 radial masks were applied with brush masks subtracted from the radials in many places. For the final cleanup, I removed the speed limit sign from the street light in front of the steeple.

I encourage fellow bloggers to create their own Cellpic Sunday posts. I never have a specific topic for this feature, and the only rules are that the photo must be captured with a cell phone, iPad, or another mobile device… If you have an image from a drone or even a dashcam, that’s also acceptable. The second rule is to link your challenge response to this post or leave a comment here with a link to your post in the comment. Oh, you don’t have to post it on a Sunday.

John Steiner

40 comments

    • Thanks, Jez. I already saw your post about the Tay Bridge. I replied to Eklastic about the poem she mentioned, then I asked a question about your vantage point for the bridge photo. I posted the comment twice, and both times it froze at “Submitting Comment.”
      My comment was, “I looked it up on Google maps. Are you looking northwest toward Dundee or southeast to the opposite shore?”

      Reply

    • I am sure that there are telltale signs that the image is altered. I especially had that feeling with the sky replacement.
      Like Adamski, 3D pop-out images, and other photo alterations that I’ve tried, I’ll look for potential conversions, but will probably only occasionally publish others.

      Reply

    • Yep, I saw your comment on his blog, and responded to it there.
      I agree that there is something “unreal” about the image. I think it’s the sky replacement, mostly.
      In any case, the building is a beautiful structure, quite unlike the construction of late 20th and early 21st century churches which look more like office buildings.

      Reply

  12. This is remarkable, John. I need to make time and watch one of those videos. Do you have a specific and introductory recommendation? He seems to have several on his site. I have attempted altered reality a couple of times only, but it was all trial and error. I was doing it on my own.

    Reply

    • Below is a link to one of the first videos that taught me the basic concepts. He demonstrates sky replacement in Photoshop (I use Luminar Neo instead,), lighting lanterns realistically, and putting interior lights behind the windows inside of buildings. I use Adobe Lightroom Classic for masking. I tried it in Neo, but his technique in Lightroom is better.

      Reply

    • It is tedious, but when I have the time, I find it enjoyable and creative! By the way, for some reason, several of your comments were in my spam folder. I’m now approving them and responding for the different posts where you left them. Maybe approving these will allow the spam filter to automatically approve them.

      Reply

  18. Way over my photographer pay scale, John. That is a beautiful building in both lighting. I am overwhelmed with how good the lights look. 🙂 xxxxxx

    Reply

  20. Your transformation of the Saint Paul’s Catholic Newman Center photo into a night scene is truly impressive. The detailed process, from replacing the sky in Luminar Neo to using Photoshop’s generative fill and meticulously illuminating the lamps in Lightroom, showcases your dedication and skill. It’s fascinating how a simple cell phone image evolved into a stunning altered reality project that highlights the architectural beauty of the church.

    Your appreciation for the Newman Center’s “old school” design is well-placed, as it stands out among modern churches with its timeless elegance. The dedication to capturing its charm at night adds a unique perspective, emphasizing the peaceful and spiritual ambiance.

    The Cellpic Sunday challenge is such a creative initiative, and your post is a great example of how mobile photography can be transformed into art. Thank you for sharing your process and inspiring others to explore this medium!

    Reply

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