New advice on editing this photo.

Fisher Price Kid-Tough Digital

05/17/2005 01:09:29 PM · #1

I took this today. It was very overcast and the sunrise was to my right. I haven't edited it in anyway yet. I think I had to high of a shutter speed which made the image look very dark. Plus I had the iso at 64 and probrably should have switched it to 100.

Just unsure besides cropping the bottom off.

Any advice would be more then welcome. I did try Dreansuite Mystical Lighting...for the sun "trail" to the sun spot on it. Did'nt look natural though.

LalliSig

05/17/2005 01:43:57 PM · #2

For starters, itÂ´s flatter than a margarita pizza and needs way way way more contrast. Try opening it in photoshop and go to image->adjustments->curves and there you can either try and play around with the curve (try making it slightly "S" shaped and it should improve dramatically) or just hit auto, it should pop up nicely. Then you could try increasing the saturation, if that is something you want to try, itÂ´s right there in image adjustments.

Also you could try dodging and burning, those tools are in the tool palette to your left and try settings at around 3-5% and repeated motion for the subltlest effect.

P.S. DonÂ´t worry about underexposing, itÂ´s at least better than overexposing an image as underexposure is way easier to correct.

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

05/17/2005 01:47:28 PM · #3

Thanks for your input Larus. I understand about the editing, but I guess I haven't developed an eye as to what a photo requires to improve it. Will start editing away and see what I can come up with.

Bear_Music

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

05/17/2005 01:53:32 PM · #4

How's this? Sky selection and saved, separate levels and hue/saturation and selective color applied to each section of the image, plus a contrasty gaussian blur image layer overlaid and faded to 13 percent ot so in the "color" layer mode.

Matthew

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Peleng 8mm f/3.5 Fisheye MC In M42 Mount

05/17/2005 01:55:43 PM · #5

Amazingf subject matter - really beautiful.

Here's a 5 min suggestion using basic PS: select sky (I used the colour selection tool, holding down Shift key and select areas until sky selected), brightness down a lot, contrast up a bit. Invert selection. Contrast up a lot (+50 or so), no change on brightness. Duplicate layer, bit of dodging and burning, increase contrast in clouds, add in light rays. Set opacity of new layer to about 75%. Use blur tool to blend sky with foreground (would work a lot better on full size image). Crop out foreground, as you say.

Looks a bit like this:

05/17/2005 02:13:56 PM · #6

Wow Bear and Leagl. I have alot to learn on editing photo's. Mostly what I have done in the past is web interfaces and the like. Just not use to editing a photo at all other then contrast and the like.

jenesis

Canon EOS-300D Rebel

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

05/17/2005 03:32:33 PM · #7

Here's a quick B&W version. I listed the details in the comment field. It's a lovely photo and you can probably do a lot with it. Hope you don't mind me playing with it. :-)

05/17/2005 03:48:53 PM · #8

Oh nice Jenesis. No edit it to your hearts desire. I have about 30 varying shots. From 2 different locations, wideangle as well as zoom.

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D

05/17/2005 04:03:20 PM · #9

Gorgeous shot.
One great thing here is that your shot was under-exposed a little and low in contrst.
Those are easily corrected in PS, and once over-exposed, the highlights get blown out and it's a goner.

Here's a couple quick edits:
(didn't burn in lighter area around mountain - just a quick edit - & a little more edit of the edit)

Just basics, no layers, just small changes at a time.

Message edited by author 2005-05-17 16:58:58.

rscorp

Nikon D70

05/17/2005 04:10:16 PM · #10

I may never hit the delete button again. Those are some amazing saves.

singsunshine

Pentax *ist DS

05/17/2005 04:11:40 PM · #11

Thats the beauty of New Mexico we get to see everyday...... Good pictures babe!!!

jenesis

Canon EOS-300D Rebel

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

05/17/2005 04:20:53 PM · #12

Well, leave it to Brad to blow my b&w version out of the water. Very nice processing, indeed! :-)

05/17/2005 04:22:02 PM · #13

Very nice brad. I understand the use of editing but just does not understand where and when and what to edit. I guess it is like photography and just comes with expereince editing photot's.

Here is another less detailed furth back shot. Any can edit away if they want.

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

05/17/2005 04:24:59 PM · #14

Originally posted by jenesis:

Well, leave it to Brad to blow my b&w version out of the water. Very nice processing, indeed! :-)

There was water there? I missed it - LOL

Thanks - love doing B&W Post-Processing - my favorite medium.

Bear_Music

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

05/17/2005 04:26:06 PM · #15

Originally posted by jenesis:

Well, leave it to Brad to blow my b&w version out of the water. Very nice processing, indeed! :-)

BOTH B/W versions are suffering from haloing around the rock, IMO. I don't think he's "blown you out of the water", jen.

R.

05/17/2005 04:31:46 PM · #16

Originally posted by DustDevil:

Very nice brad. I understand the use of editing but just does not understand where and when and what to edit. I guess it is like photography and just comes with expereince editing photot's.

Thanks - only thing I can suggest is spend time at it. Work a shot for an hour if need be, toss it, start over and try a different approach.
There has to be something that moves you when doing it, or having an idea where to go.
First step I take is white balance, then levels & options to see what I am playing with (was gonna say work, but it really is play). After that it is click to your heart's content and see what some adjustments do. Small steps. Selective color adjustments and bring up black levels there can often do wonders, but again, small steps, 20% or under at a time.

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

05/17/2005 04:36:27 PM · #17

Yeah your right Brad....I guess its like photography. It comes down to what the individual likes. No real set way to edit a photo so I have to find my own style and way. Within the rules of course.

Bear_Music

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

05/17/2005 04:42:08 PM · #18

Originally posted by DustDevil:

Yeah your right Brad....I guess its like photography. It comes down to what the individual likes. No real set way to edit a photo so I have to find my own style and way. Within the rules of course.

As a good starting point, clone off a copy to work on (preserve the original) then go to layers/new layer from BG. Work on that new layer. Go to Image/adjustments/autolevel and see what that looks like. Then step back in history to the BG layer copy, and try image/adjustments/autocolor and see what that looks like. Step back again.

You now have a quick sense of what's there. Based on what you saw, start your work with adjustment layers for either levels or color. Go from there.

A good, basic beginning...

Robt.

Here's a shot at the second one:

R.

Message edited by author 2005-05-17 16:54:31.

Best-Buy Easy Point & Click

05/17/2005 05:34:47 PM · #19

Originally posted by DustDevil:

Here is another less detailed furth back shot. Any can edit away if they want.

Same basics, but this time went into curves and formed a somewhat radical "S" curve to bring levels down. Shadow/Highlight adjustment, selectives again with black levels boosted on Blue & Cyan channels, contrast & Brightness adjustments, adjusted Hue & sat on Yellow & Red, then add my secret recipe:
Special B&W conversion, then faded back about 80%. Sponge desaturation a little on magenta slope on right side.

Message edited by author 2005-05-17 17:35:22.

nfessel

05/17/2005 05:42:01 PM · #20

No disrepect or anything, but I don't understand how you all have so much time to spend editing someone else's photos. I have a mountain of my own to play with. :) Are you all retired or independently wealthy? :)

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6

05/17/2005 05:42:10 PM · #21

Originally posted by bear_music:

BOTH B/W versions are suffering from haloing around the rock, IMO. I don't think he's "blown you out of the water", jen.

And quite right you are Robert. I hadn't looked at Jens version till now. Two different approaches with good end results (halos in quick edits are allowed btw)
:)

phreakon

Olympus C-740UZ

05/17/2005 05:43:50 PM · #22

Originally posted by BradP:

I love the third shot here. It was a nice capture to begin with and a little PS work makes this incredible. I have tried to get landscape images with interesting clouds come out looking intense like the edit to the far right. I haven't had much luck yet. This thread was helpful though.

05/17/2005 05:45:36 PM · #23

Originally posted by nfessel:

No one both - just tired and independant.
Just what happens when we get bored with our own photos....

Actually it is a bit of fun, personally educational for my own learning process in PS, all with the added benefit of helping others around here who we have also learned from. A Pass it Forward kind of thing.

(also a bit of a rivalrie between a couple of old ugly dudes too...)
LOL

Message edited by author 2005-05-17 18:02:08.

jenesis

Canon EOS-300D Rebel

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

05/17/2005 06:29:55 PM · #24

Originally posted by BradP:

Originally posted by jenesis:
Well, leave it to Brad to blow my b&w version out of the water. Very nice processing, indeed! :-)

There was water there? I missed it - LOL

Brad!! How could you miss that water?? What are you, Blind!?!! ;-)