Help with this pic please! - DPChallenge Forums

Panasonic DMW-LTZ10 1.5x Teleconverter

07/03/2006 11:56:28 PM · #1

Well, it looks like it was taken in a warehouse...Many of these folks want to buy a copy and I'd like to do something to spruce it up a bit.

It's the Lucas family - it was a wedding (there is a bride and groom in the middle there if you look carefully). And it was a very utilitarian hall in a public park.

Any ideas?

Message edited by author 2006-07-03 23:57:14.

kari1

Panasonic DMC-FZ20

07/04/2006 12:07:41 AM · #2

I think is ok ... the walls are dirty .. I would clone the dark marks out ... I would also clone out the doors and recrop .... basically above door to below feet ... to edge of arms ... this contains the shot ... recolour the walls .. .the beige helps no one ... but then again .. beige never has ... I don't know .. just some ideas .... you of course will have loads of fun playing .. to get it just right. But then I don't know a hell of a lot ... but would try this to get it started.

riolobo

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro

07/04/2006 12:23:59 AM · #3

It would be easy to mask out the walls, doors, chair rail, and table; masking the floor would be only slightly more work. Then you could place your group in a more interesting setting, e.g., a park or the beach.

07/04/2006 12:32:50 AM · #4

This is really quick and really sloppy, but it give us an idea of how it would look with the background darkened. This looks more like a studio instead of a gym.

GentleSoul

Canon EOS-30D

Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS

07/04/2006 01:01:54 AM · #5

My logic for going with the quadtone was that it would not only give it a more classic look, but also subdue the bright colored clothing worn by some people in the group. Somehow in Faye's variation, though, the bright clothing doesn't bother me, though.

Anyway... just another idea.

Good luck!

Liz

Canon EOS-60D

07/04/2006 01:04:34 AM · #6

Not a great job, but a quickie...just cloned out the door and some of the dark moulding on the walls, and cropped in closer...something like this might work to make it look less warehouse-ish. ;)

awpollard

Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS

07/04/2006 01:08:02 AM · #7

Originally posted by GentleSoul:

I really like what Faye did with the darkened background.

I played around with a different approach. This is pretty sloppy, but basically, I made it into a quadtone (Ken Lee's Lavender Bronze quadtone) and gave it a border. I also started cloning out some items. for the cloning to be complete, I'd think you'd need to clone out the back door, the wall border on the left, and the table on the right. I cloned out (again, sloppily) the table on the right.

My logic for going with the quadtone was that it would not only give it a more classic look, but also subdue the bright colored clothing worn by some people in the group. Somehow in Faye's variation, though, the bright clothing doesn't bother me, though.

Anyway... just another idea.

Good luck!

Liz

This is a really nice touch... the Border/Family Name makes it personal and closes the deal on not so charming background.

Panasonic DMW-LTZ10 1.5x Teleconverter

07/04/2006 01:15:33 AM · #8

Cropping won't work - I guess I should have mentioned that. It has to able to be printed a standard size - as in 8x10 (the ratio it is now). I had to expand the top and bottom a bit to even get there - and that's part of what made it so fugly.

I like the dark bit - and the name at the bottom - i was trying to think of some way to incorporate it.

Not sure about the beach...perhaps teh American flag? imitation muslin for more of that studio feeling...

kari1

Panasonic DMC-FZ20

07/04/2006 01:22:29 AM · #9

Hey Prof

Question .. how did you expand the size ... one way of doing this is to add a border when you need more added ... have you tried this?

Kari

07/04/2006 01:54:52 AM · #10

If you like the dark background, maybe just add the top back as a black border to get the right size and add some wording in the space?

suemack

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

07/04/2006 01:58:27 AM · #11

That's lovely Faye!

Brad

Olympus OM-D E-M1

Olympus 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO M.Zuiko

07/04/2006 02:09:52 AM · #12

Could always place them in a nicer background setting.
(just a quick edit)

---- to ---->

Message edited by author 2006-07-04 02:12:48.

yanko

Carl Zeiss 50mm ZE f/1.4 Planar T for Canon

07/04/2006 02:46:19 AM · #13

I never like my font work but here goes. I I like Faye's idea with the black background. The masking sucks but it was just a quick edit using the Magic Wand. It can obviously be fine tuned. I also dodged the floor just a bit to give it that little extra. I also used shadow/highlights to bring out some detail in the shadows mainly their shirts.

ETA: The guy in the shades in the back looks like he's not even part of the family and just jumped in there at the last second. :P

Message edited by author 2006-07-04 02:49:07.

07/04/2006 03:05:40 AM · #14

Originally posted by BradP:

Could always place them in a nicer background setting.
(just a quick edit)
---- to ---->

Nice work here :)

07/04/2006 03:08:52 AM · #15

Originally posted by yanko:

I like this one too. The guy with the shades is prolly the brides ex trying to ruin the photo.

hanneke

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

07/04/2006 03:17:40 AM · #16

Originally posted by Faye Pekas:

I like this one too. The guy with the shades is prolly the brides ex trying to ruin the photo.

you mean the guy with the sunglasses, right? he caught my attention immediately :P

GentleSoul

Canon EOS-30D

07/04/2006 07:46:29 AM · #17

Originally posted by BradP:

Could always place them in a nicer background setting.
(just a quick edit)
---- to ---->

Wow - this is really nice! And you say this is a "quick edit"???

I really need to learn how to select/mask around complicated edges...

GentleSoul

Canon EOS-30D

07/04/2006 07:51:46 AM · #18

Originally posted by yanko:

This is really nice, too. I especially like the dodging of the floor and the shadow/highlight edit on the people.

I don't have the time at the moment to try it, but I think using Brad's background with Yanko's people and flood edit, along with the family name or some such personalized info at the bottom, would be a really nice version.

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8

07/04/2006 12:24:30 PM · #19

bump for day crew

pcody

Canon PowerShot G6

07/04/2006 12:47:11 PM · #20

Everyone did a great job on their edits. I have a question though. After the photo rescue operation we did last summer, Becky said something that made me think about pp pictures of events. Do the best you can but don't recreate something that wasn't there or you can't see was there.
So my question is, should the background be replaced? Every person in the photo will remember the place the wedding took place in. When they look at the picture with a different background, what are they going to think? I know there is a desire on the photographer's part to give the customers the best that s/he can, but does s/he have a right to take away the reality of the event?
Don't get mad at me, I'm curious about what people think about altering event type photos of this nature.

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8

07/04/2006 02:33:43 PM · #21

Man, you guys are good!
I tried a few 'scenic' bgs, and well, I never like the end result when I do it.

I wimped and used PS's render clouds and then played with the hue/sat and curves, thru in some text and got this:

if you see any glaring flaws let me know - i want to get this online to sell later today.

I don't have a clue how Yanko did the lines thing on the text - looks good though.

@pcody - I am not a journalist recording history. My goal is to make people happy, make them look good and give them a product they will pay me for. If i want them to buy an 11x14 for $25 to hang in their living room then I think it needs a new BG of somekind. The barndoors are nice, but may be a bit too much beyond what they remember. I don't think they'll find the 'muslin' look objectionable.

I'll find out by how many i sell i suppose!

edit to add: Are you all referring to the guy in the shades in the middle in the back row? Not sure what part of the family he is, but he is blind. I told everyone to look at me, I guess he couldn't hear me or see me. ;P

Message edited by author 2006-07-04 14:36:04.

pcody

Canon PowerShot G6

07/04/2006 03:01:11 PM · #22

I can see your point and am sorry I brought up a thought that wasn't really about helping you save that picture. I apologize.

Artifacts

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

07/04/2006 04:20:36 PM · #23

Originally posted by Prof_Fate:

Note:
The guy in the glasses only WANTS you to think he is blind. That is part of his FBI cover posing as a very distant cousin to infiltrate the Lucas family as part of a massive anti-terrorist sting operation.

Apparently, the Lucas family is the primary suspects in an unsolved string of spectacular Fourth of July sparkler attacks at celebrations all over Pennsylvania occuring over a period of decades. You can tell just by looking at them that they are guilty.

yanko

Carl Zeiss 50mm ZE f/1.4 Planar T for Canon

07/04/2006 04:32:40 PM · #24

LOL. I thought that guy was up to no good. :P

Prof_Fate, your edit looks good to me. It's clean and the focus is on the family where it should be. Good luck with it.