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04/20/2006 10:01:45 AM · #1 |
I have this dillema with color saturation. I have a hard time telling when there is too much color or too little. I know this a bit silly question as this is very subjective but perhaps someone can give me a hint.
In general I like a bit over saturated images. I am used to shooting Fuji Velvia. Now I process my RAW images and maybe I am afraid to overdo it so my images look a bit flat. I a not sure
I am a newbie to photography. Can anyone give me pointers.
Here are some examples of my pictures. Can you tell me what you think and what they lack.
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04/20/2006 10:07:02 AM · #2 |
IF you like Velvia film, there is a sweet action on this page that mimmicks it.
//www.atncentral.com/download.htm
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04/20/2006 10:12:10 AM · #3 |
Thanks. I already have Velvia Vision from Fred Miranda. The thing is I would like to be able to do my own adjustments.
What do you think of the pictures I posted as far as color and tonality? |
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04/20/2006 10:13:49 AM · #4 |
First of all-- those are great photos. As far as adressing the "flatness" you can bump up contrast with an S-curve in curves (in Photoshop). This will give them more depth w/o strongly affecting color saturation. I would say that all the examples you have shown have good saturation, but the first and last need a bit of contrast adjustment.
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04/20/2006 10:17:27 AM · #5 |
Try the demo of Opanda DigitalFilm for making you own adjustments during the process. See if that is closer to what you are looking for. Very simple to use with great results.
Andy |
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04/20/2006 10:17:41 AM · #6 |
Originally posted by jpeters:
First of all-- those are great photos. As far as adressing the "flatness" you can bump up contrast with an S-curve in curves (in Photoshop). This will give them more depth w/o strongly affecting color saturation. I would say that all the examples you have shown have good saturation, but the first and last need a bit of contrast adjustment. |
Thank you for you suggestion. I did do s-curve but perhaps not enough.
When I view them on my Mac LCD monitor (calibrated) they look much much nicer (saturation). When I view them on my work CRT monitor (calibrated with the same program) they don't look as nice. |
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04/20/2006 10:18:00 AM · #7 |
Yes, I was about to say the flatness issues look like contrast more than color saturation. The color saturation looks rather good.
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04/20/2006 10:24:01 AM · #8 |
Originally posted by awpollard:
Try the demo of Opanda DigitalFilm for making you own adjustments during the process. See if that is closer to what you are looking for. Very simple to use with great results.
Andy |
Thank you but it is not available for a Mac
Anyway, I can pretty much do my own adjustments. The problem I am having is being able to see when too much is too much or too little is too little. I am the problem. I am not an artistic person and I am a newbie in photography and have a hard time deciding when something is just perfect or when it is overdone. I know, I need practice. |
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04/20/2006 11:14:08 AM · #9 |
They do look like a little contrast bump in general would be a good thing. The difference between your (calibrated) Mac and other (calibrated) PC minotors may be what gamma value they are calibrated to. Macs and PCs are often different, and that will affect how contrasty an image appears.
Bumping contrast with a s-curve will raise saturation as well, unless applied in luminosity blend mode. I think that would be a benefit here too.
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04/20/2006 11:21:05 AM · #10 |
Originally posted by kirbic:
They do look like a little contrast bump in general would be a good thing. The difference between your (calibrated) Mac and other (calibrated) PC minotors may be what gamma value they are calibrated to. Macs and PCs are often different, and that will affect how contrasty an image appears.
Bumping contrast with a s-curve will raise saturation as well, unless applied in luminosity blend mode. I think that would be a benefit here too. |
Actually I calibrated both Gamma 2.2
I will boost the contrast on the pics and see how they look. thank you |
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04/20/2006 11:38:00 AM · #11 |
Try this trick before you over saturate.
Double-Process RAW for better Tonality
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04/20/2006 11:41:46 AM · #12 |
thank you, I will try that |
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04/20/2006 11:47:57 AM · #13 |
The first is tough lighting with her face being shadowed yet having a pretty bright background. Saturation isn't going to help too much there. I'm guessing a fill flash may have.
The second looks to be shot at midday which will always wash colors out. I'd use a polarizer.
The third is excellent. I might try saturating the reds a tiny bit more to give the earth a little more tone, but that would be subjective. You don't need more contrast on that one.
The fourth needs more contrast, but you may need to lower the exposure a bit to compensate as the hat is on the verge of blowing out. One trick I have learned in RAW conversion is the actually LOWER the contrast (to a negative number in Adobe Bridge for example) and then later boost it back in PS. Contrast is one quality you may have better control over in Photoshop rather than in the RAW converter. |
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04/20/2006 11:59:25 AM · #14 |
Originally posted by DrAchoo:
The first is tough lighting with her face being shadowed yet having a pretty bright background. Saturation isn't going to help too much there. I'm guessing a fill flash may have.
The second looks to be shot at midday which will always wash colors out. I'd use a polarizer.
The third is excellent. I might try saturating the reds a tiny bit more to give the earth a little more tone, but that would be subjective. You don't need more contrast on that one.
The fourth needs more contrast, but you may need to lower the exposure a bit to compensate as the hat is on the verge of blowing out. One trick I have learned in RAW conversion is the actually LOWER the contrast (to a negative number in Adobe Bridge for example) and then later boost it back in PS. Contrast is one quality you may have better control over in Photoshop rather than in the RAW converter. |
excellent, thank you. I will probably work on these again tomorrow. I will post the results. |
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04/20/2006 01:18:52 PM · #15 |
I too have the same difficulty Maggie and am trying to learn. And monitors make such a difference. I always tend to err on the side of caution and I think it costs me. I think err'ing on the side of saturation and brighter more vivid colors is probably wiser. But I always find at the last minute I back down.
Anyways, I toyed with a couple of your shots and here is what I got.
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04/20/2006 01:40:19 PM · #16 |
Originally posted by theSaj:
I too have the same difficulty Maggie and am trying to learn. And monitors make such a difference. I always tend to err on the side of caution and I think it costs me. I think err'ing on the side of saturation and brighter more vivid colors is probably wiser. But I always find at the last minute I back down.
Anyways, I toyed with a couple of your shots and here is what I got.
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great, I like what you did, so what did you do? :) |
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04/20/2006 02:32:11 PM · #17 |
Another trick to enhance the contrast and make a flat image pop a little more is to use Unsharp Mask with a low level and high radius. Use it on a final composite image before any other sharpening. Some numbers I use:
Amount: 12-16%
Diameter: 48-64 pixels
Threshold - 0
After this, you can apply "regular" USM, if needed -- I don't like pictures over-sharpened, and sometimes this technique provides enough by itself. |
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04/20/2006 02:34:12 PM · #18 |
Originally posted by GeneralE:
Another trick to enhance the contrast and make a flat image pop a little more is to use Unsharp Mask with a low level and high radius. Use it on a final composite image before any other sharpening. Some numbers I use:
Amount: 12-16%
Diameter: 48-64 pixels
Threshold - 0
After this, you can apply "regular" USM, if needed -- I don't like pictures over-sharpened, and sometimes this technique provides enough by itself. |
Yes, I am aware of this technique. I am not sure if I used it on any of these photos here, but I call this technique Haze Cutter. |
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04/20/2006 02:36:52 PM · #19 |
Originally posted by maggieddd:
Originally posted by theSaj:
I too have the same difficulty Maggie and am trying to learn. And monitors make such a difference. I always tend to err on the side of caution and I think it costs me. I think err'ing on the side of saturation and brighter more vivid colors is probably wiser. But I always find at the last minute I back down.
Anyways, I toyed with a couple of your shots and here is what I got.
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great, I like what you did, so what did you do? :) |
1) Bumped contrast up a bit, and I believe the brightness on one just a touch and on the other I believe I dropped the brightness.
2) Increased the overall saturation on the first one, the second one I did likewise but then de-saturated the cyan a bit back down for the beads. I also saturated the green and hue shifted it a few points.
I wonder if it's easier to bring out more in another person's photo than it is in one's own work.
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04/20/2006 03:32:54 PM · #20 |
Originally posted by theSaj:
Originally posted by maggieddd:
Originally posted by theSaj:
I too have the same difficulty Maggie and am trying to learn. And monitors make such a difference. I always tend to err on the side of caution and I think it costs me. I think err'ing on the side of saturation and brighter more vivid colors is probably wiser. But I always find at the last minute I back down.
Anyways, I toyed with a couple of your shots and here is what I got.
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great, I like what you did, so what did you do? :) |
1) Bumped contrast up a bit, and I believe the brightness on one just a touch and on the other I believe I dropped the brightness.
2) Increased the overall saturation on the first one, the second one I did likewise but then de-saturated the cyan a bit back down for the beads. I also saturated the green and hue shifted it a few points.
I wonder if it's easier to bring out more in another person's photo than it is in one's own work. |
Thank you, I will work on the pics tomorrow probably |
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04/20/2006 04:11:44 PM · #21 |
Here's a somewhat more aggressive take on them, Maggie. I used contrast masking (described in the landscape/natural light learning thread) in several passes at different layer modes, plus some hue/sat work, to accomplish this. If you want more details, ask away.
 
Robt.
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04/20/2006 04:46:13 PM · #22 |
I so need to learn layers... *sighs*
Time alas is a quantity that is greatly lacking and seems proportionately related to my lack in $$$. Though if I give up great amounts of "T" one can get a little bit more $. However, Salary eliminates that aspect of the equation. |
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04/20/2006 05:33:40 PM · #23 |
Just so everyone knows, this is called "Local Contrast Enhancement".
//www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/contrast-enhancement.shtml
Originally posted by maggieddd:
Originally posted by GeneralE:
Another trick to enhance the contrast and make a flat image pop a little more is to use Unsharp Mask with a low level and high radius. Use it on a final composite image before any other sharpening. Some numbers I use:
Amount: 12-16%
Diameter: 48-64 pixels
Threshold - 0
After this, you can apply "regular" USM, if needed -- I don't like pictures over-sharpened, and sometimes this technique provides enough by itself. |
Yes, I am aware of this technique. I am not sure if I used it on any of these photos here, but I call this technique Haze Cutter. |
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04/20/2006 06:25:37 PM · #24 |
Originally posted by theSaj:
I so need to learn layers... *sighs*
Time alas is a quantity that is greatly lacking and seems proportionately related to my lack in $$$. Though if I give up great amounts of "T" one can get a little bit more $. However, Salary eliminates that aspect of the equation. |
It's not that big a deal, Jason. They really aren't that hard to learn. You're very close to me, man. come up for an overnight stay and you'll go home with your eyes open and your fingers twitching. And no, it won't be the espresso...
Robt.
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04/20/2006 06:47:23 PM · #25 |
Since I am reading Dan Margulis' book about LAB color in Photoshop, I had to give this a shot. I think this is a pretty agressive pass at it, and may not be everybody's taste. I did this using a single curves adjustment layer in LAB mode.
These are great shots.
Liza
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