Tips to improve photos.

[satnitefever]

Mostly due to me, but I have a few photos I would like tips on how to correct in photoshop.

http://image.pbase.com/u2/satnitefever/medium/18071836.pic1.jpg
(full resolution: http://www.pbase.com/image/18071836/original)
I would say more contrast(?) between the subject and the background could help.

http://genji.image.pbase.com/u2/satnitefever/upload/18071845.focusing.jpg
and argh what bad auto focusing on the G3!

[Deckyon]

Um, cant see your images...

[satnitefever]

strange, ok i'll link it somewhere else

[BruceW]

satnitefever,

Did you want to correct the colors as well? Depends on what effect your after.

I tried them both in PhotoImpact and the second (out off focus) one looked much better just applying the auto brightness/contrast option. Still blurry of course.

The first one came out with a strong red cast. I played with the hue and color balance a bit but it still had a yellow cast. Need a bit of time to play with this one.

Did you by any chance use the night mode on the G3?
If so then you need to tell the subjects to keep still for the photo. In other words the blur may be due to movement and not focus. I tried sharpening them but there is a limit that can be applied before noise gets to much.

I assume you may not have PhotoImpact, so I will load Photoshop later and try that as well.

Bruce

[Sheri]

Here's a method for correcting dark photos I find myself using a lot:

http://graphicssoft.about.com/cs/photoshop/ht/apsunderexposed.htm

I think doing two screen layers significantly improves the second photo.

I played with the other photo a bit. Not sure its better but its different :D

I changed the color curve and applied some noise reduction.

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/silvermoonwoman//newpics//4satnitefever.jpg

Sheri

[BruceW]

satnitefever,

Everyone will have adifferent way of doing it I suppose. I don't use Photoshop very much,but here is my proposal:

For the one with the red cast:

Use Image/Adjust/Levels:
- set the mid value for RGB at 2.6
- mid value for Red at 0.3
- mid value of Green at 0.65
- leave blue alone and select; "OK"
- Now go to Brightness and +7

You may want to reduce noise as Sherri has suggested, but looks like it might be alittle overdone in the example posted.

For the out of focus picture:
- Brightness + 35
- Contrast + 18
- In Unsharpen Mask try:
- Amount 200
- Radius 0.8
- Threshold 3

Good Luck

These changes look reasonable on screen, but printing may be a different matter.

Bruce

[satnitefever]

Wow thank you everyone for the great tips ! I'll give them all a try now.

Thanks Sheri for posting that picture, it is a hassle uploading it and all that stuff.

Thanks for your tip as well Bruce !

[Sheri]

Hey found a tip on easily correcting for color cast: use Image|Adjust|Variations.

Details here: http://cda.dummies.com/WileyCDA/DummiesArticle/id-1617.html

Good luck,

Sheri (learning too)

[Dana]

Only had a few minutes to play w/this, but it's a fun exercise. Great "bad" shots to try to save. You should consider an external flash, or get w/in range of the internal one... :-)

http://home.san.rr.com/dawhites/Images/4satnitefever2-sml.jpg

Save from PS Elements at medium quality, reduced to 640x480. Still tons of problems, but a bit better. The sharpening increases the noise quite a bit (or makes it more evident) but at least you can see the (cute) couple.

If I was serious about this, I would do something about the blown highlights in the upper right corner, which inexorably draw your eye away from the people in the foreground.

Oh - I started w/Sheri's improved version...

Dana

[satnitefever]

thank you dana, it's just that using flash seems too artificial (even set at the lowest) and I am too poor to afford an external flash for now =p

Here I gave them all a try, here's the results

From

http://image.pbase.com/u2/satnitefever/large/18071836.pic1.jpg

to....

http://image.pbase.com/u2/satnitefever/large/18086137.final1.jpg

I still want to do something about the skin (similar to Dana's only I don't really like the background, it's too desaturated (?) ), i'll fool around more with PS...

thanks everyone =)

[Dana]

You either need to use the flash for internal shots like this, or move your subjects to a better location to make use of more ambient light, or accept that you're going to get marginal shots that with a lot of work in Photoshop may become sort of acceptable shots. :-)

As for artificial, heck, the G3 is pretty darn artificial!! If you want "reality" you should be using a chisel and chunk of stone. Just chip away the parts of the stone that don't look like your subjects. ;-)

Dana

[TimNYC24]

This is a good tutorial, thanks Satnitefever!
PE - Adjusted Hue/Saturation- RED 0, +80, +82 Master +8 Levels/Red 1, 0.79, 240

http://images.fotopic.net/?id=670669&outx=600&oq=0.jpg

[satnitefever]

dana wrote:
You either need to use the flash for internal shots like this, or move your subjects to a better location to make use of more ambient light, or accept that you're going to get marginal shots that with a lot of work in Photoshop may become sort of acceptable shots. :-)

As for artificial, heck, the G3 is pretty darn artificial!! If you want "reality" you should be using a chisel and chunk of stone. Just chip away the parts of the stone that don't look like your subjects. ;-)

Dana

LOL, well I am actually considering the 420 EX, it will set me back some ~$160 US (here they don't charge tax luckily) which is abit costly for me, especailly when I may only just use it for some rare occasions.

thanks once again Dana

Also, hopefully not bothering all of you again, but could I have a little tutorial from some of you to fix this image with Neat Image 2.2?

http://image.pbase.com/u2/satnitefever/medium/18126319.retards.jpg
(Full resolution: http://genji.image.pbase.com/u2/satnitefever/upload/18126319.retards.jpg )
The color is fine, but the noise is horrible !