Before & After #41

[suzyb]

This game is to help those of us who are trying to learn new tricks when it comes to editing.

Here's the breakdown of the game. I will post a picture that I choose, resized to exactly 800 pixels maximum on the long side. Outside of being resized it has to be unedited...meaning no adjustments to any levels, it has to look like it did as it came out of the camera.

The game will last 48hrs and whoever can produce the best edited image (as judged by me) will be picked and it'll be their turn to post their unedited picture for all of us to take a crack at.

The participants must have their "Image Editing OK" turned on and they must provide at least a simple breakdown of how they edited the image, some entrants are a little vague on this point, please give us all details so we can learn and share tips. For instance if you use the unsharp mask tool or Smart Sharpen, provide us with the adjustments you used so others can try them out.

You can post multiple images, but the first image you post will be the one that is judged - all other images will be considered for knowledge and tip use only.

Also, please keep all comments, be they positive or negative, to yourself until after the game has ended.

If you happen to be the winner of the game please start the next one with the title of the game and the following number. For example…the next game should read (Before and After # 42).

This is all about having fun so have at it!!!

This game will end on Thursday, April 3rd at 11am (Mountain).

I actually took the camera with us to the zoo last week for some practice. Caught the bears at snack time (and this one just after a swim). I think the focus is a little out of whack, but let's see what you can do with it.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2404/2379843167_5cd5dc366f_o.jpg

[neumanns]

I set him free...

Select and dropped into lake photo and used transform tool to resize, that was about it.

It is not without issues but I kinda like it.

[BitterSweet]

Hopefully people don't think I'm a mean person after this but this is what came into my head after I added the squirrel :) :)

To me it looked as if he was looking at something. I wanted to put a cub but couldn't find a good one so I did a squirrel.

-Cropped
-Added squirrel
-burned some of the logs and the bone
-added contrast
-brightened
- blurred the logs in the back alittle
- added vignette, border and text.

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii244/Devilslilvamp/ba41.jpg

[kab8715]

adjusted brightness and contrast.
duplicated layer
selected & sharpened bear
flipped horizontal
used ez action to soften pic
added border

http://yourmemories2dvd.com/after41b.jpg

[Atheist]

Hopefully people don't think I'm a mean person after this but this is what came into my head after I added the squirrel :) :)

To me it looked as if he was looking at something. I wanted to put a cub but couldn't find a good one so I did a squirrel.

-Cropped
-Added squirrel
-burned some of the logs and the bone
-added contrast
-brightened
- blurred the logs in the back alittle
- added vignette, border and text.

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii244/Devilslilvamp/ba41.jpg
I like this! Not too good with PS so I just tried to duplicate it to see if i could learn a bit but alas, I'm no good ;)

How did you vignette like that?

[BitterSweet]

I like this! Not too good with PS so I just tried to duplicate it to see if i could learn a bit but alas, I'm no good ;)

How did you vignette like that?

Even if you're not that great you still should try to do one. They're alot of fun and you can always learn more from other people.

The vignette is from a program called Nik Software Color Efex Pro. I just mess around with the setting until I get it the way I want. I still haven't learned how to make one with out the program.

[TheSonofDarwin]

Here's almost exactly how I used to do vignette, quick and dirty but it works: http://www.metacafe.com/watch/888512/using_photoshop_cs3_to_add_a_vignette_to_picture/

_________________


Crop
Adjusted contrast
Increased saturation a wee bit
Gradient B->W layer to darken the top portion of image
Black layer to dark entire image further
Added light coming from the top left
Smart Blur at various opacities, masked the bear off
Midnight filter on soft light - masked the bear to allow just a little filter to affect it
For the border I just applied another midnight filter on normal
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y173/thesonofdarwin/bearfinal.jpg

[sf1]

Neumanns, you bet me to it, I've been waiting over 10 hours for this shot to load to photobucket.

Still, I thought this guy or gal needed a mate.

1. Grabbed one of my shots and sized it to match your photo size - so the bears were similar in size.
2. Sharpened original bear, then used the quick select tool and selected the original bear and copied it.
3. Pasted the original bear to my pic.
4. Sharpened with USM.
5. Vignette to taste.
6. Framed.

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u198/shanef1/BA41.jpg

[ZeroOne86]

-Levels
-Layer with soft light setting filled with black and on a mask and painted the logs white
-Bumped up the saturation
-Warm photo filter
-Brightness/Contrast

[neumanns]

The sad truth...This is the first time I have combined two elements in a photo and this process only took me about 15 minutes. (remember it was my first, thus I was quite pleased)

But then I spent an hour trying to correct what I didn't like and wound up liking the original drop best even with the issues.

The moral...I attempted somthing I have never done before, for that I say thanks.

PP beyond levels curves is completly new to me.

Bittersweet....Doesent bother me at all! My first thought was to replace that bone, but I decided that WOULD have been in poor taste! ( I'm not even gonna tell what I was gonna replace it with)

[SilverHCIC]

Even if you're not that great you still should try to do one. They're alot of fun and you can always learn more from other people.

PP beyond levels curves is completly new to me.


Like BitterSweet said, everyone should give it a try and post something here!!! It is a LOT of fun, and you can't help but learn things from others. I have learned techniques and gotten GREAT ideas from watching everyone else here. ... Heck I'm still working with an old version of PS Elements version 4 ... I don't even have PS7, CS2, CS3, Lightroom, Nik, etc., etc. ... But I've learned enough here that I can use my old PS Elements v4 WAY better than before I started playing!!! It's thanks to everyone here at B&F that my skills have gotten better!!! -- Thanks guys!!!

[BitterSweet]

Like BitterSweet said, everyone should give it a try and post something here!!! It is a LOT of fun, and you can't help but learn things from others. I have learned techniques and gotten GREAT ideas from watching everyone else here. ... Heck I'm still working with an old version of PS Elements version 4 ... I don't even have PS7, CS2, CS3, Lightroom, Nik, etc., etc. ... But I've learned enough here that I can use my old PS Elements v4 WAY better than before I started playing!!! It's thanks to everyone here at B&F that my skills have gotten better!!! -- Thanks guys!!!


wow you really only have elements ?!?!?!?! Dude then you rock if you can do such great edits with only that. I have all this little programs that help me with everything I just know how to put it all together right lol.

[SilverHCIC]

wow you really only have elements ?!?!?!?! Dude then you rock if you can do such great edits with only that. I have all this little programs that help me with everything I just know how to put it all together right lol.
... Yeah :rolleyes: I'm embarrased to admit it, but I only have PSE4. ... I think I got it for 39.95 at Costco a few years back. I have probably pushed it further than about 99% of the original users, and I still keep learning GREAT techniques from people like YOU !!!;) ... It just takes me twice as many steps to do it, and three times as many layers!!!:cry:

[SilverHCIC]

I liked the picture the way it was, so I just fine-tuned it.
1. Removed color cast
2. Selective sharpening of grizzly's face USM 100, 1.3,1
3. Slight lighting adjustment via levels
4. Recropped & added border

[suzyb]

I think I'm going to have to bounce it back to Bittersweet and declare her the winner. The color on your version looks just right. Added some drama with the squirrel (Is he "awww....cute" or "awww...poor thing"?) And you made the bone look downright juicy....ewwwww.

Runner up goes to SonOfDarwin. I didn't know that using smart blur would give an illustrated effect like that. It looks cool! I had to try it out for myself. If I could get an outline around everything, it would remind me of that movie...A Scanner Darkly.

Thanks, everyone, for giving it a go!

[BitterSweet]

LOL thanks. Sadly it depends if you say they're friends he's "awww..cute" , but if you think he might be the bears next snack then he's " run squirrel run" :).

The next one will be up shortly.

[BitterSweet]

Ok next one is up.

[sf1]

Congrats.

[SilverHCIC]

Congrats Tracey - Great edit. I laughed when I saw it!!

[TheSonofDarwin]

I didn't know that using smart blur would give an illustrated effect like that. It looks cool! I had to try it out for myself. If I could get an outline around everything, it would remind me of that movie...A Scanner Darkly.

I didn't know it would either! It wasn't my intended effect, but after I saw what it did I liked it. I had 3 layers I think at very high settings, so under normal use I'm not sure what it'd look like.

Congrats Tracey! And nice job everyone else.