Before & After #49

[BitterSweet]

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 # 49).

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

This game will end on Tuesday, April 22th at 9:30pm (EST).

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http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii244/Devilslilvamp/Ba49.jpg

[Shadiow]

Here is my attempt:

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a272/RedG35C/POTN%20PS%20Challenges/Ba49.jpg
Did a bunch of stuff, but don't remember all of it. I kind of feel bad, but I just went to town and didn't really think, just edited.

[TheSonofDarwin]

First and foremost, I learned why I never replace skies when trees are involved.

Desaturate
Sepia tone
Darken layer
Increase saturation + highlights of track path
Added sky (http://flickr.com/photos/mellyjean/743902197/) (oh so many blend layers)
Increased contrast
Desaturate in a gradient the trees
Painted a very slight blue hue onto trees
Burned upper regions of trees
USM (edit)
Border

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y173/thesonofdarwin/Ba49-1.jpg

[ilmk]

My try...
- boosted colors
- added a walker (cut her out and adjusted her size to fit and added a shadow going the same way as the rest of the shadows)
- put fun boarder on it.

[eastcoastsponger]

Here's my attempt.

Opened in Camera RAW and adjusted exposer, recovery and added a little warmth to it. I also added a bit of vinetting to draw your eye more towards the center of the image.

I then opened it in CS3 where I did a little level adjustment, contrast adjustment and saturation to the reds, yellows and greens.

After that a bit of noise reduction and USM and I was done.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v115/eastcoastsponger/Ba49.jpg

[azsteve-o]

added train layer & burned in smoke
color selected sky and added a couple of filters to darken it
burned in moon
adjusted curves and contrast
added train light
multiplied edges
unsharp mask
desaturated
warming filter
264560

[Ocron]

- Opened in Camera Raw and set exposure(-0.60), recovery(50), fill light (5), blacks (9), contrast (36), Clarity (50), Vibrance (60)
- Opened in PS and added sky w/moon. Used Darken blend mode to blend it in "behind" the trees.
- Added the boy, and created his shadow.
- Warm photo filter
- Clicked the "create new document from current state" button and ran a "hollywood highlights" action on the copy. Dragged two copies of this back onto the original. Set top one's blend mode to darken, and the one below it to screen, and set the opacity to both to 75%.
- Added a light vignette, but erased the part near the boys feet and the tracks.

http://ocron.zenfolio.com/img/v1/p865841989.jpg

[suzyb]

Cropped.
Changed the sky to a dark blue.
Cloned trees to cover the few areas where sky was showing through on the right.
Added the lens flare to look like a train approaching (the easy way - without having to add an actual train - hats off to azsteve).
Upped the saturation some.
Messed with levels and contrast to make everything nice and dark.
Sharpened the leaves a little bit.
Border.

[BitterSweet]

I loved everyones edits. Some of you brought out the colors very well. Many of you added images perfectly to the picture. So it was very hard to pick a winner again this time.

WINNER is azsteve-o. I just was wowed by how well you did the edit it looked as if the train was already there when I took the shot.

TheSonofDarwin & Suzyb- I love the dark night look you both did. It makes me want to go out there at night to see just how close you really got it. But I won't because it's just to close to the haunted areas around here lol.

Eastcoastsponger & shadiow- you both did wonderfully at making the picture look exactly like it did when I was there great job.

ilmk & Ocron - addeding people into the shot was very cool and you both did a great job editing them so they look as if they were already there. Ocron great job on the shadow.

Great job everyone and I'm looking forward to the next one.

[Ocron]

Congrats Steve. Well deserved, that is a great edit.

[suzyb]

But I won't because it's just to close to the haunted areas around here lol.



Haunted areas? Cool! Now you HAVE to go at night!

Congrats azsteve. The train does look like it fits right in there. Very nice!

Ocron, I was impressed by the sky in your edit. I can't get anything near that neat of a job around and inbetween trees. Darken blend mode? I'll have to look into that.

[BitterSweet]

Haunted areas? Cool! Now you HAVE to go at night!


Yeah there is a bridge and house not to far from there that is suppose to be haunted. We actually went on the road that goes over the bridge on time at night to take pictures (the road that goes under is suppose to be haunted) and we didn't know about the stores until a few days later. It was kind of creepy because the story is that when you pass under the bridge your car stops and some have seen a girl standing on the bridge going to jump ( which happened to be the same spot i was standing at while taken the pictures). I love supernatural stuff but I think i'm one of those people that say they would like to see something but not sure if I really would want to.

[TheSonofDarwin]

I love supernatural stuff but I think i'm one of those people that say they would like to see something but not sure if I really would want to.


Same here! I don't believe in the supernatural, but to be honest, I really don't want a reason TO believe it! It would totally ruin all the supernatural media I'd avoid for the rest of my life after seeing such a thing ;)

I've been working at my local SPCA for awhile and am responsible for going in at night because of my very close proximity and I usually don't turn on the lights because it riles up the animals unnecessarily. Well let me tell you, the mind plays tricks on ya.. they might not represent the typical haunted jail or whatever, but walking through concrete corridors and by empty steel cages there ain't much difference :o

Anyway, congrats azsteveo!

[Ocron]

Ocron, I was impressed by the sky in your edit. I can't get anything near that neat of a job around and inbetween trees. Darken blend mode? I'll have to look into that.

Thanks suzy. Darken works well in cases like this (blue sky replacing white) since for each pixel, the resultant pixel from the two layers is the darker of the two. So in the places where the original sky is white and the new sky is blue the blue shows through since it's darker, but where the trees are blocking the sky they show through since they're darker than the blue sky. You just have to mask off the non-sky parts of the image. Not sure if I 'splained that well....

[azsteve-o]

Wow! Thanks! This one was a lot of fun and generated a lot of really great edits. I will post the next competition soon.

[SilverHCIC]

Congrats to all. ... Very nice edits in this bunch, but especcially by azsteve-o. ... That was Outstanding !!!

[suzyb]

Thanks suzy. Darken works well in cases like this (blue sky replacing white) since for each pixel, the resultant pixel from the two layers is the darker of the two. So in the places where the original sky is white and the new sky is blue the blue shows through since it's darker, but where the trees are blocking the sky they show through since they're darker than the blue sky. You just have to mask off the non-sky parts of the image. Not sure if I 'splained that well....

That makes sense, thanks!