Mini 'contest': Fix my screw up!

[4nR]

I originally posted this in cornering the pros, but i hope i can get some feedback here as well.

I took this photo on friday. I had set the exposure comp to -1 2/3 i believe because my photos have been overexposed in the past. anyway, i didnt know how dark the photo was until i saw it on my computer. Lets see what all you ps gurus can do. please also include your process along with the photo.

http://img373.imageshack.us/img373/3960/orig1yg.jpg

[Big_B]

It's really helpful if you can include a link to the 'original' image (i.e. full size and RAW if you have it).

[4nR]

I can only wish I took it in RAW :o. Here is the orig (http://www.mediaupload.net/images/2005/Sep/11/BLVYROPBFxHwiX.jpg)

[G3owner]

Here's my try.... Changing curves, adding saturation, more brightness & contrast and then removing camera noise. All done in PaintShop Pro 9.

[René Damkot]

just a quick 'curves' adjustment layers in PS6. The guy standing a bit extra. Still needs some noise removal though. Not a brilliant result, but at least you see something.... Tricky to get the image brighter, yet not completely 'whashed out'
Curves used: overall (could make this a bit more): 14/52; 82/22; 150/55 on RGB channel, 173/255Red channel; 180/255 Green channel; 188/255 Blue Channel. Guy: 183/203 RGB Channel.
Well, see it as a learning experience :p

[rabidcow]

my 2 cents

http://www.3dfightclub.com/~sgt2187/uploads/orig1yg_2.jpg

[4nR]

nice entries. was anyone able to bring the color back as well? all them seem to lack saturation.

[civicseth]

/shrugs

http://img384.imageshack.us/img384/2107/orig1yg6dh.jpg

[Nidz]

Thats pretty good when you line it up next to the orriginal.

[mikehea28]

i reduse the noise and balenced the color a little i uped the exposure a little too

[4nR]

mike, how did you reduce the noise?

[jobber73]

Best I could do:

[phor]

This is my first post so forgive me if it doesn't come out right.:)
Used Levels, Curves, Gaussian Blur, Unsharp Mask then then with the dodge tool lightened up the dark spots, afterwards increased saturation.

[Dart]

Just a newbie try with the gimp...sorry I can't tell you exactly how I did it. Mostly just playing it by "eye" with color and brightness/contrast changes.

Maybe I'll get better at explaining things....:o

[Dart]

Wow..side by side me and G3 owner are just about identical...neither are perfect tho...:lol: Dang close for just a few minutes work....

Give me a minute.....just started playing with the GIMP....:eek:

[partridge9]

My effort.

[david lee]

Just Taking it a step more

[George Chew]

moon over usa

[Big_B]

Just Taking it a step more

These computer things are amasing. The exposure was so bad in the first one that completely missed the sunset. Well recovered. :lol:

[Johnny Thunder]

Heres what I came up with.

Used Shawdow/Highlight, Levels, Noise Ninja, Curves, Saturation, seperated the sky from the foreground and adjusted exposure, used Noise>Median on the sky, etc.

-Johnny

[stockriderman]

my try. Discregard the clouds....I decided to try it at the end,but didn't mask anything. Simple hand job. Took me less than 5 minutes for everything.

http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/6384/copy4dg.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[4nR]

wow, these are all looking good. thanks to all of you guys for showing your awesome ps skills. keep them coming!

[zacker]

I went in another direction because this shot reminds me of an old school picture.

[carlito]

Here's my take on it!

[NickySix]

I went in another direction because this shot reminds me of an old school picture.

wow, i like this alot, how did you do that?

[zacker]

Hey nick, Thanks!
I used Photoshop and used the Sepia filter and then upped the contrast to get more black, Then added the film grain from the "filters" drop down menu..it was rather easy actually. I figured everyone was "fixing" the shot, I'd really fix it....lol
-zacker-

[zakabog]

My shot at it. Whenever I see these challenges I'm just amazed at what you can do with this software.

[4nR]

zakabog, can you tell me what you did to it?

[storeman]

This is the best I could do: Kodak ROCPro followed by noiseworks x 2 and one more time thru ROCPro

[zakabog]

Sorry 4nR didn't see your message. Hmmm well I adjusted the contrast and brightness some. Then the color balance. I paid attention to the detail in the clouds as I didn't want to lose that. Then I selected the sky and inverted the selection (to select everything except the sky.) I adjusted that some till it was bright enough. Then I saw the guy was still too dark so I selected him and adjusted the contrast and brightness some more, and then some color balance. When I was adjusting the color balance I was paying attention to the flag since that's the only thing I really knew the colors for heh.