I need some help (Long).

Alright, I really hate to have to ask this but I don't know where else to go to. I have only been a member on these forums for a short time and have tried to learn as much as I can. I am in a very difficult spot and that is why I have come here to ask for some assistance.

About a month ago I took some pictures at my aunt's wedding. I was not hired it was purely for me. I took a couple pictures of my aunt and her father that I really wanted to go ahead and print out for them for Father's Day. I went ahead and bought Photoshop Elements 6.0 and have been trying my best to make the pictures look printable.

Today I recieved some horrible news that my grandfather's cancer has returned and he is in really bad shape. I want nothing more than to be able to show him these pictures for what might be his last Father's Day with us. I am not trying to use sympathy to get something, just someone to give me some pointers or suggestions as to what I can do to make the photos look the best they can. I know they are not of the best quality to start out with. I was constantly on the move trying to avoid the drunk guests before they ran into me.

I shot all 4 pictures in RAW, but I had to convert them to JPEG to upload to my Flickr account.

Picture 1

Levels/curves might be the only thing you need to do I think. Good thing you shot in RAW too. If you want, you could make 16bit tiffs with AdobeRGB and then REALLY get a lot of color if you printed them (assuming your printer wants this). If you want to get creative, B&W's. I can't give you advice on that since what looks good to you might not to me.

actually, I also did a hue/saturation and shifted the red/yellow channels towards more skin tones and slightly took out some saturation. Picture might be a little cool but it's the fastest I could do

cropping and straighten

You can upload the RAW files to a hosting site like http://www.mediafire.c​om or http://rapidshare.com and post the links to the files in the forum. That way, anyone who wants to help can work on the original hi-res files.

FedkaTheConvict wrote in post #5717981
You can upload the RAW files to a hosting site like http://www.mediafire.c​om or http://rapidshare.com and post the links to the files in the forum. That way, anyone who wants to help can work on the original hi-res files.

Yeah, that's a really good thought.

Thanks so much for the suggestions. blinded that looks much clearer and crisper than my original. I am off to try your suggestions on my own. I appreciate your help so much and hope others will chime in too.

I also uploaded the RAW's like FedkaTheConvict recommended.

Pic 1
http://rapidshare.com …2277140/IMG_013​3.CR2.html

Pic 2
http://rapidshare.com …2277141/IMG_013​5.CR2.html

Pic 3
http://rapidshare.com …2277142/IMG_013​6.CR2.html

Pic 4
http://rapidshare.com …2277144/IMG_014​3.CR2.html

Thanks again,
Mike

Anybody else getting the "error" message saying I've reached the limit for downloading after only 1 file!?

Mike,

First, I'm sorry to hear about your grandfather - it must be a difficult time. I can understand your desire to get this resolved before Sunday.

A couple of questions:

1. Do you print your own prints and if so, what is your printer model and what paper do you use?

2. Do you have a display calibrator?

The software and cropping issues are a relatively simple fix. Getting what you see on the screen to show up on your prints can be difficult for the uninitiated.

My monitor has never been calbibrated with any type of colorometer. I tried to print a picture of my dog a while back on one of those kiosk deals at Wal-mart and that was a joke. Im not sure if the printer was that bad or my monitor is that far off. Is there any place locally I can purchase a calibration unit?

Thanks,
Mike

Where do you live? Equally important (perhaps more) is your printer model and the paper you use. Many of the paper vendors provide free downloads of printer profiles that give very nice prints. If your camera is working right (and on my calibrated screen the IMG_0133.CR2 file looks fine), then printing becomes much easier.

I got it after 2

Mike post up or pm me your email so I can send you the two files I worked on.

Sorry Tony-S, I live in Michigan just north of Detroit. I checked Best Buy and they carry the Spyder but it is an online only deal.

I will not be printing these on my own printer. Most likely it will be done at Ritz Camera or somewhere like that. I will avoid CVS/Rite Aid for sure.

Mike

My email is MATREDGT@comcast.net

Actually I just got it to work. The error disappeared. And yes, you need a colorimeter to do any photo editing. Out of the box color is tricky. CRTs get it very close, but LCD screens have crazy color casts. I think the Spyder2 express is 59.99 at Amazon with free shipping if you want. The Huey is also a good option (the pro doesn't have enough extra to warrant the extra price skip the pro version).