Before & After #211

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 1024 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 72hrs 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 & After #212".

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

This game will end Thursday August 20th at 7:00 PM EST

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CS2 - Colors, Levels, Curves x's 2, Color Balance, Channel Mixer, Brightness/ Contrast, Exposure/Gamma, Shadow/Highlight, Cloning, Burning, Sharpening, Exposure/Gamma on lasso'd water, color balance on lasso'd water, Crop, Vignette

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I love this shot as it is so instead of trying to make that one look better I just transformed it if it was taken at a different time of day.

-Used Nik Viveza software to change and enhance the colors in the sky.
- added red to the middle part of the sky
- added more blue and red (for purple) to the clouds
- brightened and added more blue to the water
- added contrast through out
-Bleach bypass filter to sharpen and add contrast
-Graduated Neutral Density filter to darken the top part of the sky
-Another bleach bypass filter for more contrast
-cloned out that speck on the right hand side.

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Hopefully this is in time.

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We are flooding Monty with lots of last minute entries!

Yay us!

I didn't feel up to my usual lunatic antics for this one, but have started playing with panoramas (I'd like to shoot more) in Photoshop. I was surprised when I mirrored this and flipped it, that a little house (shack) appeared at the end of the bluff.

Basically:

• Straightened horizon
  
• Copy, paste, flip horizontal.
  
• Levels, curves.
  
• "Saved as" : 0 Exposure, +2, -2
  
• Pulled into Photomatix (which I just bought)
  
• My first HDR on POTN (well faux HDR, as I had no true Auto-Exposure Bracketing shots)
  

oh crop.... I have to pick one of these -- Yikes!

Let me look them over a bit.

ok... here we go..

Lore -- very nice job - The colors/details are good - burn the top of that one rock and rotate - and it'd be great.

Redfire_Cobra -- very cool -- or maybe I should say warm Nice job on bringing some detail out.

BitterSweet -- Very dramatic and I like this a lot! - just rotate it a bit.

MSJGD - excellent job on the colors here and I like how you handled the big rock, again a bit of rotation I think is in order.

marcoj70 -- I love the colors, the detail in the sky and rocks, the sand seems overdone a bit and it could be rotated a bit... I don't think I've seen you post here before so - Welcome to the B&A game!

GregSteer - I think this is a cool idea and well done, I think you leveled the pier and not the horizon however.

Gail -- very cool edit - I like everything about this except the bluish tint in the clouds - great job!

Kendoway -- as always a very creative edit and I like it! Change that seam to a laser or fire bird and it would be awesome

I hate to choose one as they were all just great edits of a rather poor photo (rain drops, dust bunnies etc...) and I would just like to thank everybody for taking the time to show off your talents!

Winner is marcoj70 -- I love the sky here and that pretty much won it over for me. Congrats and over to you!

Congrats marcoj70!!

Congrats marcoj70, nice edit!

Monty, I can truly say I do not envy you for having to pick between these. Great edits by everyone!

High five Marco, sweet entry.

Now you have to buy us all a shot at the bar

Nice job 211 crew!

Gee, I won! Thanks everybody! And yes, it was my first entry... beginners luck!
Now I have to find a pic to upload...