Mistake with the background and recovery!

Here is the original shot i took this weekend at the West Somerset Railway. As can be seen i got over exposed sky and underexposed subject.

Looks like this shot would have been a perfect candidate for a graduated ND filter.

I don't know if you'll be able to get much back from the sky, but you will want to adjust the exposure of just the bottom half of the image.

I don't have enought photoshop exerience to explain how to do this without the program in front of me, but you can easily find many tutorials if you just google: gnd photoshop

Good luck!

I actually had a ND filter with me but needed to shoot fast and forgot about it because i only just got it ! and the train i was catching was about to leave!

Your fix is a bit off ---

This should be an easy fix in photoshop - using layers - duplicate the layer --then do a brighten/contrast layer -brightening the underexposed layer then erase the overexposed sky - then merge the layers.
Here is my 5 second fix.

stathunter wrote in post #8519650
Your fix is a bit off ---

This should be an easy fix in photoshop - using layers - duplicate the layer --then do a brighten/contrast layer -brightening the underexposed layer then erase the overexposed sky - then merge the layers.
Here is my 5 second fix.

Ok, well i have never used layers so i guess i had better learn!

If you use LR2 for RAW editing, then you can also learn to use the gradient tools. Those things can work wonders on this exact type of image (as can the brush tools). If you aren't shooting raw... time to start doing it, the level of overexposure isn't enough to cause major clipping in that image (though there will be some), but for JPG there is almost zero chance for recovery.

When all else fails

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I agree with using lightroom and shooting RAW. The graduated tool is simply amazing.

(but for all the wrong reasons )

MobyDick wrote in post #8522697
When all else fails

HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'text/html' | Byte size: ZERO

Heh! Yeah, I was gonna say it took me a while to realize the background was replaced!

Nice touch with the new sky!

Anyway i tried using layers last night and although it took me a while work out how to use the Blend tool i came up with this:

I don't think that's working out really IMHO. I'd recommend that you make two different conversions, one for the sky and another for the train, then bring them into your editing software and combine the two using layer masks.

Electric Shepherd wrote in post #8524650
I don't think that's working out really IMHO. I'd recommend that you make two different conversions, one for the sky and another for the train, then bring them into your editing software and combine the two using layer masks.

Ok, i can try that too. Although for some reason my RAW converter keeps trying to make this shot all orange/yellow.

What raw converter and what (default) settings?

UFRAW and with the standard settings that do not seem to affect anything else!!