-= T2i / 550D users UNITE! (1) =-

Rivest wrote in post #11688402
Sure, first, I re-framed it, I added 0.25 of exposition, +3 of blacks, +6 of saturation, played with the levels a bit, a lot of noise reduction (which made the picture blurrier), and a big clarity boost.

Thanks. I'm not sure I'd even know where to start............ and noise reduction makes me crazy. I could see the noise in the background of this shot, but frequently I don't see it at all, while everyone else does.

I guess I'm going to have to invest in noise ninja, huh?

As for Lightroom, I think it's a really good program, but right now I just can't afford to buy it, so I'll stick with Scarab I think.

AnnieBananie wrote in post #11688432
Thanks. I'm not sure I'd even know where to start............ and noise reduction makes me crazy. I could see the noise in the background of this shot, but frequently I don't see it at all, while everyone else does.

I guess I'm going to have to invest in noise ninja, huh?

As for Lightroom, I think it's a really good program, but right now I just can't afford to buy it, so I'll stick with Scarab I think.

There is also the free "Gimp", as well as the 69.95 Paint Shop Pro deluxe. Hundreds of others, but those two I've used and they are good.

AnnieBananie wrote in post #11688432
Thanks. I'm not sure I'd even know where to start............ and noise reduction makes me crazy. I could see the noise in the background of this shot, but frequently I don't see it at all, while everyone else does.

I guess I'm going to have to invest in noise ninja, huh?

As for Lightroom, I think it's a really good program, but right now I just can't afford to buy it, so I'll stick with Scarab I think.

What is Scarab? If your looking to use a good free program, get to know DPP that came on your Canon disk. It does very very nice raw conversions but is a bit cumbersome to use. It is every bit as capable as lightroom 3 in the right hands.

Hardcore wrote in post #11688474
What is Scarab? If your looking to use a good free program, get to know DPP that came on your Canon disk. It does very very nice raw conversions but is a bit cumbersome to use. It is every bit as capable as lightroom 3 in the right hands.

Thanks Corey. I'll look at it again. Last time I looked, I think it got me confused (not that it takes much to confuse me these days).

Here's a link to Scarab. Very nice for a free program.

http://www.scarablabs.​com/scarab-darkroom

Another one from my hike yesterday! Check it out on Flickr with a black background too!

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …/57989983@N08/5​375965187/

Nik software FTW

HTTP response: NOT FOUND | MIME changed to 'image/gif' | Redirected to error image by FLICKR

Ohh do I miss Newfoundland! Great pic! I must have been a newfie in a past life!

RafaPolit wrote in post #11688056
I am a absolute nerd when it comes to calibrating my monitors, being in the design/web/photo industry.

bookmarked your link. What do you do in the web? I'm working part time in web development until July when I go full time after my move back to Canada

I'm a one-man-orchestra really! I am a WEB designer and programmer... I do full PHP-MySQL custom-developed content management systems for enterprises that wish a very custom non-template type of sites like Theaters, Government Departments, etc. And, I provide the User Interface as well, both program-wise and design-wise.

What is your job? It's funny to see how similarly-inclined people have ended up here: most of us play some sort of instrument, I believe many of us have a tech job with some art-inclined aspect to it... funny, interesting!

Rafa.

Annie, if you are shooting RAW, LightRoom is all you need to achieve what I was speaking of and which Rivest more or less posted as well (for me Rivest version is a bit too balck-crushed, but that is a personal thing).

LightRoom also has a top of the line Noise Reduction system... its all in there, on the right pane of the Develop section. Start with WB, then exposure and make your way down onto the more refined options down... after some tweaking, you'll fall in love with it!

As I see it, if you are going to purchase X plug-in for this, and Y plug-in for NR and Z plug-in for this other thing, you'd soon have over-spent the value of LR.

I really suggest you try it before it expires... it really is not that hard once you have get used to the un-common un-intuitive user interface.

Oh, and your second option is better, but I think it was a bit too timid and looks very close to the original one you posted

Rafa.

Rafa,

my current day job until I move back to Canada in July is ELT instructor at a university. But since June 2009 I've been doing web development. I primarily work with ExpressionEngine though have done some WP work. I'm in the process of learning PHP but have zero design skills so outsource all of that.

RafaPolit wrote in post #11688673
I'm a one-man-orchestra really! I am a WEB designer and programmer... I do full PHP-MySQL custom-developed content management systems for enterprises that wish a very custom non-template type of sites like Theaters, Government Departments, etc. And, I provide the User Interface as well, both program-wise and design-wise.

What is your job? It's funny to see how similarly-inclined people have ended up here: most of us play some sort of instrument, I believe many of us have a tech job with some art-inclined aspect to it... funny, interesting!

Rafa.

HP OpenView administrator here..... I monitor all your apps for response time and availability as well as alert to a NOC when they don't perform so well