to JD: Thanks for the "Auto Levels" tip. I abandoned this feature for my simple retouch / batch work because it would often change the colors on many of my pics....i'll give it a twirl....
i gotta learn this "liquify" tool....you guys are doing great stuff with it....
CARLOS GOMEZ wrote:
1- The best Postprocessing is e very good exposure.
2- Always shoot in RAW.
3- Use a good external flash on a bracket.
4- Learn to shoot in Manual Mode and with Manual Flash.
5- Use a good and ease RAW CONVERTER SOF WARE.
6- After this the POSTPROCESSING THAT YOU WILL NEED WILL BE MINIMAL.
Carlos, we're talking about something different here. We're not talking post-processing to rescue improperly captured images, but post-processing to enhance properly captured images. Many of us, myself included, add value to our service by providing custom photo enhancements such as glows, vignettes, cross-processing, vintage simulations, custom tritones, etc.
dubya wrote:
to JD: Thanks for the "Auto Levels" tip. I abandoned this feature for my simple retouch / batch work because it would often change the colors on many of my pics....i'll give it a twirl....
i gotta learn this "liquify" tool....you guys are doing great stuff with it....
No bother Dubya. You can change the default to a setting you like. Play around in the options. It's a place most of us rarely touch.
I've seen a couple of posts here recently where the shooter takes color correction too far. If you're in a warmly lit room it's appropriate to have warm images and so one shouldn't automatically assume that perfectly white whites are the best outcome.
My solution to PP in this regard (and this also addresses adding overlay layers) is to use the snapshot feature and gather several different final looks, and then compare back to back to see what appeals to the eye. (You can always save the PSD file and come back to it if you've been sitting in front of the screen too long.) I'll adjust the color/hue by varying degrees and then do a quick compare to see what is immediately appealing.
For instance on one of the earlier posts in this thread (couple in the portico) I tried a combination of color burn and linear dodge, color dodge and overlay, and soft/hard light. This is a fantastic way to come back to intermediate work if your PP strays down a path you find you don't like. Click the camera icon at the bottom of the history palette--double click on the name of your snapshot to re-name it to something meaningful. Play!
I have a couple of Weddings to do later this year and have been practicing a bit. It's very daunting but I'm sure it's not so bad once you get out there and get shooting!
Ok,I shoot raw most of the time,but not because of that. I do preffer jpegs. You can do everything with jpegs as you can do with raw files.
White balance is easy to fix with jpegs if you know some basics
I hope you don't mind. Here's 10 second adjustment of your picture
1 green + 1 cooling blue filter applied
DmitriM wrote:
Ok,I shoot raw most of the time,but not because of that. I do preffer jpegs. You can do everything with jpegs as you can do with raw files.
White balance is easy to fix with jpegs if you know some basics
I hope you don't mind. Here's 10 second adjustment of your picture
1 green + 1 cooling blue filter applied
"You can do everything with jpegs as you can do with raw files." - erm not strictly true...
Try adjusting a jpeg with exposure way out and then the same with RAW - hell of a difference.
clocksley wrote:
"You can do everything with jpegs as you can do with raw files." - erm not strictly true...
Try adjusting a jpeg with exposure way out and then the same with RAW - hell of a difference.
Yes, you are right at some extent.I do shoot raw 60% of the time...
If an original picture is under exposed,RAW files are so easy to work with. However,it's doesn't really work with over exposed shots.
It also depends how good you are at metering the light. I always try to do my best in the camera. All I have to do after is some USM,levels and saturation. For that,RAW is not that necessary.
The reason I decided to edit that picture is to show that jpeg is not that bad if you know how to use it.
Lets not shift this discussion to raw vs jpeg
noah2950 wrote:
What do people do for vignettes? They're a golden way to bring the focus onto a particular subject. Shawn, I've seen you do a cool sort of perspective vignette, like a spotlight is going onto the person from above (not the traditional straight-on from camera angle). Here are a few versions of my work. -Noah
The best way I've found to add vignette is this:
Create a rectangular selection with a feather of 200px, and select your subject/center.
Ctrl-Shift-i to invert the selection (now you have the outer edges selected).
Now open Levels, and slide the gamma (middle) slider to the right, and watch your edges burn. Stop sliding when it looks just right.
Another way I found to create a vignette is the opposite of the way to remove it. Filter>Distort>Lens Correction. Now go to Vignette and darken the corners with an appropriate amount. For more control you can move the midpoint.
Now...will someone please explain to the newbie why tagging/bookmarking this thread is helpful? Do I search on threads I've posted in and will be able to find this one?
At the very least, you all know now that I'm a blind follower!
jimdavies wrote:
Another way I found to create a vignette is the opposite of the way to remove it. Filter>Distort>Lens Correction. Now go to Vignette and darken the corners with an appropriate amount. For more control you can move the midpoint.
The way the previous post (ChrisDM) was to vignette has a lot more power and looks a lot better than using the Filter>Distort>Lens Correction>Add vignette.
Vignettes made easy! 1. Circular or rectangular box with the marquee tool (M key) and select what you DON'T want to have the vignette, usually the subject.
2. Add a feather to that selection (Ctrl, Alt, D) and feather of 250 (depending on your image size, for 5D you need 250 and too bad thats as big as it gets).
3. Then invert your selection (Ctrl, Shift, I) and then make that a new layer (Ctrl, J). With this as a new layer, it's a non-destructive way to add a vignette, you'll see why you want it in a layer.
4. Adding the vignette. Now with that selection a new layer, you can alter it by using Ctrl L for your Levels, or your Curves (Ctrl M). I usually use curves, or sometimes I will make that new layer and put the blending mode as Multiply. Here's why it's important to make it a new layer:
-1. It's non-destructive to your image
-2. Your vignette selection will be there as the new layer. You can also desaturate or blur this new layer easier.
-3 (The most important, IMO) You can alter the vignette strength with your opacity slider. Change the opacity back and forth in a zip, much easier than doing it on the original image.
Experiment with multiple vignettes on one layer, and a technique shawn imploys with spotlights and other light additives. Be careful as you don't want to over-process a JPEG as it can destroy certain parts of it for good! That's why working with layers and masks is SOOO important, and makes changes a whole lot easier if you want to 'undo' a certain effect or lessen it.
This is a quick lesson on simple vignette with layers. See what you can learn by practicing every day?
sboerup wrote:
The way the previous post (ChrisDM) was to vignette has a lot more power and looks a lot better than using the Filter>Distort>Lens Correction>Add vignette.
Vignettes made easy! 1. Circular or rectangular box with the marquee tool (M key) and select what you DON'T want to have the vignette, usually the subject.
2. Add a feather to that selection (Ctrl, Alt, D) and feather of 250 (depending on your image size, for 5D you need 250 and too bad thats as big as it gets).
3. Then invert your selection (Ctrl, Shift, I) and then make that a new layer (Ctrl, J). With this as a new layer, it's a non-destructive way to add a vignette, you'll see why you want it in a layer.
4. Adding the vignette. Now with that selection a new layer, you can alter it by using Ctrl L for your Levels, or your Curves (Ctrl M). I usually use curves, or sometimes I will make that new layer and put the blending mode as Multiply. Here's why it's important to make it a new layer:
-1. It's non-destructive to your image
-2. Your vignette selection will be there as the new layer. You can also desaturate or blur this new layer easier.
-3 (The most important, IMO) You can alter the vignette strength with your opacity slider. Change the opacity back and forth in a zip, much easier than doing it on the original image.
Experiment with multiple vignettes on one layer, and a technique shawn imploys with spotlights and other light additives. Be careful as you don't want to over-process a JPEG as it can destroy certain parts of it for good! That's why working with layers and masks is SOOO important, and makes changes a whole lot easier if you want to 'undo' a certain effect or lessen it.
This is a quick lesson on simple vignette with layers. See what you can learn by practicing every day?...Show more →
Thanks sboerup
I was just pointing out another very easy way :-)
I've been using PS for a number of years and although not a master I do know there's many ways to skin a cat. Each different way will suit some images more than others and as you say practicing these ways gives the user a choice of quick and easy or more complex but more rewarding.
I note you mentioned you use curves or a blending mode. Well I actually prefer to use a Hue & Saturation adjustment layer. Why you ask?
I prefer it becuase it gives an overall darkening that doesn't affect the tonal values too much of the subject itself. After you have inverted your selection, add the hue & sat adj layer and move the lightness slider to the left (for a huigh res image around 65 should work ok).
This gives a nice vignette effect too. Also when making your selection, sometimes a non-uniform selection works well too. I sometimes use the lasso tool (rather than the elliptcal or rectangular marquee tools) to do very rough selections around my subjects to create a non-uniform look which in some cases seems to work well. I still feather 250px and invert this.
Try that too. See what you like and as I say each image may require a different effect.
What about B&W conversion techniques??
Can someone show us how to convert colors into breathtaking, contrasty B&W's?
Inquiring minds would like to know......
The best B&W conversions I have seen have been done using the B&W conversion plugin that can be bought from this website (this is not a free plug, but I have just never seen any better conversion results personally!)
Convert the picture mode into "LAB COLOUR"
Go to the channels palette and delete channels a & b to just leave the LIGHTNESS channel.
This gives you a nice even toned and gentle B&W image.
Convert the image back to RGB.
Once you have the image like this I add a gradient map of black to white ( as a layer)
Merge the layers down and duplicate it.
On the new layer add a gaussian blur of 10 pixels at 20% opacity.
Just my way of doing them. Add noise at about 3% monochromatic if you want grainy instead of soft focus.
Black and white can be endless fun, and I recommend experimenting a lot with it - sometimes a colour photo that looks like nothing can be a real winner in B&W.
