Enhancing photos

[bowenjones]

I'm sure you've all done it at times - a little tweak here and there just to improve the masterpeice that you have taken
What I would like is for you to post some before and after photos of ones you think have really improved after a bit of photoshopping. I'll start the ball rolling with a shot of the colloseum I took while in Rome last week. On this pic, I've altered the colour balance, contrast and saturation......

[seany]

I can't make my mind up on which i prefer, Bowen.

Most i really do in PS is sharpen and resize.

[bowenjones]

The trouble with night shots on most compacts is the fact that they always display a hint of orange on the surroundings due to the street lights I guess. In the altered pic, the colloseum is far more realistic but the foreground now tends to be a bit greener than it really looked. Limitations of compacts I suppose.
Anyway, post some shots as I bet there will be some good examples of how photoshop can improve things.

[seany]

I think the new one looks a little cold, once you start ajusting colour balance you can sometime end up with a cold looking photo. Sometimes the orange glow can spoil a photo , but other times it can give a nice look to an image.

My 20D has many options to deal with colour tempreture, i do like sometimes to just leave it as it is though like in this photo

[mr jones]

i photoshop the hell out of my photos.

with band stuff red light really gets on my *insert vulgar name for the mamory gland here*'s it wrecks pictures, so i tend to whitebalance afterwards to get the eyes to be white, if often then sorts it out, although that said sometimes totally faffing the white balance up can give nice effects.


the current crop of pics ive posted on another thread bar the 2 colour ones, have been photoshopped half to death!

[bowenjones]

I like that seany and, to be honest, I wouldn't change it. I know that a well set-up shot wouldn't need altering but I'm sure that there have been times when photo's haven't turned out as you'd expect. What I was looking for are examples of photoshop enhancements that give a different/better look to the shot you've taken.

[Radiohead]

I shoot RAW so post-processing is my friend.

[DJW]

I was just about to start a thread on a similar tact, but also to include instructions of how they were achieved (possible sticky for ref) . Anyway here ya go ...before & after shot

[RobertP]

Dave,

Guess it is a matter of taste - and black and white is something I struggle to appreciate anyway - but I don't like that treatment at all. The hair looks OK but the rest of her looks plastic. Sorry. probably just me....

[DJW]

Robert, no probs ....the hi key & "neat image" effect is not to all tastes.

I've played with different effects that can be seen in my signature link...although there could be some you hate even more

[JayCee]

Originally Posted by bowenjones

The trouble with night shots on most compacts is the fact that they always display a hint of orange on the surroundings due to the street lights I guess.

All cameras suffer from this, it's not just a limitation of compacts. unless corrected......it's the sodium lighting.

[bowenjones]

Originally Posted by JayCee

All cameras suffer from this, it's not just a limitation of compacts. unless corrected......it's the sodium lighting.

Didn't know that. I thought that the more advanced settings on slr's would eliminate the orange glow. Without trying, would changing the white balance on my camera (sony dsc w12) improve night shots as I always leave it on auto?
DJW, I like the b/w pic of the little girl (daughter?) as the increased contrast in her face makes her eyes really stand out

[JayCee]

Originally Posted by bowenjones

Didn't know that. I thought that the more advanced settings on slr's would eliminate the orange glow. Without trying, would changing the white balance on my camera (sony dsc w12) improve night shots as I always leave it on auto?

It could probably correct them.......but why bother........I like the orange tint of night pics.........it gives them a nice warm glow.
I much prefer the one on the left.

[longleyc]

I prefer to set the White Balance manually. It seems to offer the best solution.
Though some nice post processing with Curves can always correct what you dont like. Newer versions of Photochop have idiot proof colour corrections at a click of a mouse. I prefer manual adjustments, I learn more doing it manually.

I think experimentation is the Key. I often set the WB shooting at colour cards, instead of white. You can get some real weird effects making the camera think orange is white (255).

I prefer the 2nd colour temp better of those two shots.
I prefer the 2nd shot of DJW`s too. I like contrasty images. The 1st seems dull.

[bowenjones]

Originally Posted by JayCee

It could probably correct them.......but why bother........I like the orange tint of night pics.........it gives them a nice warm glow.
I much prefer the one on the left.

Well, as some of you are'nt that bothered about the orange tint and I much prefer the more natural look of the colloseum in the second pic, here's a compromise ....