First attempt with Photoshop Elements - Various Images

NatD · 12-11-2009, 4:02 PM

My first attempt processing a few of my favourite images.

C&C welcome: -

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

**senu** · 12-11-2009, 4:55 PM

You have put the software to good use

There are different genres here, all pleasing to the eye IMHO but Not all will be to everybody's taste..

There are 2 types of PP: creative PP with some artistic flair and expression, and PP so well done that nobody will know there was any PP but the Image will be a definite enhancement of the original ( bearing in mind one man's enhancement is another man's overcook)
But
Full marks for effort

NatD · 12-11-2009, 5:09 PM

Thanks Senu. The images are quite varied, some of them I wanted to just slightly tweak (crop / add noise) where others I have played about with colour and B&W mixing!

Appreciate all comments, good and bad though.

I have quickly found that elements is a very powerful tool, and also quite easy to use.

shotokan101 · 12-11-2009, 6:58 PM

As Senu says - not all to my particular taste but definitely very creative - well done - wish I was as accomplished with PP

My personal favourites are 3 and 6 - I really like number 1 BUT I don't think the grain effect adds to the image - for me at least quite the opposite and would love to see it as a "plain" mono conversion.

Jim

OrbitalPete · 12-11-2009, 7:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NatD

Thanks Senu. The images are quite varied, some of them I wanted to just slightly tweak (crop / add noise) where others I have played about with colour and B&W mixing!

Appreciate all comments, good and bad though.

I have quickly found that elements is a very powerful tool, and also quite easy to use.

I wouldn't say *any* of them were 'slightly tweaked'.

You've made a good job of most of them; 3, 4, 5 and 6 are really nicely done.

For the constructive criticism;

1. I'm not sure what you were aiming with for 2; it looks like there's a good photo in there trying to get out, but the blurred nature of it combined with the very low contrast makes it a bit washed out to my eye.

2. 1 and 7 are far too heavily grained for my liking (5 suffers from the same problem to an extent - particularly just right of the back legs); 1 suffers a bit less than 7 does; it has enough complementary texture in the nose to just about get away with it. 7 - to my eye at least - looks uncomfortably artificially tweaked, and noise doesn't necessarily add anything to the photo.

3. It's well worth playing with all these settings, and for a first go you've done brilliantly. I would, however, second what Senu says. By all means play with the toys available, but remmeber with most photos what is wanted is very subtle tweaking. Most photos will need some kind of adjustment, and the real power of Elements (and other software) is that you can perform powerful but subtle photographic enhancement. Extreme effects as you have applied here are great to have in your repertoir; however, bear in mind they will form a tiny minority of the number of photos you will be sending through Elements.

NatD · 13-11-2009, 7:23 AM

Thanks for all the comments and feedback guys. I know on a few forums that I go on, photoshopping can raise a lot of different and contrasting emotions.

With photo 1, I was just playing about with different grain effects. I live the B&W conversion, and here is the original snap without any pp: -

However, all comments are taken on board thank you.

Quote:

Originally Posted by OrbitalPete

I wouldn't say *any* of them were 'slightly tweaked'.

I should of said I haven't taken ages on them, normally 5 to 10 minutes.

NatD · 13-11-2009, 7:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OrbitalPete

I'm not sure what you were aiming with for 2; it looks like there's a good photo in there trying to get out, but the blurred nature of it combined with the very low contrast makes it a bit washed out to my eye.

This was a picture that I tried to rescue! The original was poor, a lot of motion blur as well as out of focus background.

Quote:

Originally Posted by OrbitalPete

(5 suffers from the same problem to an extent - particularly just right of the back legs)

I haven't actually added any grain on this one. It was a picture that I accidently over exposed. That is sand that has been kicked up by the dog running.

Thanks again.

GrahamC · 13-11-2009, 7:49 AM

No 3. is my fav. best use of coloured object selection I've seen.

In fact I'd put that up on my wall.

shotokan101 · 13-11-2009, 8:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NatD

Thanks for all the comments and feedback guys. I know on a few forums that I go on, photoshopping can raise a lot of different and contrasting emotions.

With photo 1, I was just playing about with different grain effects. I live the B&W conversion, and here is the original snap without any pp: -

However, all comments are taken on board thank you.

I should of said I haven't taken ages on them, normally 5 to 10 minutes.

Now THAT original IMO is a crackintg shot on it's own

..I might even try downloading that tonight and trying it with a bit more Black Recovery....

Jim

NatD · 13-11-2009, 8:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GrahamC

No 3. is my fav. best use of coloured object selection I've seen.

In fact I'd put that up on my wall.

Wow, thank you!

My only critique of the photo is that I would of like just to leave the colour in her reflection, but as you can see some of the leafs also have colour back in them. I did this one quite quickly, and think it could be corrected if I took my time!

NatD · 13-11-2009, 8:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shotokan101

Now THAT original IMO is a crackintg shot on it's own

..I might even try downloading that tonight and trying it with a bit more Black Recovery....Jim

Thanks - please feel free to have a play with it and come back with your efforts (also with what you've done as well as I am still very new to PP!).

nikonuser11 · 13-11-2009, 12:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NatD

Wow, thank you!

My only critique of the photo is that I would of like just to leave the colour in her reflection, but as you can see some of the leafs also have colour back in them. I did this one quite quickly, and think it could be corrected if I took my time!

didnt even notice the colour in the reflection as I whizzed through, but looking back its an excellent picture, very well done and very creative

mrpop1 · 13-11-2009, 3:30 PM

Very nice images! #4 is a definite favourite of mine.

shotokan101 · 13-11-2009, 6:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NatD

Thanks for all the comments and feedback guys. I know on a few forums that I go on, photoshopping can raise a lot of different and contrasting emotions.

With photo 1, I was just playing about with different grain effects. I live the B&W conversion, and here is the original snap without any pp: -

However, all comments are taken on board thank you.

I should of said I haven't taken ages on them, normally 5 to 10 minutes.

Just had a brief play around with the original to recover the blacks and the detail a little and enhance the face colour a little and added some slight vignetting to hide a little of the blown out/under white/black at the corners....

Jim

NatD · 16-11-2009, 7:53 AM

Nice Edit Jim. The colours look deep, rich and more natural now, and it also has the appearance of additional lighting.

How can you do something like this on PS (well, what modifications did you have to make?).

shotokan101 · 16-11-2009, 2:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NatD

Nice Edit Jim. The colours look deep, rich and more natural now, and it also has the appearance of additional lighting.

How can you do something like this on PS (well, what modifications did you have to make?).

Thanks NatD - I'm not sure what the equivalent tweaks in PSE would be but I think the "Develop" mode in Lightroom has fairly similar adjustment options so I'll check it out this evening and post back some of the adjustment levels compared to the original image.

Jim

stevegreen · 16-11-2009, 2:41 PM

#4 is a top photograph, well done.

Steve N · 16-11-2009, 5:17 PM

# 5 stands out for me

Porky4 · 20-11-2009, 10:26 AM

Hi NatD,

Quote:

Originally Posted by NatD

Nice Edit Jim. The colours look deep, rich and more natural now, and it also has the appearance of additional lighting.

Just goes to show that one man's ....

I like the changes that Jim has made, except the "brown"y colour displays with a lot of yellow/orange on my system, which looks a little false. I prefer the original brown colour. The rest is good though!

Paul.

shotokan101 · 20-11-2009, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Porky4

Hi NatD,

Just goes to show that one man's ....

I like the changes that Jim has made, except the "brown"y colour displays with a lot of yellow/orange on my system, which looks a little false. I prefer the original brown colour. The rest is good though!

Paul.

Of course he's got the benefit of knowing what the dog "actually" looks like too - as it's "properly calibrated"

Jim