Image manipulation - Teach me!

wonder_lander · 5 Sep 2007 at 20:55

OK I read in a previous post that to turn a good picture into a great picture post processing is the key!

Any pointers or guides for a complete novice?

Feel free to demonstrate on this original picture I took in Venice:

This was my honest first attempt at a crop, sharpen and then I auto leveled it!

I have paint.NET and lightroom available, please be gentle!

DailyGeek · 5 Sep 2007 at 21:01

I'm far from experienced at photoshop but this took about a minute - not sure if its what you want.

Basically, unsharp mask, crop, auto levels, bump the contrast a bit and framed it.

dirtybeatfreak · 5 Sep 2007 at 21:01

u done a good job it seems theres more contrast now which is good, it might just be me but it seems the pic is wonky slightly, but its hard to tell without a horizon there.

good shot mate!

wonder_lander · 5 Sep 2007 at 21:03

alangelluk said:
u done a good job it seems theres more contrast now which is good, it might just be me but it seems the pic is wonky slightly, but its hard to tell without a horizon there.

good shot mate!

Plan was to lose the excess sky, remove the building works to the left and finally the tied up cruiser on the right!

DailyGeek · 5 Sep 2007 at 21:03

I thought it was wonky as well, but cba to do that for him

DailyGeek · 5 Sep 2007 at 21:06

wonder_lander said:
Plan was to lose the excess sky, remove the building works to the left and finally the tied up cruiser on the right!

Really? I think the framing looks alright as it is with those left in, just the sky gone. Something about chopping off those sides looks a little too close to me, composition wise?

xolotl · 5 Sep 2007 at 21:52

Here's my attempt. Selectively used filters on the top of the image to make the sky more blue.

I think DailyGeek's photo is oversharped.

wonder_lander · 6 Sep 2007 at 08:44

Is it all down to eye and personal opinion or are there "standards" you should aim to achieve?

IceAx · 6 Sep 2007 at 10:50

xolotl - thats how i would have done it

Andy

Russinating · 6 Sep 2007 at 13:37

Just another take on what you could do:

Replaced sky (obviously), brightness & contrast, made water more blue, border.

NB. Just grabbed the sky from another photo, but its just an example and I presume you're not using it for commercial purposes either

Raymond Lin · 6 Sep 2007 at 13:41

^^^ looks good but isn't that more photoshop than photography ?

Sky looks fake in the distance, the bit at the top looks ok, and I think the picture can do with a slight anti CW rotation at about 1 degree too.

Russinating · 6 Sep 2007 at 13:51

Huh? He asked for post-processing ideas, not photography techniques. And that's what it is just an idea, not a perfect transformation

. Yeah it looks a bit fake, but he can put more time into it if he likes the idea. And things always look more fake if you know they are as well

wonder_lander · 6 Sep 2007 at 18:34

xolotl said:
Here's my attempt. Selectively used filters on the top of the image to make the sky more blue.

I think DailyGeek's photo is oversharped.

Would you not crop at all the picture?

xolotl · 6 Sep 2007 at 18:50

wonder_lander said:
Would you not crop at all the picture?

I didn't feel the need to. I quite like the composition of the picture and I don't feel that there is too much sky

divine` · 6 Sep 2007 at 18:52

Raymond Lin said:
^^^ looks good but isn't that more photoshop than photography ?

He did title the thread 'image manipulation' though

martinturner · 7 Sep 2007 at 08:38

Raymond Lin said:
^^^ looks good but isn't that more photoshop than photography ?

I agree, where is the line between post-processing and image manipulation? You do have really good PS skills, although I would strongly advise against applying such heavy processing. I would look more at adjustment layers, levels, curves, crops and general light touches. I often apply an adjustment layer to make a sky a bit more dramatic, although if I spent some money and bought some filters I would acheive the same affect. Not saying that image-manipulation is wrong, but I think you can get lazy with how you take photos ... thinking, thats fine I can fix that in PS.

As for photo ... possibly convert to Sepia or B&W?

::: CooliceT :: · 7 Sep 2007 at 09:01

here's my attemped.

i only felt you could push more colour into the blue waters, more than the sky.
and also the colours on the buildings.

excuse me though, as i only spent 5mins on it at 9am

but its a nice picture, id love to go to venice one day.

actually might have made mine bit too bright, hurts my eye's this early.
ah anyway, time for breakfast

a1ex2001 · 7 Sep 2007 at 09:17

I like threads like this, it's always interesting to see what different people do and it just goes to show there is no right or wrong answer when it comes to photography you've just got to go with what you like.

Paul11 · 7 Sep 2007 at 11:10

Russinating · 7 Sep 2007 at 12:10

martinturner said:
I agree, where is the line between post-processing and image manipulation? You do have really good PS skills, although I would strongly advise against applying such heavy processing. I would look more at adjustment layers, levels, curves, crops and general light touches. I often apply an adjustment layer to make a sky a bit more dramatic, although if I spent some money and bought some filters I would acheive the same affect. Not saying that image-manipulation is wrong, but I think you can get lazy with how you take photos ... thinking, thats fine I can fix that in PS.

As for photo ... possibly convert to Sepia or B&W?

I totally agree, and if it was my photo then I wouldn't have done this (or least worked more on it\found a better matching and subtler sky). But seeing as 3 people before me had already done b&c\curves adjustments I just thought I'd show him what else could be done

. No point in 10 people doing the same thing just with different adjustment values really

Image manipulation - Teach me!

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Man of Honour