Coastal Camera Club
find us on facebook, flickr, twitter
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Meetings
  • Competitions
  • Exhibits
  • The Image
  • Gallery
  • Blog
  • Handbook
  • Members
    • Peter Chow
    • Paula Chabot
    • Regina Hausmann
    • Maryann Flick
    • John Gluszak
    • Mark Janke
    • John Lamirande
    • Allison Maltese
    • Anne Mele
    • Rob Nardino
    • Marleen Pacelli
    • Dave Rathbun
    • Janet Rathbun
    • Cynthia Thibault
  • Member Websites
  • Links

Image editing critiques discontinued

5/2/2023

0 Comments

 
Previous posts have not generated much response. Due to an overall lack of interest in this exercise we will not be posting more images. If you have questions about your editing, save them for the critique night meetings.
0 Comments

Critic 2023 #7

4/13/2023

2 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
 I wanted to submit something for advice that is an interesting challenge (at least for me). I have an underwater photo of an octopus with a couple of legs plunged deep into a bright orange shell. I took the photo in St. John USVI on a vacation visit last year. Here is the challenge, the octopus is an expert at camouflage which is critical to it’s protection and survival. But he also tends to disappear into the background and people viewing the photo often just don’t see him, especially given the distraction of the bright orange shell he is holding. How can the photo be edited to make it a bit easier to see the full picture? 

​John G has offered this edit:
Picture
I decided to try a couple major changes, since the octopus is really well hidden. 
 
  1. I first thought maybe rotating the image might help, as we tend to read left to right anyway, so it seemed like you might see the octopus easier on the side. (And being in the water, didn't seem liked it's mattered much.)
  2. Also, thought I could make it pop by dropping the exposure on the rock(corral), but I liked the look when I desaturated the rock better.
  3. Also, dodge and burned the eyeball so it popped out more.
Picture
Edit offered by M. Flick
I agree that the horizontal view is a better choice. In Lr I selected the background and darkened it, also removing some texture and clarity. I selected the octopus and lightened it, adding also a wee bit of texture and clarity.
2 Comments

Critic 2023 #6

3/30/2023

4 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
Picture
​Here is a picture I took at Tybee beach on a very overcast day when we were there visiting this winter. As some of you are aware, I am using this as an exercise to try and learn the software capabilities more than anything else.  In this particular case, besides trying to punch out the texture of the driftwood, and improve the overexposed sky, I thought it might be a good opportunity to try and remove an item and repair the image around it. I also took a close up the lighthouse to have a better resolution to put back into the image in a better spot. It also allowed me an opportunity to repair parts of that image with the items that were in front of it, before I put it back into the original image.
 
1) Overall thoughts on the clean up around the lighthouse in both aspects?
2) Should the lighthouse be knocked out of focus a touch to account for depth of field?
3) Also thought a 1:1 aspect ratio worked in this case, but not sure if better still in 4:3 and just cropped as needed?
4) Any other thoughts appreciated as well, as I am using these as examples, so any thoughts are worth trying just to get better using the photo manipulation software.

4 Comments

Critic 2023 #5

3/17/2023

5 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
The icicles hanging from this long rock face caught my attention while on a recent hike. My initial attempt to photograph this scene resulted in the sky being blown out. I metered off the sky for my second attempt but the result was a severe underexposure. My thought was why not try to salvage the shot.
Using Lightroom I made minor adjustments in the Basic Panel except for Shadows (+100) and the Blacks (+77).  This was followed by slight adjustments to the HSL Luminance colors (red +25 & orange +67). Adjustments in Detail and Tone Curve were minor.
I did find myself making local adjustments to the rock face, sky, icicles and leaves. My final edit was to remove the tree from the right edge of the original photo.
I would appreciate any input as to what I might have done differently.
5 Comments

March 02nd, 2023

3/2/2023

4 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
Picture
  • Three versions- general comments of the three editing
  • #1 is the original on which I did some basic editing
  • #2 is a crop to panorama with some dehaze applied to the sky
  • #3 is more the aspect of the original but I did more editing to add some drama to the sky and added a touch warmth which brightens the trees a bit.
Picture
Here's a 4th version; cropped like #2, trees brighter like #3. The low, dark clouds are also lighter.
4 Comments

Critic 2023 #3

2/17/2023

3 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
No specific questions.
Would like to have any comments or advice.
3 Comments

Critic 2023 #2

2/2/2023

5 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
                                                                               For the images above
                                                Original                        Rev 1
                                                Rev 2                           Rev 3

Here's a photo needing much help.  I wouldn't bother except this is the best EMU photo I have.  

Situation: In a van, at 50MPH, at deep dusk.  EMU's are ~100 yards away.

Camera settings:  Maximum Telephoto (600mm), f/4,1/1000 sec, AWB, Auto ISO(1600), Continuous focus.

Original: Dark and very noisy, but focus was pretty good, considering.

Rev. 1
Cropped Image
Increased Exposure +2.37
Shadows: +30
Increased Texture, Vibrance and Clarity
White Balance: Increased Temp. from 4.5K to 5.2K

Rev. 2
Edited Photo in Topaz Denoise and Sharpen.

Masked facial skin patches and added blue back into skin, which was removed when I adjusted WB.

Rev.3
Used B&W Presets set to Infrared. 
Readjusted:
 Exposure +.44
 Contrast +11
 Highlights +2

Be Blunt.  Was it worth the effort?  Does anyone have ideas on what I might have done differently in the editing process?
Another trip to Australia to get a good daylight shot, setup on a tripod at 25 yards is not in the cards.  

I like the B&W because of the contrast of the grass from the birds.  Comments?
5 Comments

Critic 2023 #1 Addition posting

1/27/2023

3 Comments

 
Picture
​Here is another version I attempted after reading the comments.

1) I agree, that the street grounded the image, so I put it back in, and just tried to mask the "newer" items in the image that stuck out for the older concept I was going for. Helped me learn about layer priority as well when I tried replacing a few signs.

2) Since I'm not going back, not much I could do about taking a new picture to help make the buildings more vertical. But the comments helped point out the "transform" function, so I played a little with that as well. Couldn't get perfect, as I ended up just chasing my tail eventually, but do think I was able to improve it a bit without totally losing the fire escapes on the left side, which I really liked.

3) I also, just for fun, tried another aging process on the older buildings. This method kept the color differences, but played with the saturation and shading to try and mimic the older photos that had color but not very deep blacks to them.

4) I also tried creating my own clouds in the area I removed the top of the building in the back. Thought it might help mask the fill of new sky that was hard to blend.

Thanks for the comments. As this was basically an "exercise" to start learning the software, it was useful to point me in the direction to try a few things I didn't even think of at first. Still have a way to go, but it was a decent first step.....John
3 Comments

Critiques 2023 #1

1/19/2023

3 Comments

 

                                                     The 4 versions above
                                    original                                                Revision 1
                                  Revision 2                                             Revision 3
​

 I took this image in NYC while walking around. I love to find images that show some sort of dichotomy, if I can. (Life/Death, Old/New, etc.) This image of the new tower between the streets of the older buildings caught my eye for that concept. I also then wanted to start learning how to work with layers and transparencies as part of actually editing a photo, rather than just straight from camera. So here are some of the items I am sort of debating on during this process.
 
1) Do I crop off the bottom of the image. My initial thought was to clean up the busy street and signage. But also thought that when cropped it lost a little sense of the vertical nature of the hallway. I looked at also cropping the sides a bit to make more vertical, but thought the fire escape ladders and smaller portion of building added to the sense of the "older" building, and a diminishing horizon going back to the tower. (Rev.1)
 
2) As far as the masking exercise I thought to try and make the old building back in time a bit. I tried sepia, but thought the grayscale felt better. I also worked on the highlights and shoadows to try and bring out the texture of the windows. Does that concept come through between the old and new? (Rev.2)
 
3) When I lost the color from the older buildings, I also lost the sense of depth between the two different building on the left. So I thought to highlight the back building somewhat with highlighting it, so it might come across at a different building, rather than blending together when it had the same exposure as the front building. (Rev.3)
 
Just wanted to see what others may think about the thought process, and the direction I was heading. I realize that my cropping may not be the best, but as I first try, the image gave me something to work with for a purpose. 


3 Comments

Critiques 2023

1/19/2023

0 Comments

 
CCC is starting a Blog called Critiques 2023.  The idea is to allow any member of the club to post  images and to receive comments and criticism to specific questions and areas of concern.  

Here is how this will work--
1-- you send an email to Peter Chow and Maryann Flick (cpchowphoto@gmail.com, cmflick@comcast.net) and attach an unedited and an edited version of the same image.  In the body of the email you will write out your questions and any areas of concern that you want feedback.  
2-- I will post the two versions as well as the write-up on the Blog.  It is important that you write out your questions and concerns so that I can cut and paste them onto the Blog.
3--if you choose, you may post a revised version after you read some of the comments by emailing Peter and Maryann with the revised version. This is optional so no pressure.  You must do this within 14 days of the initial posting.
4--after 14 days of the initial posting another person's work will be posted and the whole process starts over.
5--the order of posting is in the order of the emails received.
6--you may send another email for another posting after yours go live.  

Your posting will be anonymous.  So if you are a little shy about sharing there is no need.
0 Comments
<<Previous

    Maryann Flick

    President, Coastal Camera Club

    Archives

    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    November 2022
    February 2022
    November 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    May 2019
    January 2018
    July 2017
    February 2017
    December 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    July 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    November 2012
    July 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed