Need editing suggestions

[kkraczek]

I've been asked to print this photo at full size for framing. (approx. 11 x 17) Because I have not yet taken my Photoshop class, (and don't want to screw up the photo ;) ) I would like suggestions on adjustments I should make to this photo before printing. Unsharp mask (how much), contrast, (curves?) etc. I'd greatly appreciate any and all help with this!

[kkraczek]

I've been asked to print this photo at full size for framing. (approx. 11 x 17) Because I have not yet taken my Photoshop class, (and don't want to screw up the photo ;) ) I would like suggestions on adjustments I should make to this photo before printing. Unsharp mask (how much), contrast, (curves?) etc. I'd greatly appreciate any and all help with this!

Actually, would this be a better choice? (Mother-in-law wants tropical photo for her bedroom)

[another view]

Not sure why no one has answered so I'll try to help - not being a Photoshop expert myself. First off, two things about the second shot - the branch coming into the frame in the lower right corner, and also there isn't any separation between the palm tree and the huts (right word?). Not a bad shot, but I'd go with the first one.

The first thing to do is to take a good hard look at the image and decide what you need to do to it. What made you pick that shot? Whatever it is, you don't want to lose that quality by overworking it in Photoshop. Personally, I thought the bottom looked too dark, the sky too light and it could use some more contrast. I pulled it in to Photoshop CS, and did this:

1) Increased contrast 10%

2) Dodge tool at 50% exposure for the midtones at the bottom of the frame (bridge, trees, hut). I covered all of the area with a big brush (happened to be 139px which is pretty big in an image this small) and then went back to get some of the areas again. I did this quickly and would pay more attention to it if I were working on something that would be a big print.

3) Burn tool at 50% exposure for the shadows in the sky and clouds only. Waved the brush over this area once. This brush happened to be 85px, but again size isn't critical.

4) Unsharp mask at these settings - Amount: 115%; Radius: 1.2 pixels; Threshold: 80 levels. Sharpening is a personal preference. Maybe I did a little too much here but it's more for illustration I guess. Your settings for what looks good for you on a big print will probably be different, but use these values as a starting point.

Ask 10 photographers what to do here and you'll get 20 or more answers (well, usually;) ). These are just my ideas and should not be taken as an absolute. I'd probably make a "working" print and live with it for a couple of days to decide if I really liked what I did to it. I would save your Photoshopped file as a TIF and keep that as a master file. You can then edit off of that to make whatever changes from that point you feel necessary and re-save with no loss in quality.

Hope this helps.

[kkraczek]

Not sure why no one has answered so I'll try to help - not being a Photoshop expert myself. First off, two things about the second shot - the branch coming into the frame in the lower right corner, and also there isn't any separation between the palm tree and the huts (right word?). Not a bad shot, but I'd go with the first one.

The first thing to do is to take a good hard look at the image and decide what you need to do to it. What made you pick that shot? Whatever it is, you don't want to lose that quality by overworking it in Photoshop. Personally, I thought the bottom looked too dark, the sky too light and it could use some more contrast. I pulled it in to Photoshop CS, and did this:

1) Increased contrast 10%

2) Dodge tool at 50% exposure for the midtones at the bottom of the frame (bridge, trees, hut). I covered all of the area with a big brush (happened to be 139px which is pretty big in an image this small) and then went back to get some of the areas again. I did this quickly and would pay more attention to it if I were working on something that would be a big print.

3) Burn tool at 50% exposure for the shadows in the sky and clouds only. Waved the brush over this area once. This brush happened to be 85px, but again size isn't critical.

4) Unsharp mask at these settings - Amount: 115%; Radius: 1.2 pixels; Threshold: 80 levels. Sharpening is a personal preference. Maybe I did a little too much here but it's more for illustration I guess. Your settings for what looks good for you on a big print will probably be different, but use these values as a starting point.

Ask 10 photographers what to do here and you'll get 20 or more answers (well, usually;) ). These are just my ideas and should not be taken as an absolute. I'd probably make a "working" print and live with it for a couple of days to decide if I really liked what I did to it. I would save your Photoshopped file as a TIF and keep that as a master file. You can then edit off of that to make whatever changes from that point you feel necessary and re-save with no loss in quality.

Hope this helps.

WOW- thanks! You have helped me greatly by explaining what you've done and what the results are. I really appreciate it! I'm signed up for the fall semester PS class, but I'd like to try and get this done before then.

I agree with the "working print" idea as well. I recently re-edited a photo that I like much better now than before, so I'm glad that I didn't rush off and have it enlarged!

Thanks SO MUCH again... you made my day!

[Peter_AUS]

The biggest issue is the haze over the mountain, it is completely covered from the offshore breakline all the way up to the top of the photo.

I tried a bit of shadow/highlight adjustments on this, it is all a look and see adjustment, not something that can be done by figures due to low image quality for the net, not that your image is low quality, it is quite good.

Have a look anyway.

[kkraczek]

The biggest issue is the haze over the mountain, it is completely covered from the offshore breakline all the way up to the top of the photo.

I tried a bit of shadow/highlight adjustments on this, it is all a look and see adjustment, not something that can be done by figures due to low image quality for the net, not that your image is low quality, it is quite good.

Have a look anyway.

Thanks Peter, I agree that the haze is a problem. It is the main problem in all of my photos of French Polynesia, and it is frustrating! I was even using a polarizer.

I have another photo that I played with and found the hue/saturation controls to be effective, combined with curves. I used the magic wand for that photo, but I can't seem to get the entire area selected in this photo. I'm not sure how else to select that portion of the photo by itself. (maybe the lasso tool?)

Thanks for your help and suggestions.

[opus]

Kristin, if the area you're trying to select is pretty much one color family, I like to use "select--color range" and then adjust until I get a selection that contains *mostly* what I want and leaves out *mostly* what I don't want. Then I go in and adjust with the lasso tool...on my mac if I hold down the option key while in the lasso tool I can "subtract" areas from the selection. If I hold down the (shift? control? I don't remember offhand) the lasso gets a little "+" under it, and I can add to my selection.

[christopher_platt]

Being the extreme rookie of the group, I just wanted to comment on your beautiful photos and how they remind me of my honeymoon in Hawaii. . .(I think it's that whole "other-island-on-the-horizon" thing. . .)
Anyways, nice pic?
Chip

[StillMrFitz]

Using Another View's photograph.
Go To Sharpen - Unsharp Mask
Amount - 88
Radius - 22
Threshold - 0

Now have a look at the haze on the mountains.

Very nice photograph - Excellent potential

PFitz

Not sure why no one has answered so I'll try to help - not being a Photoshop expert myself. First off, two things about the second shot - the branch coming into the frame in the lower right corner, and also there isn't any separation between the palm tree and the huts (right word?). Not a bad shot, but I'd go with the first one.

The first thing to do is to take a good hard look at the image and decide what you need to do to it. What made you pick that shot? Whatever it is, you don't want to lose that quality by overworking it in Photoshop. Personally, I thought the bottom looked too dark, the sky too light and it could use some more contrast. I pulled it in to Photoshop CS, and did this:

1) Increased contrast 10%

2) Dodge tool at 50% exposure for the midtones at the bottom of the frame (bridge, trees, hut). I covered all of the area with a big brush (happened to be 139px which is pretty big in an image this small) and then went back to get some of the areas again. I did this quickly and would pay more attention to it if I were working on something that would be a big print.

3) Burn tool at 50% exposure for the shadows in the sky and clouds only. Waved the brush over this area once. This brush happened to be 85px, but again size isn't critical.

4) Unsharp mask at these settings - Amount: 115%; Radius: 1.2 pixels; Threshold: 80 levels. Sharpening is a personal preference. Maybe I did a little too much here but it's more for illustration I guess. Your settings for what looks good for you on a big print will probably be different, but use these values as a starting point.

Ask 10 photographers what to do here and you'll get 20 or more answers (well, usually;) ). These are just my ideas and should not be taken as an absolute. I'd probably make a "working" print and live with it for a couple of days to decide if I really liked what I did to it. I would save your Photoshopped file as a TIF and keep that as a master file. You can then edit off of that to make whatever changes from that point you feel necessary and re-save with no loss in quality.

Hope this helps.

[kkraczek]

Being the extreme rookie of the group, I just wanted to comment on your beautiful photos and how they remind me of my honeymoon in Hawaii. . .(I think it's that whole "other-island-on-the-horizon" thing. . .)
Anyways, nice pic?
Chip

Thanks Chip... I loved Hawaii as well, and hope to someday go back! It is definitely my favorite place on earth.

[kkraczek]

Kristin, if the area you're trying to select is pretty much one color family, I like to use "select--color range" and then adjust until I get a selection that contains *mostly* what I want and leaves out *mostly* what I don't want. Then I go in and adjust with the lasso tool...on my mac if I hold down the option key while in the lasso tool I can "subtract" areas from the selection. If I hold down the (shift? control? I don't remember offhand) the lasso gets a little "+" under it, and I can add to my selection.

Thanks Kelly! I'll try your suggestion and let you know how it goes... thanks again!

P.S. I can't wait to get into my PS class next month!

[kkraczek]

Using Another View's photograph.
Go To Sharpen - Unsharp Mask
Amount - 88
Radius - 22
Threshold - 0

Now have a look at the haze on the mountains.

Very nice photograph - Excellent potential

PFitz

Thanks MrFitz... it does make a difference! I'll be taking PS this semester, and i'm excited to learn about these and other "tricks". Thanks for your help!