October - post processing assignment - Image by Ben H

[tomorrowstreasures]

Edited by Marko - Ok members there's yet a new assignment for October - Post processing.
The assignment is to fix up Ben H's image (in THIS thread) using the program of your choice. Since we all want to learn this, the only 'rule' is to describe what you did to the image to 'fix' it.

For next month's assignment we'll post (or any member can take the lead) a few days before and ask for submissions for an image that we can all play with. Then we'll choose the image and people can describe their techniques.
Thanks so much for this suggestion - it's a great one! Marko
(FYI - the posts in this thread were merged to decrease confusion for this first post-processing assignment)

Added - I see Ben H put up a Hi res version of his image here (http://www.benhall.co.uk/pics/2000and8.jpg) That's great - thx. Feel free to work on that hi res image, and then upload the 'fixed' version here. You can upload it at a low res version (less than 150K) or if it's more than 150 K the board will shrink it for you..or use a 3rd party link...all good.

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Originally Posted by marko View Post in Podcast Copy and pasted to here by
TT,

Marko said:
But in no way am I an expert in the domain...post processing/retouching is something that I'm learning along with the rest of the members.
marko


TT's suggestion:
This got me thinking. Since PP is such a new, but necessary playing field how about if we have an assignment thread in Post Processing/Photoshop, PSP, etc.. Each month, someone can volunteer to submit an image that we can all "tinker" with... record the steps we use, share the different out comes and learn new things along the way. I know that there are members who are way beyond the basics, seeing what they would do to an assigned image would be of great benefit. Not to mention the aspects of creativity. There is so much to learn here that having an assignment designated specifically to PP seems to me to be the next step in growing as an image maker.

I'm into it but I'd like to have a few other people as well...

many thx!
Marko

i'm in. we've done this on another forum & I always learn something new.

I'd be willing to try as well, as this is an area where I feel I've got some ways to improve...

I'm in. I'm more into After Effects and video effects, but some photo retouching is always fun

Sounds good... the digital dark room is an area in which I am very weak!

5 people is plenty enough for me and I will create a PP assignment subforum in the next day or so.

Who wants to volunteer the first photo?

many thanks! :goodvibes - Marko

Maybe people could post a pic submission on a thread, and then everyone can choose which pic out of the submissions they most fancy working on by general concensus?

Then that image becomes the first post of a new thread, where people can download the image (preferably at a good resolution to make the most of image processing) and then submit their version.

That keeps it manageable, one source photo per thread, with all the variations of that image in the one thread.

Edit: Ooh, I've got one I can submit, which has some potential for improvement, some potential for artistic interpretation, and a good few artifacts that people can try and fix... this should be quite interesting...


Maybe people could post a pic submission on a thread, and then everyone can choose which pic out of the submissions they most fancy working on by general concensus?

Then that image becomes the first post of a new thread, where people can download the image (preferably at a good resolution to make the most of image processing) and then submit their version.

That keeps it manageable, one source photo per thread, with all the variations of that image in the one thread.

Edit: Ooh, I've got one I can submit, which has some potential for improvement, some potential for artistic interpretation, and a good few artifacts that people can try and fix... this should be quite interesting...

I say go for it, Ben!


It's probably worth a few people submitting possible pics though, as people might just not find any particular image that inspiring to want to work on.

Anyway, Marko's the boss of us here, so however he wants to run it is ultimately going to be how we do it, I guess.. ;)

Here's a small version of the image I'd send in for this round - lots of room for improvement here:-


And I'd probably also suggest that there should be no rules as such - an individual can do whatever post processing they want to get an image they are happy with. In short, anything goes. It will be interesting to see how creative some people can get ;)

But I think the worked on submission should include what steps you take to keep the integrity of a learning process for all.:)

[Ben H]

It's probably worth a few people submitting possible pics though, as people might just not find any particular image that inspiring to want to work on.

Anyway, Marko's the boss of us here, so however he wants to run it is ultimately going to be how we do it, I guess.. ;)

Here's a small version of the image I'd send in for this round - lots of room for improvement here:-

http://www.benhall.co.uk/pics/2000and8small.jpg

And I'd probably also suggest that there should be no rules as such - an individual can do whatever post processing they want to get an image they are happy with. In short, anything goes. It will be interesting to see how creative some people can get ;)

[Marko]

Ok let's make this a monthly thing as well! Thanks for your image Ben H!
Marko

[Ben H]

Excellent!

Hang on, let me put up the high res image to download and work from - you'll get much better results... bear with me...

Ok, the full image can be downloaded here:
Download full image (http://www.benhall.co.uk/pics/2000and8.jpg)

(Right click and save as to your computer)

[tomorrowstreasures]

steps used :
straighten (level) used the water line/land line.

crop - i tried to get rid of the burn marks, but took the easy way out

add/remove noise: - despeckle feature 1 click.

clarify - 10.0

adjust: curves: 86>25

smudge tool to remove 2 specks in the sky settings were:
circle brush with slight feather on edge
size:47
hardness:50
step:10
density: 100
thickness: 100
opacity 40

clone tool to remove 2-3 white specks in the water
settings were:
oval brush
size 47
hardness 50
density 100
thickness 35
rotation 85
opacity 94

amount of time spent: 15 minutes

796

[Ben H]

Nice! - gone for a quite dramatic look!

I'm working on mine.. :)

[tomorrowstreasures]

Nice! - gone for a quite dramatic look!

I'm working on mine.. :)
I can't wait to see yours, Ben!

[Marko]

This is fabulous! What a great teaching tool- thanks for the suggestion!

and I like your dramatic version and cleanup TT. :highfive:

[tomorrowstreasures]

Thanks, Marko!

[PKMax]

798

ok.. and how it was done.. if I can remember lol.. I didn't think to write it down as I went, so don't know the exact values for each step..

crop

Exposure +1 ish.

convert to Black and white and adjust each channel till I got the colours I wanted.

Lots of Cloning, Dodging and burning to "remove" the obstruction on the right of image.
also where the damage was severe and covering a large area I cloned the sky from another part of the photo and drew back in the lines for the cable using a Grey lines they Blurred and changed the opacity to roughly match the rest of them.

Level adjustment
Added a blueish filter
Added a Vignette with a layer.

resized to 1024 width for the webby
applied a High Pass Sharpen Filter

sorry to not have the exact values, I ony realised TT had recorded the exact values when I came back. and I don't have the history now, cause I saved and closed it *doh*

Time:50 Mins.

Coulda taken more time if it was mine lol, cause there are still areas that need more "fixing" lol. but need to make tea heh :)

[fante]

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee172/fantemannen/5ab2aaba.jpg

Really easy steps, just playing around with adjustment layers. Here's the steps (yes, I'm a great fan of adjustment layers, they're really awsome):


Duplicate background layer (you should always do)
A curve adjustment layer
Levels adjustment layer
Color balance adjustment layer
Masking out the sky (mix of sampling color range and quick mask), added a hue/saturation adjustment layer to the masked out part
A little exposure change
Cropped the image (was thinking of editing out the obstruction, but with only a touch pad available I figured cropping was a bit easier)



Took a print screen of my layers palette to make my explanation clearer:

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee172/fantemannen/b7f88f30.jpg

[tomorrowstreasures]

Fante - Great idea to show steps the way that you did!!!

804

Kept the redone image from before - added (on PSP X2)

effects > edge effect > find all >
effects > edge effect > high pass

[Ben H]

Still working on mine... ;)

[Travis]

ran outta time.... but here is where i was going anyway....

[tomorrowstreasures]

PK - I am so impressed with how you eliminated those nasty blotches! Way to go! (I cried uncle!)

Fante - perhaps a wee correction on your horizon?


Travis - you "embraced" the weird blotches on the far right, beautifully. They look like they actually belong, instead of a distraction!

[tomorrowstreasures]

798



Coulda taken more time if it was mine lol, cause there are still areas that need more "fixing" lol. but need to make tea heh :)

An aside - PK - I love how you write!!!! You crack me up! BTW - How was the Earl Grey? Do you take it with cream and sugar? Did you have a crumpet, too? I am so jealous of your custom!

[Ben H]

Yeah, the blotches are tricky, especially because of the annoying wires. It's why it's taken me longer than I otherwise would have. And because I'm taking the cranes out... :)

Drinking tea as I type now, actually.. No crumpets though. ;)

[PKMax]

I started out trying to dodge out the blotches, then after a while realised that it was easier just to recreate that part from scratch lol. I should have redone the dodged part, but tea was calling heh.

And take my Earl Grey with a spot of milk :) which I know is a little taboo, but I like milk in my tea . quite like a cuppa Darjeeling too heh.

haven't had crumpets for weeks actually, must go and get some. I keep meaning to learn how to make them but never can remember.

[Kissa]

I know other than introductions this is my first post but i thought i would get right in there :D

here is what i came up with.

It took all of about 10 minutes.....

1. cropped....
2. rendered clouds....
3. Ran the Topaz Adjust filter
4. played around with the color of the clouds (made them lighter) and blurred them a little bit.

HERE IT GOES :)

http://images34.fotki.com/v1196/photos/9/970761/5987474/2000and8a-vi.jpg

[Marko]

Oh these are excellent everyone! What a great assignment...a whole lotta sharin' and learnin' goin' on! :highfive:

[Ben H]

I see most people are going for the crops, rather than making the fixes. Chickens! ;)

[tomorrowstreasures]

I know other than introductions this is my first post but i thought i would get right in there :D

here is what i came up with.

It took all of about 10 minutes.....

1. cropped....
2. rendered clouds....
3. Ran the Topaz Adjust filter
4. played around with the color of the clouds (made them lighter) and blurred them a little bit.

HERE IT GOES :)



Kissa- great problem solving here! Taking advantage of those puffs by creating the cloud cover - clever!
a wee correction on the horizon line maybe? :)

[tomorrowstreasures]

826

did very quickly -
steps were: (in PSPX2)
enamel
sphere
color balance

[tomorrowstreasures]

again - quickly done
enamel
i did something to the color, but i can't remember what
circle

827

[jmayoff]

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3138/2967539986_2440903e3f.jpg (http://flickr.com/photos/pincourt/2967539986/)

First I got rid of that thing in the foreground and got rid of some of the smoke at the back right (photoshop clone tool.) I sharpened (lab color and unsharp mask on lightness channel) and then converted to B&W all but some of the blue (I selected a color range.) I figured there really isn't any color worth preserving here except for that blue. I enhanced the blue (hue/saturation) and then increased the contrast (brightness/contrast.) I found the water wasn't dark enough so I selected it and used brightness contrast again to increase contrast.

[Ben H]

I like the brightness of the dome in your pic, contrasts nicely against the water. Really nice.

BTW - that smudgey thing isn't smoke, it's a plant or something close to the camera (and thus very defocused). Definitely an unwanted artifact, but a pain to remove...

[tomorrowstreasures]

I like the brightness of the dome in your pic, contrasts nicely against the water. Really nice.

BTW - that smudgey thing isn't smoke, it's a plant or something close to the camera (and thus very defocused). Definitely an unwanted artifact, but a pain to remove...

Um, Ben.... Where is your fix?????? hmmmmm? :)

[Ben H]

It's coming, I've just been a bit swamped lately... I just need to finish it off...

[Ben H]

In the interests of getting something done, I'm going to call it a day on this one. That means many of the pic edits I just ended up doing quickly - if it was more important, I'd do them better, but hey, this is for fun, so... ;)

http://www.benhall.co.uk/pics/2000and8_edit.jpg

This small version looks bad and quite noisy, I had a bit of a colour profile battle on output, but you'll get the idea.

Other than general fixes (cloning back the water (although even though I fixed the foreground obstruction, I liked cropping the water a little to shift the attention to the dome), and removing one of the cranes (poorly - I was going to do the other one too, but the wires are too much of a pain). Then some general contrast and colour improvements with multiple adjustment layers targetting different areas.

I dodged and burned, and did selective sharpening - ie I duplicated the image, did an unsharp mask to sharpen it, masked it out completely, then used a layer mask to paint in the sharpening selectively on the construction building, the dome, the boat in front (but not the small boats behind) to help separate those, and I only sharpened the foreground yellow towers, and not the rear ones, to improve the sense of depth - quite effective on the full size, although it's difficult to see in this one.

[kiley9806]

heres my attempt. i basically clarified it, selectively sharpened certain items like the cranes & boats, leveled it, and tried to minimize the smoke by using the 'push' brush. and then i turned it into a negative, just for fun.

[kiley9806]

and heres the un-negative version. :)

[tomorrowstreasures]

Kiley - i like how you made the blotchy thing look like smoke coming from a building! good job!

[tomorrowstreasures]

In the interests of getting something done, I'm going to call it a day on this one. That means many of the pic edits I just ended up doing quickly - if it was more important, I'd do them better, but hey, this is for fun, so... ;)


This small version looks bad and quite noisy, I had a bit of a colour profile battle on output, but you'll get the idea.

Other than general fixes (cloning back the water (although even though I fixed the foreground obstruction, I liked cropping the water a little to shift the attention to the dome), and removing one of the cranes (poorly - I was going to do the other one too, but the wires are too much of a pain). Then some general contrast and colour improvements with multiple adjustment layers targetting different areas.

I dodged and burned, and did selective sharpening - ie I duplicated the image, did an unsharp mask to sharpen it, masked it out completely, then used a layer mask to paint in the sharpening selectively on the construction building, the dome, the boat in front (but not the small boats behind) to help separate those, and I only sharpened the foreground yellow towers, and not the rear ones, to improve the sense of depth - quite effective on the full size, although it's difficult to see in this one.


Kudos, Ben!

[Ben H]

I think we can consider this one done now - thanks all!