Advice on how to fix image affected by smoke machine

Hi guys, I have a bunch of images like this:

https://dl.getdropbox.com/u/403824/Angels%20at%20entrance%20 %5Bemail%5D.JPG

that I want to use for a client's promotional material. The venue depicted had a smoke machine operating on the night, hence the misty look.

Has anyone here ever improved an image affected by smoke like this? What did you do to clarify things?

Thanks in advance for advice on how to improve the image quality of this, and similarly smoky pics ...

Jo

"Boppy" wrote in message

Hi guys, I have a bunch of images like this:

https://dl.getdropbox.com/u/403824/Angels%20at%20entrance%20 %5Bemail%5D.JPG
that I want to use for a client's promotional material. The venue depicted had a smoke machine operating on the night, hence the misty look.

Has anyone here ever improved an image affected by smoke like this? What did you do to clarify things?

Thanks in advance for advice on how to improve the image quality of this, and similarly smoky pics ...

Jo

A simple Contrast adjustment (Image / Adjustments / Brightness&Contrast) will normally clear up a white cast. Use Levels for more control, or better still Curves for fine tuning.

Alternatively, copy the image to a new Layer and set the blending mode to Multiply.

HTH
R.

On Feb 10, 11:43 pm, "Ragnar" wrote:

"Boppy" wrote in message

Hi guys, I have a bunch of images like this:

https://dl.getdropbox.com/u/403824/Angels%20at%20entrance%20 %5Bemail%...

that I want to use for a client's promotional material. The venue depicted had a smoke machine operating on the night, hence the misty look.

Has anyone here ever improved an image affected by smoke like this? What did you do to clarify things?

Thanks in advance for advice on how to improve the image quality of this, and similarly smoky pics ...

Jo

A simple Contrast adjustment (Image / Adjustments / Brightness&Contrast) will normally clear up a white cast. Use Levels for more control, or better still Curves for fine tuning.

Alternatively, copy the image to a new Layer and set the blending mode to Multiply.

HTH
R.

Thanks, worked really well.

On another subject, is there any trick to get a more even lighting when photographing subjects against a window? Up till now I've been masking the areas and applying levels or brightness adjustment layers as appropriate but would love to know what an expert does.

cheers,
J

"Boppy" wrote in message

On another subject, is there any trick to get a more even lighting when photographing subjects against a window? Up till now I've been masking the areas and applying levels or brightness adjustment layers as appropriate but would love to know what an expert does.
cheers,
J

I don't know what experts do but my trick is the Shadow & Highlights adjustment which was deisgned for exactly this problem.

HTH
R.

On Feb 11, 11:14 am, "Ragnar" wrote:

"Boppy" wrote in message

On another subject, is there any trick to get a more even lighting when photographing subjects against a window? Up till now I've been masking the areas and applying levels or brightness adjustment layers as appropriate but would love to know what an expert does.

cheers,
J

I don't know what experts do but my trick is the Shadow & Highlights adjustment which was deisgned for exactly this problem.

HTH
R.

Yeah I do that too but it never quite copes with a dark interior, light exterior through the window.

J

The problem with the OP's image is flare caused by the flash on the camera being reflected back by the smoke in front of the angels. The best way I have found to recover something with flare is what is called local contrast control - to do this copy the layer and set blend mode to Hard Light and then run High Pass filter (Filter>other>high Pass) with radius up around 50. Then apply other overall tone corrections with curves as required. This technique can also be used for lens flare.

If the light was suitable a better image could have been taken withour camera flash.

Malcolm