need help repair pic

PT
Posted By
PATRICIA_TOWNSEND
Oct 22, 2006
Views
633
Replies
14
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Closed
< http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1xplQbdhFBAcLi5YoD k9RswWD2X1xt1> I took 4 shots and 2 was ok 2 was very dark like this. I tried a couple of different things in photoshop but did not like my results.
Any suggestions.
thanks
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GD
glen_deman
Oct 22, 2006
Patricia, I’m not sure which version of PS you have, but I believe starting with CS there is a Shadow/Highlight feature.

< http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1ttwLntORrUl5snFNq RRMPCxmy5LR1>

This incredible feature alone will do most of the work; after you apply this (preferably to a duplicated layer so as to preserve the original), you just need to do a little color correction.

Shadow/Highlight is under Image>Adjustment>Shadow/Highlight.
PT
PATRICIA_TOWNSEND
Oct 22, 2006
Glen, i did the shadow highlight but the default settings looked a little to much for me and then i played around with the settings in shadow and highlight but could never get it to look even ok. It looked really grainy afterwards.I dont know enough about the settings to know what im doing, just trial and errors, lots of errors.
PT
PATRICIA_TOWNSEND
Oct 22, 2006
Glen what did you do for the color correction?
GD
glen_deman
Oct 22, 2006
On the first image, I didn’t do any color correction, just shadow/highlight.

I tried it again, but this time played with the settings, here’s what I used:

< http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1J6sUnJdWQevMKQzzt dyENZe6HAk6>

Note that the color correction setting was bumped up.

Since I applied the Shadow/highlight to a separate layer, I was able to reduce the opacity of that layer to 80% so that the effect wasn’t too drastic.

After that I added a levels adjustment layer, just to bring out a little more detail in the rocks (I masked off the bright areas of the sky).

Finally, I added a Hue/Saturation layer above everything and bumped up the saturation just a tiny bit.

< http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1ic8OxM5B06KH7TorK b7qpiLaAhNMp1>
SJ
Stan_Jakubek
Oct 22, 2006
The best way that I have found to correct an image such as your’s is to use levels. The white and black slides do not provide the information you would be looking for. However, by using the mid-range slider moving to your left increases the brightness without distorting or changing the max white and black levels.
DR
Donald_Reese
Oct 23, 2006
One suggestion i would have in the future is possibly take the camera off auto,and meter up close on a mid tone,without the sky messing up your meters decision making,and you will avoid these situations in the first place.unless you altered your position,i cant tell you why two times it got it right,but hopefully you will understand what got you there to begin with.
PT
PATRICIA_TOWNSEND
Oct 23, 2006
Donald, I zoomed in on the subject with less white sky in the pic.The other 2 pics are a little dark but not so much that i couldnt lighten a bit.I used a digital on auto, I also used a film manual but havent gotton the film processed yet.I want to compare same shots with the two cameras.
DR
Donald_Reese
Oct 23, 2006
Just wanted to share some info with you.
G
grannysplayhouse
Oct 23, 2006
Patricia, when I have dark pictures like that or pictures that are to bright, I always try the "Screen"(if they are to dark) or "multiply"(to light) options in Layers first… for your picture, try going to window and open the layers window.. when there, copy the background layer by dragging the background layer down to the little square next to the trash can on the bottom of the layers popup box.. uncheck the eyeball on the original background then copy the background copy you just made, just like before.. at the top of the box right under layers there is a box that says "normal" change it to screen.. you will notice a change in the picture.. but it is still too dark so repeat the copy part with this new layer.. the new layer produced will already be allocated as "screen" so the picture should change again.. I did this till I had 7 copies with your picture… (there are sliders called "opacity" and "fill" located besides the screen box, these can be adjusted for fine tuning when you get to the level of picture you want) .. Then save as PSD with layers checked for editorial use later…. then as a JPG for computer/web/mail uses.. this pretty well conserves your original and provides a picture as seen:
http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1hIHK2yzR88MYl6qOcqO4kx1JKWt4s_thumb.jpg
this is the first time I tried to put a picture on here so if it does not work… go to: <http://tinyurl.com/y7npua>

after all this you can just use the history brush to bring back the sky..
G
grannysplayhouse
Oct 23, 2006
Will try 1 more time.. if it does not work this time… I am sorry for wasting this space.. < http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1hIHK2yzR88MYl6qOc qO4kx1JKWt4s>

and I am outtahere
PL
Per-Otto_Larsen
Oct 24, 2006
You could try to convert your photos into a HDR image (if they are properly aligned), and the downsample it, maybe you can get a proper result?

Im behind a firewall, so im not able to see your pictures right now.
PT
PATRICIA_TOWNSEND
Oct 25, 2006
Donald, thank you for sharing that info on my pic.This should be a question for photography but if you were going to use a flash meter using 400 film how would you do it.I have been holding the meter in front of the subject facing the camera.the meter facing camera.
thank you,
Patricia
DR
Donald_Reese
Oct 25, 2006
I would say you are metering fine with your flashmeter. i thought you were digital,so i was wondering why you did not review your lcd on these. if it was me, i would first get my base exposure by metering close on my main subject first,set my camera accordingly and using most modern flashes on ttl, set it to one to two stops or so under from the main ambient reading. if you are shooting neg film,you should have good lattitude for error,but a slight bracket never hurts. even getting yourself a fold out reflector like this may help you by being able to bounce light in and actually see its effect.

<http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home ;jsessionid=F1bZKlNGSh!1622691469?O=productlist&A=detail s&Q=&sku=253064&is=REG&addedTroughType=categ oryNavigation >
L
LenHewitt
Oct 26, 2006
Patricia,

If metering in Incident Light mode (the meter will likely have a white translucent covering over the light receptor) then angling the meter half-way between main light source and camera is the ‘normal’ method.

If metering in reflected light mode (without the translucent cover in place) then you want to point it at a midtone area of the subject.

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