[bethanhearne81]

Opinions? I took a few shots of my friend and was just wondering if they have any potential? I have a 3 month photoshop trial (paid for 3 months) so if anyone has any editing tips I would be very grateful if you would share them. Of course if they have no potential then maybe improvements?

[MrB]

Beth, although it would be possible to edit these images in software such as Photoshop, there are features that should have been corrected at the photo shooting stage.

The first is a simple one. The subject has been partly cut off in each photo - legs in number 2 and at least one foot in the rest.

The second is exposure. Numbers 1, 3 and 5 look under-exposed (too dark), even though there appears to be quite bright lighting from the left hand side. On the other hand, numbers 2 and 4 look over-exposed (too bright).

For me, the most helpful guide to achieving good exposure in the camera is the Histogram - this can be seen on the review screen of the camera after you take a shot. There could be one for the overall exposure, and/or one for each primary colour - red, green, and blue. They are little graphs that look something like this:

   

If you would like to use histograms, you may need to set up your camera to display them on the review screen. You might then try studying the following article (all four pages) to learn what the histogram means and how to use it:

http://www.digitalcameraworld.com/2013/0...-exposure/

Cheers.
Philip

[bethanhearne81]

Beth, although it would be possible to edit these images in software such as Photoshop, there are features that should have been corrected at the photo shooting stage.

The first is a simple one. The subject has been partly cut off in each photo - legs in number 2 and at least one foot in the rest.

The second is exposure. Numbers 1, 3 and 5 look under-exposed (too dark), even though there appears to be quite bright lighting from the left hand side. On the other hand, numbers 2 and 4 look over-exposed (too bright).

For me, the most helpful guide to achieving good exposure in the camera is the Histogram - this can be seen on the review screen of the camera after you take a shot. There could be one for the overall exposure, and/or one for each primary colour - red, green, and blue. They are little graphs that look something like this:



If you would like to use histograms, you may need to set up your camera to display them on the review screen. You might then try studying the following article (all four pages) to learn what the histogram means and how to use it:

http://www.digitalcameraworld.com/2013/0...-exposure/

Cheers.
Philip

Ok thanks! - we are going to go back so i can try again!! Thanks

[ruthbaillie]

Opinions? I took a few shots of my friend and was just wondering if they have any potential? I have a 3 month photoshop trial (paid for 3 months) so if anyone has any editing tips I would be very grateful if you would share them. Of course if they have no potential then maybe improvements?

Why don't you use GIMP? It's free.

[EdMak]

This s the one that perhaps could have worked. Any reason why you used Spot metering? Ed.

[canonsnap]

This s the one that perhaps could have worked. Any reason why you used Spot metering? Ed.

It's always best to get it right in camera even before pressing the shutter.
The main thing for me is to look for irrelevant clutter. Stuff that takes the eye from the subject. The biggest one I can see is the coat and personal belongings on the rock shelf at the back. The eye is drawn to it straight away. Don't bother about photoshop[ for now. Shoot in jpeg until you get the composition right in your head to your satisfaction. It would be best to do this near home until you are comfortable with your results. Then switch to raw and learn the editing part of the process. Don't be fooled by friends saying editing is easy, it isn't. You have to learn it progressively. The beauty about photoshop is that it is non destructive, so just try different things within photoshop. You can always reverse it. Layers is the best thing you can use within the main programme. At first, always make a layer of the background and work with that.
When you upload your photo' into the main photoshop programme, a thumbnail will be in the right hand column (a miniature picture). Click on this and drag it down to the picture of a sheet of paper with a corner folded over (at the bottom of the right hand column). A hand will appear over it. Let the click go and another background layer will appear above the first thumbnail. Click on it and that will then be the layer you work on. You can do as many experiments with this layer as you like as long as you reverse it when you have tried it (EDIT) column. When you like what you have done, instead of reversing it, make another layer the same way, this will have the new additions within it. You can then experiment further. You can undo (reverse) everything as long as you don't flatten the layers. Once you do that your are stuck with the results. However, you still have the original raw to do it again and try something different. I always make a copy of the raw and work on the copy. Then if you do make a mistake that is irreversible you still have the original raw to recopy and work with.
I said to shoot in jpeg first before even touching photoshop. This is to prevent non repeatable shots away from home being lost to a programme you have to get comfortable with. You can edit jpeg, but except for cropping, it isn't advisable as you will learn. I've given you a lot to think about, print this off and you should be able to learn from it.

[EdMak]

I only shoot .jpg. Ed.

[canonsnap]

I only shoot .jpg. Ed.

WHY?

[canonsnap]

Sorry, I thought it was the forum ED

[dave1712]

Hi Beth,

Some thoughts:

what is the subject - the guy.
what are you trying to show - his obvious enjoyment at the splashing water.

If that's the case there is a lot of rock wall, and the jacket on the floor distracts.
Also image 1 is the only one that shows his face clearly with eyes open.

Some alternative crops using rule of thirds with horizontal and vertical crop alternatives

       

Unfortunately most of the water is now missing from the the image (isn't that just the way ) so move the subject closer, and/ or change camera position

[EdMak]

I only shoot .jpg. Ed.

WHY?

Does all that I need, and more. Cheers. Ed.

[canonsnap]

I only shoot .jpg. Ed.

WHY?

Does all that I need, and more. Cheers. Ed.

The problem with shooting in jpeg is that the camera processes the image and approximately 1/3 of the digital information is lost and is irretrievable. Then you have to change it to TIFF to be able to work on it in any image programme as jpeg is a lossy format. But even in tiff there is still not enough of the image file left to significantly improve the shot. Whereas in raw, non of the image file is lost and therefore there is more to work with.

[EdMak]

How do I work out how much is lost. 99% of the pics I have posted here, are via jpeg, never changed to Tiff. Thanks Ed.

[EnglishBob]

As others have said, your best chance at improvemnt is to go back and reshoot if you have the oportunity. In my opinion the lighting is off, and the focus is missed on a couple of them. I do love the concept though and wish you look on a reshoot!

[MrB]

How do I work out how much is lost. 99% of the pics I have posted here, are via jpeg, never changed to Tiff. Thanks Ed.

JPEGs are just fine, Ed, no need to change.

Then you have to change it to TIFF to be able to work on it in any image programme as jpeg is a lossy format.

A JPEG file does not need to be changed to TIFF. JPEG is the most widely used and universally compatible image format. It can be opened, viewed and edited directly in any imaging software. JPEG format is called "lossy" because data compression loses some of its data when the file is saved. (A file in any image format might lose data while it is being worked on, depending on the editing procedures being applied.)

The problem with shooting in jpeg is that the camera processes the image and approximately 1/3 of the digital information is lost and is irretrievable......there is still not enough of the image file left to significantly improve the shot.

It is correct to state that some data is lost when an image is saved as a JPEG file, due to the data compression processes involved, but the point is whether that lost data matters. In my opinion, usually it does not.

In many shots, using a modern DSLR set up to give the desired photo style, and assuming that the exposure and white balance were set close to the correct values when shooting (which should be a primary aim for anyone aspiring to be a competent photographer), and when the camera has recorded its maximum-size, highest-quality JPEGs, the lost data is usually irrelevant when working on the image to create the final result.

In many cases, the JPEG will be visually reasonable straight from the camera, but it can usually be enhanced in computer software. The processing required, to turn it into a high quality image, will still have more than enough data to work on. Regarding photo quality, it would probably be very difficult to distinguish the final resulting photo from one produced using the raw data from the same captured shot.

The recommended resolution for a wall mounted photo is around 300 pixels per inch. Hence, as an example, the maximum print size from an uncropped image shot by a 16 MP DSLR would be about A3 or about 16 by 11 inches, and it should be viewed from about 2 feet away. Unless the viewer has peregrine falcon vision, or uses a powerful pixel-peeping magnifier, I doubt that he/she would be able to discern whether that print was produced by processing a camera JPEG file or a raw data file.

Cheers.
Philip

[EnglishBob]

The biggest difference between jog and raw is dynamic range, jpg is 8 bit compared to 12 or 14 with raw. 256 light variations vs many thousand. And as someone that views thousands of image entries per year, you can tell the difference.

For the typical user the biggest difference is that there is far more leniency in exposure correction with raw.

[EdMak]

Not that I need it, but I can correct exposure in RAW, using a jpg?? Ed.

[bethanhearne81]

This s the one that perhaps could have worked. Any reason why you used Spot metering? Ed.

It's always best to get it right in camera even before pressing the shutter.
The main thing for me is to look for irrelevant clutter. Stuff that takes the eye from the subject. The biggest one I can see is the coat and personal belongings on the rock shelf at the back. The eye is drawn to it straight away. Don't bother about photoshop[ for now. Shoot in jpeg until you get the composition right in your head to your satisfaction. It would be best to do this near home until you are comfortable with your results. Then switch to raw and learn the editing part of the process. Don't be fooled by friends saying editing is easy, it isn't. You have to learn it progressively. The beauty about photoshop is that it is non destructive, so just try different things within photoshop. You can always reverse it. Layers is the best thing you can use within the main programme. At first, always make a layer of the background and work with that.
When you upload your photo' into the main photoshop programme, a thumbnail will be in the right hand column (a miniature picture). Click on this and drag it down to the picture of a sheet of paper with a corner folded over (at the bottom of the right hand column). A hand will appear over it. Let the click go and another background layer will appear above the first thumbnail. Click on it and that will then be the layer you work on. You can do as many experiments with this layer as you like as long as you reverse it when you have tried it (EDIT) column. When you like what you have done, instead of reversing it, make another layer the same way, this will have the new additions within it. You can then experiment further. You can undo (reverse) everything as long as you don't flatten the layers. Once you do that your are stuck with the results. However, you still have the original raw to do it again and try something different. I always make a copy of the raw and work on the copy. Then if you do make a mistake that is irreversible you still have the original raw to recopy and work with.
I said to shoot in jpeg first before even touching photoshop. This is to prevent non repeatable shots away from home being lost to a programme you have to get comfortable with. You can edit jpeg, but except for cropping, it isn't advisable as you will learn. I've given you a lot to think about, print this off and you should be able to learn from it.

Thank you very much will take it all on board and this beach is like a 1 minute walk from my house so can go there anytime!! Thank you x

[bethanhearne81]

As others have said, your best chance at improvemnt is to go back and reshoot if you have the oportunity. In my opinion the lighting is off, and the focus is missed on a couple of them. I do love the concept though and wish you look on a reshoot!

Thanks this beach is really close to my house and being a real beginner all I can say to myself is practice, practice, practice!!

[EnglishBob]

Sounds like you have the perfect place to practice under difficult conditions!