Camera Labs

So I'm still working on my editing skills in Photoshop. Here are two pics, first is crop only. Second has a new sky, a lot of adjustments thru CameraRAW (even though it was only a JPEG), dodging and sponge thru Photoshop. The only thing I really want is some clouds in the sky to give some contrast. Let me know what you think

Bute Unedited by sherpa1d, on Flickr


Bute Heavy Edit by sherpa1d, on Flickr

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Mike "The Squirrel"
Canon 550D | Canon EF 35mm 1:2 | Canon 50 f/1.8 II | Sigma 18-125mm DC OS | Tamron SP 70-300mm Di VC USD | Canon 430EX II
Military Issued Canon 40D | Canon 55-250mm IS

Hmmm, the second image certainly has more pop!

I'm a non PS user and cant be arsed generally with PP so forgive me if this is a bit of a numpty thought

Would the sky look more natural if it was graduated a bit?

Ian

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Canon EOS 550D (with Magic Lantern)
18mm - 135mm Kit Lens, 50mm f1.8, Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM
430EX II Flash with Phottix Strato Wireless Tigger Set
Manfrotto 190CXPRO3 with 496 Ball Head. Gorilla Pod SLR
Canon Powershot A720IS with CHDK and intervalometer script. Pentax Optio W90

My Blog - http://www.ianganderton.wordpress.com

I'm not a big one on major changes like this at all but I was using it as a project while I read my new photoshop book. The most I generally do is white balance and touch up the color a bit.

Does the second one still look natural?

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Mike "The Squirrel"
Canon 550D | Canon EF 35mm 1:2 | Canon 50 f/1.8 II | Sigma 18-125mm DC OS | Tamron SP 70-300mm Di VC USD | Canon 430EX II
Military Issued Canon 40D | Canon 55-250mm IS

It would be nice if the sky in the second picture had more structure, because right now it looks a bit artificial.
Can´t you just overlay the cropped sky from picture 1 on picture 2 and adjust the opacity a little bit?
I think the sky would be much more interesting then.

all the best

Matthias

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My photostream

It looks natural when initially looked at. I can see places around the top of the tree on the left where the old sky can be seen in between the detail of the 'fronds'

This is only when I'm looking for it though. This kind of detailed transition is the toughest to sort with this though I think

Ian

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Canon EOS 550D (with Magic Lantern)
18mm - 135mm Kit Lens, 50mm f1.8, Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM
430EX II Flash with Phottix Strato Wireless Tigger Set
Manfrotto 190CXPRO3 with 496 Ball Head. Gorilla Pod SLR
Canon Powershot A720IS with CHDK and intervalometer script. Pentax Optio W90

My Blog - http://www.ianganderton.wordpress.com

Did you try anything with Canon DPP? It's on the CDs you got with the camera, nice and simple.

Given the condition of the original, in CDDP I'd apply a white balance correction, take the landscape preset, increase saturation and tweak the highlights to get the clouds to come out.

Give it a go, post the results!

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Thanks Mitch, I'll give it a shot

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Mike "The Squirrel"
Canon 550D | Canon EF 35mm 1:2 | Canon 50 f/1.8 II | Sigma 18-125mm DC OS | Tamron SP 70-300mm Di VC USD | Canon 430EX II
Military Issued Canon 40D | Canon 55-250mm IS

very good try with practice you can get some great edits ( i personal have given a little more attention to the sky) it looks like there are some great clouds that you could have teased out
ps i would love to get o copy of the raw image and try some stuff

I think its a great edit. Nice work! I'll second both Matthias and ianganderton comments. Perhaps both a gradient and and a blend of the original sky would make the photo from great to perfect .

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Trevor Harris

Nikon D200
SB-600
YN-560 II
YN RF 603 x 4
Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8
Nikon 50mm f/1.8

Hope you don't mind me messing with your photo Mike, but just a small amount of saturation adjustment and more importantly a bit of curves and this photo exhibits depth/color with a mature natural look.



* ten seconds of pp

I agree with mbrandste. I would suggest taking some shots of rich blue skys and some with puffy clouds and save them. Using PS, replace the sky that is a natural colour you have taken.

Shoot the sky in a horizonal way the same as you would a normal shot. I pointed my camera stright up first time and someone kindly pointed out it looked like a paste job. I did this as an exercise in PS Elements.

The link below may help.

http://www.essential-photoshop-elements ... e-sky.html


Cheers

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Nikon D7000, D40X, Nikkor 18- 200 VR II, f3.5-5.6, 70-300 AF non VR, Kit Lenses.