help needed with Photoshop/Post production...

[tvradict]

Been looking through my photo album and realised that I have some good photos that I've taken in the few months I've had my 400D, but I have absolutly no idea about post production. The only thing I've done with shots I've taken in Photoshop is resize 1 or 2 for PH.

I see a lot of shots appearing on the forum with borders and stuff on them but I've got no idea how to do that.

I've put a few shots on for suggestion if you dont mind.









Cheers
Stuart

[andy-xr]

Depends how far you want to go with it, and why.

Are you trying to get more from the photo than what you put on the card? For me, I just play around with settings and layers till you get something you think is better than what you started off with. Thats if it needs it of course.

Would you have a border on the Haslam one? Processing for the sake of it could take more away from the shot than the time you've added trying to wring something out of it

As an example, 10 seconds of knob fiddling <snigger> with contrast, shadows and highlights and I got this

[richo_i]

Plenty of good tut's available on you tube, may give you some ideas and how to do them.

[Established 1984]

Hi Stuart,

I'm pretty new at this as well, I've been buying a camera magazine that comes with a tutorial disk. I do the tutorials on the supplied images and then try the techniques on my own photo's.

For example this months theme is B&W photography and helped me turn this....



into this....



which I was quite happy with.

[Goldeeno]

Original

My Edit


Bit of a play:
Import into PS
Create a duplicate layer. Filter - Sharpen, Adjustments, Curves, alters to make a slight S curve to increase contrast and darken areas of the photo.
Duplicate Layer - Using Blur Tool, blur background, using mask or eraser to make non blurred rider show through.
And bit of a crop. (Just noticed ive caught the riders hand, but it was very quick.)

Original

My Edit

In Adobe CS3, Adjustments, Shadow and Highlight, works great for clouds.

Edited by Goldeeno on Wednesday 26th November 20:32

[CivicMan]

[tvradict]

Thanks for all the replies

I like what you have all done to my photos, some good suggestions.

I had a look at the tuts on You Tube. I've suddenly realised just how much I dont know about PS.

Keep the suggestions coming

Cheers
Stuart.

[Established 1984]

I'd also suggest shooting in RAW. The extra processing options this gives , currecting white balance, exposure etc is invaluable. I've saved a couple of shots that would of been binned otherwise, and learnt what to change in the camera next time not to make the same mistakes again.

[g_stacey]