Tame A Wet Frog?

tsiya

This is a macro, the plank the little guy is sitting on is exactly 1 1/2" wide, for scale. To correct the flashes on the wet, high spots, in Paint Shop, easiest way is to clone over them at low opacity. Now that I have PhotoShop 7, is there a simpler way? This is Rana clamitans clamitans, Florida Bronze Frog, and He is single, should anyone have a Lady Frog around.
This is a shot where the problem is better controlled, I am sitting on some better compositions until I can correct them. Olympus C4000, -1.7, 1/400.
This is a free range Frog, I bribe Him to pose with Yellow Flies and worms.

wxwax

Cool shot! Cloning is as good as a way as any to get rid of blown-out highlights, I would reckon. . That pic would look even better with a wee bit of sharpening.

tsiya

Makes it worse

wxwax wrote:

Cool shot! Cloning is as good as a way as any to get rid of blown-out highlights, I would reckon. . That pic would look even better with a wee bit of sharpening.

If I sharpen the points just get whiter. I tried in both programs, all kinds of strengths. Even tried waiting for the frog to dry off, but then He goes swimming again. The scratch repair tool works, but is more noticeable than cloning with the opacity and hardness cut down a bit, I can make it look pretty decent that way. I suppose I will need to sharpen, and then clone. Thanks for a fast reply. Until I increase the memory here I will have to run at low speed., but that will probably help the learning process. I would rather be out taking pics than sitting here messing with them, I only really enjoy editing when it is raining too hard to go out. If I can do it faster, and hit the road again, so much the better.

tsiya

Works, just takes a while
I sharpened, then grafted frog hide all over the place, You can see that in the reflection, untouched. In this, I'm gonna have to be sure the repair to the reflection is a decent match. This is one of those shots I really like, and go after, hate to lose them. Frog really is a prince, but every time he lunges for a bug I have to dry the lens off. He is uninhibited and spontaneous, if a bug lands on the camera, look out!

wxwax

Here'a a little sharpening using the Lab method, then making a mask and only revealing the sharpened frog.

tsiya

See what You mean
That helps the BG a lot, then You work on the blasted spots. I still haven't figured out how to mask different portions, that is one of the functions that bring up the low memory warning, in either program. Paint Shop is not as heavy, and if it is too much load it is not any suprise Adobe is. I did not have all this in mind when I got this computer, but it will be no problem to upgrade it. Daughter and Son in Law both work for the local ISP, there are so many Geeks next door You can't count them. I'll just wait until the next party over there and drop a big tree across the driveway, until someone gets Me fixed up. I hold the only keys to the Jeep, and the chainsaw lives in there! They need Me for all the low tech repairs and functions. Goodnight, or whatever, I suppose it is late for that. I've been sitting here too long.

gus

Good Shots !!

GREAPER

I don't know what you are using, but a polarizing filter will help reduce the hot spots a lot if that is possible for you.

Just a suggestion.

wxwax

tsiya wrote:

That helps the BG a lot, then You work on the blasted spots. I still haven't figured out how to mask different portions, that is one of the functions that bring up the low memory warning, in either program. Paint Shop is not as heavy, and if it is too much load it is not any suprise Adobe is. I did not have all this in mind when I got this computer, but it will be no problem to upgrade it. Daughter and Son in Law both work for the local ISP, there are so many Geeks next door You can't count them. I'll just wait until the next party over there and drop a big tree across the driveway, until someone gets Me fixed up. I hold the only keys to the Jeep, and the chainsaw lives in there! They need Me for all the low tech repairs and functions. Goodnight, or whatever, I suppose it is late for that. I've been sitting here too long.

Bummer about the low memory. Since I discovered Layer Masks, I seem to use them all the time. Amazing what you can do with them. I'm still not understanding how to best save a selection and re-use it - but I'm pretty sure doing so would be a big time saver, because carefully painting in a selection is detail work and can be time consuming.

tsiya

Are You?
Talking about saving a process as a preset? I did see something about that, while groping around in search of enlightenment, least I think that is what was being discussed. Have OFS and CRS, neither lethal, just aggravating.
I just came in with a card full of OOF and over exposed stuff, yellow flies so bad out there I can't concentrate.
I read all this stuff about how adding filters and lenses costs You so much light transmission, both My Olys are a lot more likely to grab too much light than too little. Some times I need a bunch more negative exposure, or shoot through a burlap bag filter. Today, I had on the C2500L a 2X lens, a PL filter cranked to max, and was stopped down to the lower 3rd of the available range, -1.7, -2.0. at 5.6, and was still getting too much light. At times, this is great, like when taking a photo of the proverbial "well diggers behind". {language cleaned up for Lynnma here, I am a respectful Redneck Boy}
Shots around the area in general are fine, shots with the radio rig at the bird feeder are fine, shots of SuperFrog, forget it. I am thinking about a screen around the little trough the frog lives in. With the lens less than 2 feet from the water, in a white fiberglas navy surplus tool bin, the light is overwhelming. It is like shooting into a mirror aimed at the Sun. Cloning out blasted sections may fool someone who never saw the subject, but this Frog is too damn good looking to alter. I may have to buy a screen house just for this Frog, but then I've gotta catch bugs for Him full time. I suppose living in the swamp long enough may create mental trauma, only cure is to get one perfect picture of this Frog! If any "little camera" can do it, it is the Oly C2500l. I have too many great shots from it to believe that the camera is at fault. Obsessive? I suppose so. I have this absolutely perfect model, only comes along once in a lifetime, "nuff said. BTW, can't move the Frog, He likes it where He is.

GREAPER

If way too muck avaiable light is the problem, a neutral Density filter may be the answer. It does nothing but reduce the amount of light available to the lense. It is tinted with a perfect even nutral gray color and can reduce the amount of light by a fixed number of stops.