HIRALOAM and Curves

ThusieThusie Registered Users Posts: 1,818 Major grins
edited January 7, 2006 in Finishing School
Am I catching on at all here? First shot (RAW) with all auto in ACR turned off and just a bit of WB and exposure adjustment. In other words where it would go into tiff for PP. Excuse the 'salute' in the corner, they were rather bummed I was not with the local paper:D Just to add, this was in the trash, they asked me to take their pic so I did a quick snap..I pulled this back out to practice on since it looked to be soft and dull.


51145837-L.jpg


This is with using the tuts to use HIRALOAM and curves etc. I didn't do anything with skin tone, haven't got that far yet, and they were pretty rosey. This is PSE3, so I'm trying to work with what I have. Did I over-do? How to improve? Anything?

51145869-L.jpg

Comments

  • DavidTODavidTO Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 19,160 Major grins
    edited January 6, 2006
    Hey, Thusie, where'd your images go?

    I was waiting for the HIRALOAM experts to come over and help you out so I could learn from it...
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  • ginger_55ginger_55 Registered Users Posts: 8,416 Major grins
    edited January 6, 2006
    I printed out the other stuff, I am trying to improve a bridge shot: any bridge shot.

    W/o the photos, etc, here, well, I guess I will look elsewhere or just try to pop info first.

    ginger
    After all is said and done, it is the sweet tea.
  • ThusieThusie Registered Users Posts: 1,818 Major grins
    edited January 6, 2006
    DavidTO wrote:
    Hey, Thusie, where'd your images go?

    I was waiting for the HIRALOAM experts to come over and help you out so I could learn from it...

    Hummm..I figured they were so bad it was hopeless so I took them down, as in the trash and gone. Did keep the RAW so will give it another go. I am trying to take stuff from the Tuts and work it in PSE.umph.gif
  • DavidTODavidTO Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 19,160 Major grins
    edited January 6, 2006
    Thusie wrote:
    Hummm..I figured they were so bad it was hopeless so I took them down, as in the trash and gone. Did keep the RAW so will give it another go. I am trying to take stuff from the Tuts and work it in PSE.umph.gif


    Well, even if they WERE bad, that's why we're here, right? To learn.

    Chances are that the two dgrinners with the best understanding of HIRALOAM, rutt and edgework, just hadn't seen it yet. I know that rutt was away over the holiday....

    Also, you might want to post in an existing thread...chances are pretty good, for instance that rutt would notice a post in his HIRALOAM thread (I know that he subscribes to threads he posts in), and that he could easily have missed this post.

    Keep on trying and failing and trying and learning and trying and succeeding. It's the only way to success, right?
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  • ThusieThusie Registered Users Posts: 1,818 Major grins
    edited January 6, 2006
    Here is fine:-) After all you and Ginger are both able to saw WOW that looks like crap.

    here is the raw shot. I used this one because it is dull and soft



    51273426-L.jpg


    This is just with the curves plug-in I have. Tried to lighten up up the redhead kids cheeks without blowing too many highlights, after setting the black point etc. etc.

    51273467-L.jpg

    here is with the HIRALOAM and then a reg USM (light). While I 'think' it worked ok (operator issues) with the dark haired kid, it might have been a bit much on the other one. Would maybe just do the HL on the one and let USM take care of te otherne_nau.gif

    51273748-L.jpg
  • edgeworkedgework Registered Users Posts: 257 Major grins
    edited January 6, 2006
    What settings did you use for each operation (HIRALOAM and standard USM)?
    There are two ways to slide through life: to believe everything or to doubt everything; both save us from thinking.
    —Korzybski
  • ThusieThusie Registered Users Posts: 1,818 Major grins
    edited January 6, 2006
    edgework wrote:
    What settings did you use for each operation (HIRALOAM and standard USM)?

    I had a feeling you might ask that..
    HL
    A-42
    R-24
    T-4

    USM
    89
    0.9
    17

    Use one of Rutts Tuts on USM, doesn't mean I do it right, but I now end up with high threshold.
  • edgeworkedgework Registered Users Posts: 257 Major grins
    edited January 7, 2006
    Thusie wrote:
    I had a feeling you might ask that..
    HL
    A-42
    R-24
    T-4

    USM
    89
    0.9
    17

    Use one of Rutts Tuts on USM, doesn't mean I do it right, but I now end up with high threshold.

    I think the key in the HIRALOAM it to take the name seriously: HIGH radius, LOW amount. I tried it with Amount-24, Radius-92, Threshold 6. The radius might be too high, but I find that the significent value is amount. If that it too high, the operation will fail regardless of the radius.

    As for the standard USM, I agree with the setting for Radius but you might try really pushing the amount. I used an amount of 250. Also, I think a Threshold of 17 pretty much eliminates most of the effect altogether. You only want to pull back from the grain and smallest details. I used a Threshold of 2.

    You can always fade the effect by performing the operation on a duplicated layer and adjusting the opacity, and also by sharpening lights and darks separately, reducing the lights. Rutt's sharpening tutorial is an excellent treatment of the subject, at the top of this forum section.

    Here's my settings performed on the RGB file:

    rgbonly.jpg

    Here are the exact same settings performed on the lightness channel in LAB. (Note: to split the USM between lights and darks it is necessary to sharpen in LAB and convert back to RGB, as Lighten and Darken are not available as blending modes in LAB). Note the distinct lack of color shift in the LAB operation, particularly in the boy's hair and skin (in back) and the pebbles to the right. For my money, the LAB version is cleaner.

    lab.jpg
    There are two ways to slide through life: to believe everything or to doubt everything; both save us from thinking.
    —Korzybski
  • ThusieThusie Registered Users Posts: 1,818 Major grins
    edited January 7, 2006
    Thank you much for your time and explanation Edgework. Need to get my brain wraped around the 'why and what' (theory) behind it all. Will keep at it.
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