Help with bad photo.

behr655 · June 13, 2005

This was taken this past weekend during a brief rest while kayaking. It is a shot of me and a very dear friend whom I don't see too often so I'd like to try to save it.
I'm the tall one or he's the short one, which ever you prefer.

This is my attempt to fix it but I'm not satisfied with it.

Can anyone give me some suggestions or show me some examples as to how it can be fixed?
BTW the shot was taken by another friend (I have more than one) using my old Damage S404 whick is now my kayaking/bushwhacking camera.

Thanks,
Bear

digitaldan · June 13, 2005

behr655 wrote:

This was taken this past weekend during a brief rest while kayaking. It is a shot of me and a very dear friend whom I don't see too often so I'd like to try to save it.
I'm the tall one or he's the short one, which ever you prefer.

This is my attempt to fix it but I'm not satisfied with it.

Can anyone give me some suggestions or show me some examples as to how it can be fixed?
BTW the shot was taken by another friend (I have more than one) using my old Damage S404 whick is now my kayaking/bushwhacking camera.

Thanks,
Bear

Here's my best effort. I'm sure someone else could do better-I'm really a beginner. I filled in flashed just your body's, using magnetic lasso. And selectively darkened some of the grasses around you.

Steve Cavigliano · June 13, 2005

behr655 wrote:

This was taken this past weekend during a brief rest while kayaking. It is a shot of me and a very dear friend whom I don't see too often so I'd like to try to save it.
I'm the tall one or he's the short one, which ever you prefer.

This is my attempt to fix it but I'm not satisfied with it.

Can anyone give me some suggestions or show me some examples as to how it can be fixed?
BTW the shot was taken by another friend (I have more than one) using my old Damage S404 whick is now my kayaking/bushwhacking camera.

Thanks,
Bear

Bear,
Don't know if this is much better. It's a bit flater (less contrast) and I tried to reduce the blown out parts

I'm sure others can do a better job of it. But it looks better to my old eyes :-)

Steve

bfjr · June 14, 2005

I like Steve's take. Also have you considered cropping some of blown area on the left?

behr655 · June 14, 2005

Thanks guys, they both look good.
Can you tell me what steps you used to achieve the re-touch. I use PSP9 but I'm sure it can do everything PS can.

Bear

Angelo · June 14, 2005

behr655 wrote:

This is my attempt to fix it but I'm not satisfied with it.

I think you did a fine job.

behr655 · June 14, 2005

Angelo wrote:

I think you did a fine job.

Thanks. I think it's ok too for the most part but would like to know how Steve handled the blown out lower left background. When I tried, it did not look natural. Also my friends legs are so blown out that it looks like he's wearing white stockings.

Bear

Mongrel · June 14, 2005

Yo Behr...
I gave it a try late last night (early this morning actually), and I got just about what everyone else here got, so I didn't bother to post. I starting getting heavy artifacts the more I played with it as well, is the original on your smug page?

I agree about he cropping, one of the first things I did was cut off the blown area on the left. It does help to balance the pick.

I also want to make note of a 'coincidence'

-I'm a PSP9 user as well!

I have Elements 3.0 and hidden elements for 3.0 (which gets you curves and levels, and a few more things), but I always seem to go back to PSP9. I'm honestly don't think that Elements has anything that is missing from PSP, or maybe even PS CS for that matter. The hard part is translating 'paint-shop speak' into 'PSP speak'. It's very frustrating at times to read this very detailed method of post processing and not have a real clue as to how to make it work in PSP. I'm still learning though and much better than I once was.

btw-I frequently check out your work and I love the way you capture the pines. I've been to many of the spots you have shots of, and the way your are able to convey the *feel* is spot on

Many thanks to you for bringing this part of Jersey out into the open.

I must confess though, it's just not the same as it was in the 60's when my father would take me, an Army geological survey map and a compass and go 'exploring'. I remember climbing all over the Harrisville ruins (before they surrounded everything with snow fencing), and actually going into the packing house that once stood on the site directly across from Atsion Lake. Remember when you could hang out at Goshen Pond without a 'permit'?

ahhhh....those were the days....

Thanks again, and nice work!

Mongrel

behr655 · June 14, 2005

Mongrel wrote:

I gave it a try late last night (early this morning actually), and I got just about what everyone else here got, so I didn't bother to post. I starting getting heavy artifacts the more I played with it as well, is the original on your smug page?

I agree about he cropping, one of the first things I did was cut off the blown area on the left. It does help to balance the pick.

I also want to make note of a 'coincidence' -I'm a PSP9 user as well!

I have Elements 3.0 and hidden elements for 3.0 (which gets you curves and levels, and a few more things), but I always seem to go back to PSP9. I'm honestly don't think that Elements has anything that is missing from PSP, or maybe even PS CS for that matter. The hard part is translating 'paint-shop speak' into 'PSP speak'. It's very frustrating at times to read this very detailed method of post processing and not have a real clue as to how to make it work in PSP. I'm still learning though and much better than I once was.

btw-I frequently check out your work and I love the way you capture the pines. I've been to many of the spots you have shots of, and the way your are able to convey the *feel* is spot on Many thanks to you for bringing this part of Jersey out into the open.

I must confess though, it's just not the same as it was in the 60's when my father would take me, an Army geological survey map and a compass and go 'exploring'. I remember climbing all over the Harrisville ruins (before they surrounded everything with snow fencing), and actually going into the packing house that once stood on the site directly across from Atsion Lake. Remember when you could hang out at Goshen Pond without a 'permit'?

ahhhh....those were the days....

Thanks again, and nice work!

Mongrel

Hey Mongrel, thanks for the reply. To answer your question, yes the original (croped original actually) is on smugmug but I have it turned off in that gallery. Shoot me a PM if you'd like me to e-mail you the entire original.

I'm glad you enjoy my Pines shots and you are right, it's not the same. I explore using a gps and a few topos printed off the computer. There is still some great stuff out there and I usually look for areas off the beaten path. Literally off the path. Just three weeks ago I and six others bushwacked from Rt206 at the Great Swamp all the way to Rt563 near Wading Pines camp ground. It was a little over 11 miles and took us 10 hours. Just for fun we waded across the Mullica, Batsto and Wading rivers. On the last two crossings we were about 200yds from a bridge.:D At the last one near Wading Pines the campers watched us in amazement as we were fully clothed and just marched right through the river in front of them. Great fun. BTW the youngest hiker is in his late thirties. Most of us are in our late forties early fifties but we're still just kids at heart.

Bear

Help with bad photo.

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