Silk Purse from a Sow's Ear

[RMThompson]

I find that using the shadow/Highlight tool is very useful in creating photos like this, almost an HDR feel.

[TPF Sponsor]

[rufus5150]

I'm pretty sure that's about 99% curves work though I may have dropped the highlights with the shadow/highlight tool. The haze was dispensed with in ACR by bumping the blacks up to about 15 or so I think (which naturally saturates things a bit by itself). I didn't take notes, unfortunately. The sharpening was 4.0 high pass on a second layer with a 70% vivid light blend.

[rufus5150]

Oh hell, here's another:



Crop, adjust, heal, clone, sharpen, color correct, etc, etc. later:

[stsinner]

Rufus, you're the man, but I believe he's looking for crap photos being turned into gold.. Your first post was a crap photo and ended up gold, but this one kinda started out at least silver..

[rufus5150]

The composition in the second one clearly qualifies it as 'a crappy snapshot'

[stsinner]

The composition in the second one clearly qualifies it as 'a crappy snapshot'

Maybe, but since a mere crop would have made it great....

[rufus5150]

I think you and I have radically different ideas of what 'great' means :P

[ksmattfish]

...looking for crap photos being turned into gold...

Of course photos of our beautiful kids aren't crap shots, but I think fixed up snaps are the perfect example. That's when I'm most likely to be tempted to slack at the time of exposure, and try to fix it up later.

A photo that was taken with specific processing or tweaking in mind would not be eligible. If you previsualize the processing it's no longer "fixing it up" it's processing as planned.

Previsualization

I think Rufus 5150 has done a great job fixing up both of these photos. They are both definitely better looking than the originals, although I think they still fall within the realm of nice snapshots. With the fixing up they will be snapshots that might get printed and enjoyed, or put up on a family photo album website; left as originally shot they would languish on the hard drive.

By they way, I am not dogging on snapshots. My snapshots of my kids and family are some of the best photos I've ever taken. When I say snapshot I mean a photo taken without much thought beyond "Hey that looks good, snap!"; definitely no previsualization.





.

[Phelan]

Off hand I don't remember exactly what all I did, but I know I increased the contrast on the statue, increased saturation on the sky and cropped it. Not overly ecstatic about the final result, but it's at least decent now.

[LaFoto]

OK. I play!

This is how the camera captured it - RAW file untouched:



This is how I presented it here - and everyone raved about it!
I hate to give away what the photos originally looked like, but the camera HAD to capture SOMETHING good in order to arrive at the result!

[|)\/8]

Before (RAW file converted to JPG only)







After

[Battou]

I don't even think many people believe that they can fix their own mistakes in Photoshop. Everyone I know from newbs to old hats try to get it as right as possible in the camera, and then also try to do their best in processing too, but posts I regularly see (here and elsewhere) infer that many digital photogs are running around shooting willy nilly, and polishing up turds in PS.

So I'm not jabbing at those who try to fix or process or manipulate their photos. I'm jabbing at the folks who don't have a clue about Photoshop or digital processing and think it takes little or no skill.

I'm one of those guys who preferrs to get it right in the camera so I can sharpen and go, but ironically I do have a **** up that I put some serious effort into fixing. I'd post it but....photoshop plays so little of a roll in fixing it I dunno if it counts

This one took work in the scanner, photoshop, photomatix and MS photodraw and when I posted it asking if it passed or faild the replies I got to it are indicitive that I ain't done yet.

The rules are pretty loose here. I say post it. It's not so much about the brand of software, it's just that PS gets mentioned most. Even examples of fixing it in the darkroom are okay, although it's funny how the attitude towards that sort of processing and manipulation is often different.

Sorry for the delay, I got called off the otherday

But anywho, after scanning it at +-0 exposure compensation I realized I dun screwed up






Yup, it ain't pretty but, I don't know squat about Photoshop

[JerryPH]

I wanted to give this one a fast try, hope you don't mind.



My challenge to myself was to look at it for 15 seconds and have 45 seconds to see what I could come up with. This was it.

[rufus5150]

Actually I do mind, which is why I have the 'My photos are NOT OK to edit' flag.

[Ernicus]

Here is some photoshop work that I'm particularly proud of.. I'd been struggling with PS for a while, and now I think I've got it!

As shot:




And with a little Photoshop magic:

Started to read the thread 'cause I'm bored...came across this masterpiece...literally laughed out loud, showed my friend, and posted. Not even gonna read the rest. lol

I like the idea of showing before and after, to me it's a great tool for learning.