Help with editing photo

[florotory]

I am very new to photography. I do enjoy it a lot but like a lot of people I kinda find it overwhelming finding some good shots and editing them even more. I am wondering it I email someone a photo I took if someone could edit it? I want to see what the potential of a few photos I took are. As well as what I could do better (which Im sure is a lot). I am willing to post them if its easier can email. Either wy is fine with me. Thanks

 

[KmH]

Post them here. Others will be happy to edit what you post.

 

[fokker]

Post away. It's a great way to learn to edit better by seeing what others choose to do on your own photos.

 

[florotory]

Thanks for moving. I wasnt sure where to post. Ill be uploading in a few minutes

 

[florotory]

I think they look overexposed. too bright.

 

[KmH]

Actually in both, your intended main subjects are under exposed.

 

[florotory]

Actually in both, your intended main subjects are under exposed.

Is that something that can be fixed through editing

 

[KmH]

Actually in both, your intended main subjects are under exposed.

Is that something that can be fixed through editing

I posted a couple of quick edits above.
Not really, because increasing the exposure post process makes image noise more visible.

The goal is always to get it as close to right in the camera as possible.

For the shot of the car a graduated neutral density filter on the lens would have made the bright background dimmer, and using some flash for fill would have given the car more visual weight in the photo.

A basic lighting precept in the visual arts is - "Light advances. Dark recedes." People tend to look at the bright parts first, so we usually want the main subject to be brighter than the background.

 

[bianni]

 

[Ysarex]

Actually in both, your intended main subjects are under exposed.

Is that something that can be fixed through editing

No. Keith is telling you in his posts here that there is no substitute for getting the lighting right in the first place. Once an 8 bit JPEG has been created you don't edit it you repair it. Some degree of repair is possible but using the term repair instead of edit helps you keep straight in your head that you started the process by screwing up. Although you can as I said effect some repairs, the fix will never be as good as the result you'd get by not screwing up. We fix things that are broken; don't break things and you won't have to fix them.

Joe

 

[florotory]

Actually in both, your intended main subjects are under exposed.

Is that something that can be fixed through editing

No. Keith is telling you in his posts here that there is no substitute for getting the lighting right in the first place. Once an 8 bit JPEG has been created you don't edit it you repair it. Some degree of repair is possible but using the term repair instead of edit helps you keep straight in your head that you started the process by screwing up. Although you can as I said effect some repairs, the fix will never be as good as the result you'd get by not screwing up. We fix things that are broken; don't break things and you won't have to fix them.

Joe


View attachment 34968

Thanks for all the help. I'm still learning the ins and out of the camera. Seems like sometimes the best pictures I've taken we're by accident. I want to get to where I can take them when I want

 

[fokker]

Hows this?

5 minutes in lightroom 4
boosted shadows, cut highlights
increase global contrast and saturation
decrease global vibrance and clarity
warmer white balance
local adjustments on car only: decrease saturation and contrast, increase exposure and clarity, warmer white balance

 

[florotory]

I think on the pic of my STI my settings were too far off. I really wasn't expecting much especially since it was mainly point and shoot with the d3100. I can definitely see the difference in quality of the tree pic and STI pic.

 

[raaskohx10]

Here is my version.

 

[raaskohx10]

And how about this one?