Sunsets shot in RAW - please critique

crotonmark

TPF Noob!
Joined
Jun 13, 2012
Messages
168
Reaction score
1
Using a Canon T4i in RAW with a Tamron 17-50 mm F2.8 lens
All shot in Aperture Priority
Processed in Photoshop Elements 11
All shot 2 steps underexposed per camera meter

I was trying to pull colors from the sky as instructed by another Forum member but I didn't get what I was looking for
Can anyone suggest what I did wrong?

FYI - I thought that there would be more sliders to process a RAW image in PSE 11 - to me it didn't seem like there was much I could do

thanks - Mark
 

Attachments

  • $Sunset.jpg
    $Sunset.jpg
    974.3 KB · Views: 176
  • $Sunset 3.jpg
    $Sunset 3.jpg
    1.4 MB · Views: 175
  • $Sunset 2.jpg
    $Sunset 2.jpg
    925.5 KB · Views: 177
OK, your images are 2 stops under-exposed, as you should expect. Shooting a subject with such range of high and low light is difficult for an experienced photographer. You can try to lift the shadows in raw processing software but 2 stops is a bit much to ask.
 
OK, your images are 2 stops under-exposed, as you should expect. Shooting a subject with such range of high and low light is difficult for an experienced photographer. You can try to lift the shadows in raw processing software but 2 stops is a bit much to ask.

A fellow poster in another forum said to shoot sunset two stops underexposed. So I did.
What RAW processing software would you recommend? I used PSE 11.
 
perhaps he meant the sky -2 stops. In which case your "land" would not be so under exposed. You do have to pick something to meter on. I have no idea if PSE11 has full raw processing capability.
 
There aren't as many sliders in Elements. Just like the rest of the program, the RAW plugin is stripped down. But you should be able to pull these a little closer to finished. Here is what I did with the second shot quickly all in the RAW editor.


Sunset%203a by breckmiller, on Flickr

Straightened, slight bump in exposure and contrast, dropped the shadows, and a little tweak in saturation. Then sharpening.

This is how I see it anyway. You could easily have taken the shadows the other way and brought the sailboat out a little more. However you choose.
 
There aren't as many sliders in Elements. Just like the rest of the program, the RAW plugin is stripped down. But you should be able to pull these a little closer to finished. Here is what I did with the second shot quickly all in the RAW editor.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/81305320@N05/9403209377/
Sunset%203a by breckmiller, on Flickr

Straightened, slight bump in exposure and contrast, dropped the shadows, and a little tweak in saturation. Then sharpening.

This is how I see it anyway. You could easily have taken the shadows the other way and brought the sailboat out a little more. However you choose.

Thanks. Just a few questions:

Is there a way to select the sky and just manipulate that? I really wanted to bring out those colors
How do you post images from Flickr in a Forum post?

Mark
 
When you go to your flicker account select a picture you wish to post and click on it to view that image. Now look at the bottom right the little arrow with a box around it click that to open it. Now select grab link or BBcode. Right click it and select copy then come back to TPF right click in the reply space and select paste. Grab Link only post the link to your flicker picture and the BBCode will insert the picture directly and is the recommended way.
 
perhaps he meant the sky -2 stops. In which case your "land" would not be so under exposed. You do have to pick something to meter on. I have no idea if PSE11 has full raw processing capability.
I used Canon evaluative metering but I focused on the sky.
 
Is there a way to select the sky and just manipulate that?
Yes. Photoshop has selection tools.

The Quick Selection tool works good where there is a lot of edge contrast.

You can save the selection, and chose the Invert option to then select all but the saved selection.
Adobe - tutorial : Using Photoshop selection tools

PsE 11 is consumer grades software.
To get all the pro grade tools Adobe Camera Raw has available, you would need either Lightroom or upgrade to Photoshop CC.

PsE 11, CS 6, CC, and Lightroom's Develop module all use Adobe Camera Raw.
 
Yes. Photoshop has selection tools.

The Quick Selection tool works good where there is a lot of edge contrast.

You can save the selection, and chose the Invert option to then select all but the saved selection.
Adobe - tutorial : Using Photoshop selection tools

PsE 11 is consumer grades software.
To get all the pro grade tools Adobe Camera Raw has available, you would need either Lightroom or upgrade to Photoshop CC.

PsE 11, CS 6, CC, and Lightroom's Develop module all use Adobe Camera Raw.

I don't think that the ACR is PSE 11 is the same as the others. Am I right?
I'm debating buying Lr but it seems expensive and too much for a newbie like me.
 
When you go to your flicker account select a picture you wish to post and click on it to view that image. Now look at the bottom right the little arrow with a box around it click that to open it. Now select grab link or BBcode. Right click it and select copy then come back to TPF right click in the reply space and select paste. Grab Link only post the link to your flicker picture and the BBCode will insert the picture directly and is the recommended way.


Or, just right click image, copy image, come back to TPF and paste(ctrl v).
 
Thanks. Just a few questions:

Is there a way to select the sky and just manipulate that? I really wanted to bring out those colors
How do you post images from Flickr in a Forum post?

Mark


No way to selectively process in the RAW editor that I'm aware of. You can use the quick select tool. I don't know that it's the right way, but another way that I use more often is to make the adjustment layer (levels, saturation, etc.) and then use a mask so that it is only applied where I want it (sky, foreground, wherever).
 

Most reactions

Back
Top