Photo Critique Thread

[sharks]

Thanks Kev,
I see what you are saying. I tried to play with the curves but I just messed it up more then anything.
I will need to look into haze remover I have never used it.
The more I try the more I get lost. I really need to sit and learn the camera.
Then learn the ins and outs of PS. Easier said then done!
Thanks for the info and I’ll try to start playing with the camera out of AUTO mode
S

 

[reefrunner]

FWIW, the haze remover is a unsharp mask applied in PS with the settings of...
Amount = 30%
Radius = 60 (if too much set the radius higher, between 60 and 120, alternately you can reduce the amount percentage as well)
Threshold = 1 level

To work properly, the picture should be flat (no layers)

 

[drdrew]

a challenge..
here's one that was (cough)slightly high key.

can any of you photoshop gods make this into a work of art?

 

[Playa]

Drdrew that is a work of art in itself.

Wow!!! what a beautiful little girl and picture!

I would sharpen the edges a midge an dthen frame it with lime and white.

Stunning!

Then name the picture:

"My angel on earth"

 

[drdrew]

well..thanks! her mom thanks you as well! (she looks like mom)

this is actually a poor photo of her...but don't get me started...i could have a whole forum of pictures i've taken of my little girl..

anyway...back to topic...here's my attempt at making something of that pic...

 

[drdrew]

see...you shouldn't have even said anything...now look what you've done.

i removed one bad shadow from her face here...but i think i might be stuck with the other one on her right cheek....

any suggestions?

 

[reefrunner]

Here is my attempt at art

 

[reefrunner]

I don't know that you can remove the shadow without some use of the clone brush, and with that much coverage of a skin tone...hard to do it well, IMO.

 

[Craig Manoukian]

Fabulous angel drdrew!

 

[LuckyInk]

Trumpetfish in West Palm Beach.
Photographed with Olympus 3020z in a PT-010 housing
Shutter 1/100
Aperature f5.0
Focal Length 19.10mm
Flash on
ISO 224
PS Actions:
Reef-Life High Pass
Shudders Actions

 

[ReefLady]

Lucky, that's a great shot. A serious crop, though, and I wonder if there's not some good background for context that went with the crop. Context is good. Also, and here's the real issue- the noise in the BG is pretty bad. It can be helped with some Photoshop technique. I did a little seminar on selective sharpening- using layer masks to sharpen only the subject.

http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1752&highlight=photoshop+seminar

I think this pic would benefit greatly from that, as sharpening that background only serves to make the noise much worse. using the same technique, you can run a noise reduction action on the background only. If you don't have one available, try taking your pre-sharpened image and running filters-->noise--> dust & scratches at a very light level. You'll definitely want to apply that technique only to the background, though.

Again, very nice shot and with some different processing technique I think a definite winner.

T

 

[LuckyInk]

Thanks Trav. I ran several actions on it, but for some reason the bg kept coming out that way. I was thinking of running a gaussian blur on it, but alas, I was too lazy. Here is the original at a smaller scale.

 

[ReefLady]

Wow, Lucky, I gotta tell ya, I like the uncropped version better. That is just a lovely scene! That noise is definitely problematic. Did you try running fredmiranda's noise reduction actions on it?

Anyway, noise be damned and Photoshop aside, you have an awesome shot there. Great job capturing that moment, and that beautiful scene.

I hate to ruin it with this, but... since you flashed it anyway, wouldn't you have been better off at your lowest ISO setting? I'm unfamiliar with underwater, but I understand that the flash doesn't travel very far. I would, however, avoid shooting at that ISO unless it means the difference between a noisy shot and no shot at all.

Travis

 

[LuckyInk]

I will look into it. I took this pic about two years ago, before I got a little more into the specifics of photography. It was shot in full automatic mode. When I get home, I will download and try running fred's actions and see what happens. Thanks for the tip!
As for the flash, I am using the flash on the camera diffused. It isn't the best, but I cannot afford a remote digital flash that can capture the preflash correctly. The biggest problem is avoiding the backscatter while underwater (espically in West Palm!). I have a few more I will play with and post when I get a chance!

 

[reefrunner]

To remove the noise from the pic, you will almost surely need to run the filter and then mask out the fish. I tried just running noise filters, several actions and to achieve the level needed to get rid of the noise...it ruins the detail of the fish.

 

[LuckyInk]

Thanks Kevin, will do.

 

[drdrew]

how are you diffusing your flash please.

 

[LuckyInk]

It is built into the PT-010.

 

[reefrunner]

Here are a couple I'd like critiqued.

1/200
f/8
ISO 200
Flash fired

1/125
f/8
ISO 200
No Flash

Both were processed using a new set of work flow actions and de-noised with a new set of actions which can be found below. These actions were developed by shudder at www.dpreview.com fuji talk forum and are different than his digitaldarkroom actions.

 

[ReefLady]

Exposure looks great in #2, in #1 you’ve got hot spots on the water drops.

I prefer shots like this to have the “perfect aperture.” (My term, not a technical one. ) Meaning the total flower is in focus, but the BG is blurred. I think that helps keep the focus on the flower. However, that’s definitely “in-the-box” thinking, as that’s the way you usually see these types of photos. If you meant to expose the background grass, then you accomplished it but I don’t see anything interesting enough back there to make it worth the distraction. JMO on this one, take it with a big grain of salt.

Also… it appears as though you may have misted the flower yourself. Whether you did or not, that’s what it looks like…It’s kind of a disconnect to see the dew all over the flower but not anywhere on the surrounding grass. Again, this would be solved if the background were not in focus.

All that said in the interest of constructive criticism, exposure on #2 is great and the colors are very pleasing. I also think you did a nice job with the fill flash. The subject looks well illuminated but not “overflashed” IMO. Very nice work.