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Digital Photography - Post Processing **Befor and After**

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S

samusx

Banned
www.donvittorio.tumblr.com

OK so I'll keep this short but sweet.
Post your before and after, of photos that you have touched up, edited, or completely overhauled.

DO NOT
DO NOT
PLEASE DO NOT POST PHOTOS UNLESS YOU HAVE BEFORE AND AFTER
I don't want this to turn into a photo posting thread. Its a before and after thread. Please ^_^


I'll get things started with a photo that I already posted in another thread, but now here is the before and after.

Photo shot with a Lumix TZ7.

P1010691-1200x800.jpg
P1010691-800x1200.jpg
 
What software are you using? I'd like to find something either free or cheap to work with as I'm just starting to get into photo processing myself. I'm using Picasa to do very basic work, but it definitely isn't doing everything I'd like.

I don't want to invest in Photoshop either. Not yet, anyways.
 
I have been using Photoshop for years and just recently got the newest version of Photoshop, CS5.

You can download a free trial from the Adobe website. It will last you 30 days.
Don't know about free software thought sorry.
 
I used Photoshops lens correction. It allows you to warp the image, basically like tilting the photo up or down left or right on a 3D plain to change the perspective.

Its really just an advanced perspective warp tool.

edit with extra info:

1 - I just remembered, in this photo I used the lens correction to warp the perspective. But I also had to skew the image as well to get everything lined up straight.

2 - I removed the tree at the top of the image that was hanging in the shot. I got rid of the truck in the bottom left as well. Also the red safety signs on the windows. Using content aware fill and the healing brush.

3 - I removed the colour cast, and increased the saturation.

4 - Removed noise and sharpened.
 
CS5 has an amazing amount of awesome tools, I can't wait to play more with it. I don't do much post processing, just some xpro stuff and HDR, mostly.

Sadly, I don't have the original for this picture up on my gallery. Cherry blossom festivals are fun.
 
Good stuff. =)
I use Lightroom on mine to just fix the photo up. I have been away from using photo editing software since i been so busy this past semester. I finally got time to retouch my old photoshoot pics.
JocelynBA3.jpg


Before
DSC01922-1.jpg


After
DSC01922.jpg
 
Here is a more subtle job.

1 - Just got rid of distracting objects in the photo.

2 - Colour correction and saturation.

3 - Noise reduction and sharpen.

4 - Crop.

P1010364-1200x900.jpg


pg50-1200x800.jpg


Aren't computers fun. ^_^
 
Digital post processing of photos is something I'm extremely interested in. I can do some basic touch ups and color correction in photoshop, but I can't seem to achieve "the professional" look in my photos. I was wondering if there are some good plug-ins that automate the job? I'm mostly interested in color, contrast, and lighting correcting, you know to give a photo that pro-looking "oomph".

It's probably better if I invest the time to learn the principles behind things and do it manually, but I'm also interested in software tools (e.g. plug-in/filters) that would speed up the process since I'd like to do a large number of photos.
 
To 'Cereal KiIIer': Thats more like it.

Some other good ones too.

Here is my quick jobbies on your photo dark_chris.

Before then after and after.

DSC01922-1.jpg
shoot1.jpg
shoot2.jpg
 
samusx said:
To 'Cereal KiIIer': Thats more like it.

Some other good ones too.

Here is my quick jobbies on your photo dark_chris.

Before then after and after.
Click to expand...
Oh god. I dunno which one i like now. lol. I like both! Thanks. =] You got me thinking now... lol
 
21exg9k.jpg

2cegk1d.jpg


edit: levels, curves, saturation, brightness+contrast, color balance, texture in the upper part of the pic, color gradients+some blending modes, clone stamp, some sharpening.
 
This thread is severely missing (except for some posts) insight about what kind of edition was done; I'm sure many of us would appreciate it.
 
OK its super late here now that it has become morning. So this is my last post for tonight.

Before and after.
And yes, everything in the after shot was in the photo to start with, no additional image data was added. That moon is the real moon as it was in the original shot. Just heavily edited.

P1000892-800x600.jpg


P1000892-800x555.jpg
 
Only recently started doing this sort of thing, but even the crappiest stuff can be rescued somehow. So from this unpromising night shot ...

vh3sls.gif


came this ...

2whmhas.gif
 
I've recently learned to love curves (in Photoshop). They do so much to your photos...

curves_portraitvycl.jpg

(Photo by skyleaf)

These are a little overdone, but a great example on how much a single curve can do. First photo is the original...

Multiply curves:

curves_nycaa0f.jpg

(Photo by Tigg)
 
hEist said:
http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/7962/img172604april2010.jpg[/][IMG]http://img710.imageshack.us/img710/750/sundaydrop04april20101.jpg[/]
only tones/contrast/curves.[/QUOTE]
Hey! I recognize this from deviantart! Whats your username?
Click to expand...
 
I have been taking a lot of pictures while on vacation. I thought, before starting, that I would have to do post processing, but it turns out theycame out great even tjo I'm using a rather cheap camera with no tripod. Out of close to 200 pictures, I only had to do some gamma adjustments on around 6 of them. Other than that the only adjustments I ever make are rotating the image slightly when needed if the angle was wrong, and cropping.

I am really suprised at how good they came out composition and color-wise. I don't see postprocessing in the same way anymore. I think if it is to acheive a specific effect, fine, or to correct thr colors to match what you actually saw (for example, with my iphone the colors of a sunset come out almost as-is, while they end up with a different hue and washed out with my cam). But removing people or objects, etc., it's not my thing.
 
The reason why post processing is VITAL when you get into DSLR territory is that contrary to the El_cheapo P&S, dslrs don't do the post processing on board.

When people see the stuff I get out of the camera, they sometimes laugh because it looks bland and blurry. That's on purpose, because you are getting it as raw as possible.

PS with raw is a pleasure

Ether_Snake said:
I have been taking a lot of pictures while on vacation. I thought, before starting, that I would have to do post processing, but it turns out theycame out great even tjo I'm using a rather cheap camera with no tripod. Out of close to 200 pictures, I only had to do some gamma adjustments on around 6 of them. Other than that the only adjustments I ever make are rotating the image slightly when needed if the angle was wrong, and cropping.

I am really suprised at how good they came out composition and color-wise. I don't see postprocessing in the same way anymore. I think if it is to acheive a specific effect, fine, or to correct thr colors to match what you actually saw (for example, with my iphone the colors of a sunset come out almost as-is, while they end up with a different hue and washed out with my cam). But removing people or objects, etc., it's not my thing.
Click to expand...

Most cheap cameras have on board processing so there is not much to do at the PC. But that is totally unacceptable for everyone but the unsuspecting mass consumer.

Also, "OK" is relative to the beholder. I thought my pictures were good enough until I started working as a pro-photo assistant. I dread looking at most shots now :(
 
hectorse said:
The reason why post processing is VITAL when you get into DSLR territory is that contrary to the El_cheapo P&S, dslrs don't do the post processing on board.

When people see the stuff I get out of the camera, they sometimes laugh because it looks bland and blurry. That's on purpose, because you are getting it as raw as possible.

PS with raw is a pleasure



Most cheap cameras have on board processing so there is not much to do at the PC. But that is totally unacceptable for everyone but the unsuspecting mass consumer.

Also, "OK" is relative to the beholder. I thought my pictures were good enough until I started working as a pro-photo assistant. I dread looking at most shots now :(
Click to expand...

But my camera isn't a DSLR, it's a Pentax Optio W20, and the only mode I use is the anti-blurring one. Seriously, the pictures come out pretty much as I saw, except when lighting conditions are dark.

Whatever the case, what I'm saying is that photos that come out really closr to how you actually see often look better than postprocessed ones. A lot of pics in this thread were better before PP in my opinion.
 
Ether_Snake said:
But my camera isn't a DSLR, it's a Pentax Optio W20, and the only mode I use is the anti-blurring one. Seriously, the pictures come out pretty much as I saw, except when lighting conditions are dark.

Whatever the case, what I'm saying is that photos that come out really closr to how you actually see often look better than postprocessed ones. A lot of pics in this thread were better before PP in my opinion.
Click to expand...

Yes, P&S's do that.

Which pictures do you find were better before than after?

Naked Snake said:
Digital post processing of photos is something I'm extremely interested in. I can do some basic touch ups and color correction in photoshop, but I can't seem to achieve "the professional" look in my photos. I was wondering if there are some good plug-ins that automate the job? I'm mostly interested in color, contrast, and lighting correcting, you know to give a photo that pro-looking "oomph".

It's probably better if I invest the time to learn the principles behind things and do it manually, but I'm also interested in software tools (e.g. plug-in/filters) that would speed up the process since I'd like to do a large number of photos.
Click to expand...


Pro looking photos are not just post proc though. The glass that you use to take the picture is 90% the picture. Yes effects are nice, but if you don't have the equipment, there are things you simply can't do.

Not trying to discourage you, just saying that achieving a super pro look is not as easy (and cheap) as we would all want it to be
 
hectorse said:
The reason why post processing is VITAL when you get into DSLR territory is that contrary to the El_cheapo P&S, dslrs don't do the post processing on board.

When people see the stuff I get out of the camera, they sometimes laugh because it looks bland and blurry. That's on purpose, because you are getting it as raw as possible.

PS with raw is a pleasure
Click to expand...
don't scare people away from DSLR's... :lol
All of them have the ability to process images with their jpeg engines, the problem is that most of the manufacturers jpeg engines suck for anyone that's an enthusiast or more.
Olympus' is widely regarded as the best and I don't use it.

I just came back from San Diego, I have never in my life seen so many DSLRs in one place at one time before, so i'm sure the jpeg output is good enough for the average person.

Also raw files in general are pretty lifeless and will definitely vary from output from the camera in jpeg form.


anyway i posted this in the photography thread a while back.

I did a direct positive preset in Lightroom, that made it better but not quite, then I did an auto tone which made it close to final. But it was still too dark. I played with fill light and exposure till i liked it.

Before
P8235322.jpg


I did a direct positive preset in Lightroom, that made it better but not quite, then I did an auto tone which made it close to final. But it was still too dark. I played with fill light and exposure till i liked it.

after
3871818910_3ecbab238a.jpg

GF loves this picture so much, we have a 9x12 of it matted and framed.

I'll maybe post more later. Cause i generally dont "get it right" in the camera and or feel like the raw files need a little extra something.
 
yeah, that's exactly the comparison picture I wanted to post, captive.

It happened to me.


I was all DSLRLOL when I bought my pentax and went out there and took pictures. I was super disappointed when I looked at my PC. They were blurrier, grayer and had very little contrast and life in them. WTF! Is this supposed to be a good camera? Why are the pictures so shitty?

Then a friend of mine went all RAWmaster on my pictures and HOLY SHIT. RAW is amazing in that regard.
 
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