Hanging on

[@imagesBV]

I though I could get the leaves to stand-out in mono....not sure it works?
...any comments or advice please...

_MG_4146.jpg by brianvickers, on Flickr

[Stan]

Re: Hanging on

nice texture in the leaves which is brought out well in mono

I would perhaps have cloned the darker leaves hanging down in the right hand corner and then cropped off some of the bottom to much more of a letterbox to really draw attention to the row of leaves

[@imagesBV]

Re: Hanging on

Yes...that works for me.....not sure my cloning skills are up to it but I've had a go.....thanks Stan.

_MG_4146.jpg by brianvickers, on Flickr

[colin C]

Re: Hanging on

Before I give any advice on post editing, I try it out myself to see the effect and the result is posted below.

Here's what I did:

• Make a selection of the dead leaves and place on a separate layer (it took longer than I expected).
• From that layer, increase the contrast and then a little shadow recovery where the shadows went too dark.
• Select the background layer and decrease the contrast - it didn't quite give the result I wanted.
• Make a new layer and move it between the existing two layers.
• Fill the new layer with a mid to light grey and reduce the opacity to 12%, to reduce the contrast even further.
• Moving to the background layer again, clone out the spare leaf top left.

Job done. Not a massive difference, but I think enough to improve the shot.


35992560183_240c5310e4_c by Colin Cross, on Flickr

[@imagesBV]

Re: Hanging on

Thanks Colin....I'm impressed because this is far closer to the desired outcome than I could achieve! The leaves really stand-out now that they are a tad lighter and the background less distracting.
I have in the passed defended my 'don't need layers' approach to PP as I only use lightroom....I have CC but have not made the time to learn photoshop although I did have a dabble with 'elements' some years ago.
Thanks for taking the time...I really appreciate this!!

[colin C]

Re: Hanging on

Cheers Brian, glad you liked it.

Lightroom is good, especially if you don't have Elements or Photoshop, but its lack of precision lets it down. To be able to treat different areas of the shot separate to others is the secret to Photoshop and making a selection and separate layer of that selection is the magic of Photoshop.

Nowadays, there are so many on line videos of how to master different aspects of Photoshop that life is easier than in the past. My early version of Photoshop came wth a training manual the size of an encyclopaedia. I kid you not that I wanted to learn about selections and layers, went through the relevant chapters and knew less at the end of reading than I knew previously. It was written by programmers rather than photographers and some quite ordinary words had a different meaning to them than the rest of the population. Most confusing! However, I persevered and although there is always something new to learn I can pretty much do whatever I need to.

The best advice I can give is:

• Learn to make a selection and turn that into a layer.

• Don't do what you can, only do what you need to. Many good shots are spoilt by being over edited.

[@imagesBV]

Re: Hanging on

Thanks Colin....I've just opened it up for the first time...so Ill get a tutorial on youtube...or maybe just see what I can work out from your process above.

Having invested time and money thus far I think it would be remiss of me to continue as a Photoshop Denier any longer...Thanks again for your considerable investment on this.

[Tigger]

Re: Hanging on

nice work Brian and your second edit works very well with colins offering that slightly too light edit for me but it is moving in the right direction, but needs a mix of both :)

but cool shot

[@imagesBV]

Re: Hanging on

Thanks Ian!

trying to get to grips with layers so I can do it myself.....just watched Tony Northrup video.....progress will be made by the end of the weekend.

[colin C]

Re: Hanging on

.progress will be made by the end of the weekend.

Good for you Brian.

[tesarver]

Re: Hanging on

Nice work that everyone has done

Tom