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Relighting a Car in Post

Posted by Richard Harrington on May 13, 2013
Posted in: Screencast, Technique & Tutorials. Tagged: , , , . 3 comments

Guest Post & Photos by Levi Sim - Circle Levi on Google+

© Levi Sim

I wanted to make a photograph of a car that looked like it had been shot in one of those fancy studios with the enormous soft boxes, but I had to do it on the grass at the fair grounds. This video shows how I made it happen using layer masks in Photoshop.

Relighting a Car in Post from Photofocus Video Channel on Vimeo.

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A Logical Approach to Post Production Workflow

Posted by Richard Harrington on May 11, 2013
Posted in: Technique & Tutorials. Tagged: , . 6 comments

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Many often have a difficult time when color correcting or enhancing images. They generally lose sight of the goal: making the image look better while still being believable. Many users go “too far” in their quest to fix images. If the image starts to look fake or too altered, it will be distracting. Although getting it “right” requires some practice, here’s some general advice to get you started:

  • Identify what’s wrong. Before you can fix a picture, be sure you have decided on what’s wrong. Is it too dark? Is the sky washed out? Has the picture faded over time? Make a list and prioritize the issues you find in each image. It’s easiest to fix one problem at a time, and if you identify those problems, you’ll know when to stop twiddling with the image.
  • Work with a copy of the image. Before you start to color correct an image, you should duplicate it or make a new version. This way you can return to an original version if you make a mistake or go too far in your image touch-up. After opening your file, choose File > Save As and name the duplicate version that will be corrected. Color correction can be a destructive process, meaning that you cannot revert to the original state at a later time. By preserving an original version of the image or employing adjustment layers, you make nondestructive editing possible. Some users also choose to duplicate the Background layer at the bottom of the layer stack.
  • Edit with adjustment layers or live adjustments. Adjustment layers allow you to apply most of the image correction commands as nondestructive effects. They are added as a layer above the actual image; the adjustment layer can be blended, masked, or deleted at any time. Additionally, if you select the adjustment layer, you can modify its properties in the Adjustments panel. The same modifications are available in both the Adjustments menu and Adjustments panel. You should work with an adjustment layer whenever possible because its flexibility will be important for future revisions. Most of the edits you make with Lightroom or Aperture are nondestructive.
  • Get a fresh opinion. It’s not a bad idea to step back and examine your work. Open the backup copy of the original image and compare it to the image you’ve been working on. This before-and-after comparison can be very useful. If you have a fresh set of eyes nearby, ask that person for his or her opinion.

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This Post Sponsored by:

lynda.com Learn photography anytime, anywhere, and at your own pace—from bite-sized tutorials to comprehensive courses. Try lynda.com free for 10 days by visiting lynda.com/ Photofocus.

The HDR Learning Center Check out new ways to use High Dynamic Range photography to make compelling images. Free tutorials and posts to get results. Produced in partnership with HDR Soft.

The Topaz Labs Image Enhancement bundle. Open up a world of creative possibilities with a seamless, integrated workflow. You don’t need to be a Photoshop wizard to look like one. Click here and use the code photofocus to get a 15% discount.

Gigapan.com. The revolutionary GigaPan EPIC robotic camera mount lets you capture and combine thousands of images into one incredible, interactive panorama. Save 10% with the code PHOTOFOCUS.

Drobo - Not only is Drobo 5D fast, but it’s easy-to-use, expandable, flexible, and protected.

Why Are We Still Re-litigating The Photoshop Wars?

Posted by scottbourne on May 2, 2012
Posted in: Opinion. Tagged: , , .

Lately I’ve been posting some Photographs online only to get the old-fashioned, tired, lame, “that looks so good it could have only been done in Photoshop” comment.

Really? 1995 called and wants its excuses back!

Just because YOU can’t make a photograph doesn’t mean that someone else can’t. It’s easy to “blame” Photoshop. It makes for a good excuse. But it’s BS.

First let’s be clear – there is NO such thing as truth in photography. It never existed – it doesn’t exist – it can’t exist. You can capture a moment in time as it happened and THINK it’s truth but really it isn’t. You have no duty to even worry about that – unless you’re a photo-journalist.

If you use a slow shutter speed and photograph a waterfall and you don’t TOUCH the picture in post. Is that real? Do waterfalls really look like cotton candy?

How about underexposing a sunset to make the colors richer? Is that “real?” Please – get over this.

It’s simple. If you want to make excuses for not getting the shot and blame those of us who use post-processing – be my guest. But know this – you aren’t fooling anyone.

Photoshop, Lightroom, Aperture, iPhoto, etc are all now part of the normal workflow for digital photography. This is our new darkroom. You may disagree, but my position is that if it starts its life in a camera, no matter what happens to it in post, it’s still a photograph and it takes talent, vision and dedication to make that final image – however you get there.

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The Biggest Lie In Both the Still Photo & Video Production Industry

Posted by scottbourne on August 26, 2009
Posted in: Technique & Tutorials. Tagged: , .

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“We’ll fix it in post!”

NO! YOU WON’T!

Now that we’re seeing hybrid still cameras/video cameras, the warnings that my friends in the video industry give about relying on post need to be re-stated.

One of the biggest mistakes made by all kinds of shooters, both video and still, is the false belief that they can fix mistakes in post.

On the video side – if you didn’t get the sound as you recorded the shot – if you’re hand-holding technique resulted in poor footage, etc., you will probably be sorry if you think you can fix it after you shoot it.

Even long-standing professionals know that it’s hard to sync dialog, or cut around bad footage. Amateurs have even less chance for success.

On either side – if you were out of focus – if you overexposed the highlights by five stops or you shot with the lens cap on – you won’t fix it in post.

It’s always best to get it right in the camera. Besides making it actually possible to get the result you want, getting it right in the camera is less time-consuming, less expensive and less stressful, than trying to fix it later.

Don’t be lazy. Stay on the shot until you get it right. You’ll be happier in the end. And you’ll actually have a realistic chance of getting the results you want. Hoping to fix it in post will most likely mean failure.

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