BEFORE and AFTER (An Exercise Project)

We are going to have this thread as a project, where you can post and image as it came out of the camera as before and what you did to if as an after. You would need to briefly explain what you did to arrive at the final image.

This is not a discussion in ethics or what should be done. Simply, what CAN be done with the help of software and it is meant to instruct and help those who are interested in learning.

Please try to post the two images together in one image not exceeding 800 pixels on the longest side.

Here is the first, a Pelican landing I took in San Diego. I liked the landing pose, but the shadow of the head in the wing was bothersome.
This does not reflect my usual routine and is only meant as an educational example.

I selected the opposite wing, the pa\rt closest to the body, by quick mask. You can use whatever selection method you are familiar with.
Copied and pasted over the shadow. Edit>Transform>Flip horizontally and now all I had to do is reduce the opacity to place it as close to the original as possible. If it's not consistent, you can use the Edit<Transform>DIstort command, using the Warp option (on the Tool bar on top. After it is placed as you want it, create a layer mask and paint black with the brush to clean the parts you don't want. White will paint them back.

Great technique, Fabs...one I really need to practice more.

I didn't know you could do that! (If I had a nickel for everything I don't know about PS....). This is a great idea for a forum.

Hi Folks: Noticed if you click on the "Pending Image" it can be viewed so I will start over again, and try to explain photo. . . . .

Was up Madera Canyon on a very overcast day trying to get a photo of a hummingbird under tough conditions, on a narrow patio overhanging a creek with large flower pots of roses and other plants. I took this photo, and will attempt to show you what I did . . . Uncle Gus.

First I saved original as a PSD file, opened it in CS3, cropped out the Leaf on bottom left, flipped it horizontal & saved as PSD. Made duplicate layer of original to start, and copied leaf on original as I wanted to see how it would fit in. As it was the top layer I positioned it so the beak would enter in the center of bud, then with the eraser at around 60% opacity I erased so beak would show under leaf. At the same time I gently erased other parts of leaf to blend in with BG. I then cropped photo to where I liked it. Then with clone starting at 400 size & opacity 60 (I change size and opacity as I go along) I finished project. I could have used Mask for the leaf, however, This was an old method I had used before.

Great PS work, thanks for sharing it, Gus!

Great idea and well explained, thanks!

I usually try to expose to the right to reduce noise and here's an example of bring back an image that was maybe too much to the right. This also works to reduce contrast of midday shots. So here's the raw:

And here's the worked image: I did the usual acr work, bring back highlights, bring up shadows, then the big trick...in photoshop for mac you hit command+option+~(tilde) and it selects the brights and feathers them. Then hit command+j to make a new layer from that. Then set that layer to blend mode to multiply. This may overdo the darken but you can mask/drop opacity.

From there i did some minor levels and contrast work. Then gausian blur on the background. Not a show stopper, but a way to bring back images.

Before & after Savannah Composite

Hi Fabs:

Seeing that photos need permission and take awhile to show up, also 3 photos take a post and a reply, I am linking to mine on my website:
http://unclegus.150m.com/Savannah/Before_After_Savannah.htm

Photos : 1 is Savannah plains in Kenya Africa taken by Gina
2 is Cheetah taken in Kenya by Gina
3 is preliminary for finishing touch.
4 is Finished

I started out by opening Savanna.jpg and saving it as a PSD file .

I then opened Cheetah.jpg as a PSD file, cropped it to show mostly the Cheetah only, and then I flipped it horizontal to have the Cheetah looking in from the left side. Then resized it with a judgment call at 25% of BG size.
As I saved the original I could always change it if I wanted to.

I the pressed “V” (move) and dragged the Cheetah to left bottom corner of BG for starters.

Having had a preliminary look at Cheetah placement, I clicked eye icon in front of Cheetah layer to turn it off, and with BG only showing I pressed “C” (crop) and cropped the savannah BG. I didn’t like the single Zebra way out by itself to the right, so I pressed I pressed “S” (clone), sized it to fit over Zebra, 40. (Sizing done with left bracket key (smaller) right bracket key (larger), set opacity on menu bar to 60, then held down Alt key and left clicked on grass close to zebra. Then clicked over Zebra to clone selected grass over it.

I then clicked eye icon on Cheetah layer to reveal it

With Cheetah revealed I clicked on Cheetah layer, above in Layer box I changed Opacity to 50%. At 50% Zebras & Wildebeest showed through Cheetah, so I decided to clone out them out under the Cheetah with grass. First I had to know where to clone. With Cheetah layer still selected, I pressed “E” (eraser), as this was going to be a rough cut out I set hardness to 100% & Opacity to 100% for a quick preliminary view of where Cheetah was located, then I clicked Cheetah eye icon to show background only and cloned grass to area that will be under Cheetah. Then clicked eye icon again to reveal Cheetah and make sure that is layer I’m working on. You now have Photo #3 Preliminary: http://unclegus.150m.com/Savannah/Before_After_Savannah.htm

Now comes the fun part: Boy, I’m sure Windy . . . eh! J

Pressing “V” (move) I move Cheetah to where I think I want him.
Then I go to View and enlarge size to 200%. Next, I open eraser, set hardness to 0 (zero), and opacity 35% and carefully erased surplus outside Cheetah. To check on your erasing, click eye icon on BG, then you can view Cheetah alone and clean up any thing you missed. Click BG eye icon again to check finished product. Then adjust Cheetah opacity to suit your taste.

Then use your regular work flow or parts of it to enhance your masterpiece

Save this finished project as it is, you might want to change a layer later. Then go to Layers>Flatten Image.

I went back and rotated Horizon fairly level. I’m sure you all know how to do that.

Keep Smiling

Uncle Gus

BTW: I didn't use Background Eraser because no matter where you set Tolerance on Menu bar because the difference df definition between subject and BG was not defined very much.

Also same with Extract which works great with well defined objects. it wasn't worth doing as I would still have a lot of erasing to do. Try it, you may like it: Choose Filter>Extract, Select Edge Highliter Tool (Top One) Brush size default is 20. Carefully outline object you want to extract. Then choose Fill Tool (Paint bucket) click inside the outline you want to extract. Fill will show you extraction. If satisfied click OK. Has clean up tools in extract, but I choose to use eraser after extraction. Have fun . . .

Very Simple Composite Before & after

Hi Fabs:
Taking the eyes from the plumage of a Preening Peacock that Gina photographed in Kenya, Africa, 2005 and a Trichocereus Fying Saucer that I photographed in our garden I mentioned how I put them in a composite . . . Have fun . . . Uncle Gus

Gus, I just wanted to let you know that Fabs is out for about a week on a personal matter. I'm sure her intent is not to abandon everyone after she got this rolling but I'm sure she'll check back in once she can. Because this is her thread I doubt too many other moderators check it but hang in there...she'll be back in a couple of days and probably very excited to see the work you are all doing.

OK; This is how I did it: Opened the Peacock BG in CS3. Then I opened Trichocereus. I selected Trico, pressed V (Move) and dragged it onto the Peacock BG, I did this twice and put them where I thought they would look best. In the Layers window I now have #2 Trico on top, next #1 Trico, then background.
First I click on #2 Trico In Layers, click "Opacity" directly above it and play with Opacity.
Then I click on #1 Trico and do the same
If you want to adjust Background, Click on Background Layer. I then clicked "Eye Icon" on both Trico layers to hide them temporarily and enhance Background to suit as you usually enhance photos

Then I clicked both Trico eye icons to reveal all layers.
I then clicked on each Trico layer one at a time, pressed "E" (eraser) set preliminary size to 175 (Adjust size to suit as I go along) Hardness at "0", and "Opacity" on Menu Bar to 20 and erase edges to my personal taste.

Before I finalized I played with Trico Opacity, and moving them around.

When finished I save it as a PSD file retaing layers for future corrections. Then I flattened layers, checked I was at BPN size limits. When satisfied, I clicked File>Save For Web & Devices, Clicked on Quality and adjusted size shown under left bottom corner of image to under 200 KB (This will remove your EXif and save it as a JPG)

Have Fun

Uncle Gus aka WABI

Thank you, Julie, it's nice to hear a voice in the wilderness . . . Regards . . . Uncle Gus

Hi Peter: Wonderful image you made from your original photo . . Thanks for sharing . . . Uncle Gus

Hi Gus,

As Julie said, I'm sure Fab will get back to you!

Plastic Surgery

Hi Fabs:

Was determined to capture a Hummingbird photo in the garden this morning. Pickings were slim & I got one photo. Stubborn Swede I am, I looked at photo and decided it needed surgery. No Dinero, so it was DIY. Here's how I did it . . . .

Saved original as PSD file, and opened in CS3. Opened it screen size, pressed "C" (crop), and cropped a copy of the left wing. then flipped it. Saved it. Original & wing now both on work place.

Made wing current, pressed "V" (move) it was now top item in Layers list window. Manouvered it to where I wanted it, at least until it was close. Pressed "E" (eraser), hardness 0, opacity to start with 60, to erase surplus around wing. As I got closer to wing I reduced size and opacity for the fine work. When about half surplus cleaned off I pressed "V" and moved it into final position, pressed "E" again & continued erasing around wing.

Then I clicked on Background in Layers to make it current pressed "E" and erased parts covering wing replacement.

Then I clicked eye icon in front of wing layer to hide wing. Then with BG current I pressed "S" (clone) hardness 0, Opacity at 60 (Would adjust opacity lower as I got down to finishing touches) and cloned away hummingbird feeder. When that was cloned away, I set size about 3/16" and cloned tip of beak to make it pointed.

Then I pressed "Q" (quick Mask) pressed "B" brush sized it slightly bigger than width of beak, hardness "0" and painted bottom 1/2" of beak. pressed "Q" Pressed ctrl + I to invert selection so only tip of beak was selected, then pressed ctrl + J to make adjustment layer (dancing ants disappear) then press "V" to move the beak in place about 1/4" longer than original. When that was completed I pressed ctrl E to close adjustment layer.

Easy to understand "Quick Mask" and other tutorials on Robert Otoole's APTATS-1 instructional CD at http://www.birdsasart.com/aptats.htm

The I clicked in front of wing layer to unhide it.
Then clicked BG eye icon to hide it,
Clicked on wing layer to make it current, pressed "E" and fined tuned the erasing to the wing.

Saved the project as a PSD file adding PRG to filename. Saved it in my Projects folder. This way I can work layers again if needed.

Then I went to Layers>Flatten image, and fine tuned photo . . .

Keep smiling

Gus

Hey Gus,

Thanks for sharing your editing. I still have not figure out how to approve the attachment, I'll have eto have James help here
You'll be happy to know there will be a special place for these tips soon
Thanks for your great idea!!!

Hej Fabs:

Great to have you back, we all missed you.

Big hugs

Gus

Why aren't some of you guys in S.A???
This is precisesly what I'm trying to learn but find it difficult without seeing it first!!
Age related thingy you know.........

Fabs Forns said:

Hey Gus,

Thanks for sharing your editing. I still have not figure out how to approve the attachment, I'll have eto have James help here
You'll be happy to know there will be a special place for these tips soon
Thanks for your great idea!!!

Click to expand...

Fabs,

I approved the attachments. Go along the date header to the right and select the checkbox, then go to the drop-down menu on the bottom right of the thread under Moderation and select approve attachments and hit go. That will do it.