How much PP is enough

Seajay

Seajay

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Cathy
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Hi all,

Learner question on PP.

Playing with all my Turnberry sunset shots in Lightroom and want to ask.
How do you all decide that enough PP has been added.I sometimes love my dud pics when they are way too much PP but would never print them.

Also using this image I am playing with how much more orange would you add to enhance a sunset like this and how much would you crop off the bottom of the image. Not a great example i know but I have loads from every angle and hoping to save a couple with PP.
Cathy



Turnberry Sunset by cooriedoon, on Flickr
 
Impossible question to answer really as everyone has there own vision/s of what a scene/Photograph should look like.
I was when I started not so long ago always lighten this,darken that,increase saturation,sort the white balance and basically b****r up the photo!! but must admit now I will try and get it right in camera. I no some like to tinker with this and that but get it right in camera,have a calibrated screen, spend less time sat in the chair and more time doing what you like to do!!.
Russ
 
I really don't see anything wrong with the picture I think it's brilliant. Why would you want to change it?
 
Well, I wouldn't crop anything off the image, I think the composition is great.
Some would criticise the horizon for being half way but the foreground rocks in the left corner are just right for me and right hand corner leads nicely to the focal point and also has the diagonal which works well.

I also think the sky is just right with the cloud how it is so i wouldn't crop anything off there either.

You have introduced some yellow in the highlights and i think you have gone as far as you can without it looking over the top.

The only way to improve this image now is to shoot it on another day with more dramatic lighting or try a long exposure may work.

As far as your original question about judging how far to take PP in my opinion is 'It has to be believable' if someone else knows you have 'faked it' then it is a fail.
The same for me goes for HDR, if its not believable then it does not work.

Of course that boils down to using your own judgement but try walking away from the image and not looking at it for a few days, then open up and see what you think then. Sometimes you can instantly see that you have gone too far which you could not see whilst in the thick of processing.
 
Russell Jim and Steve thank you,

You are very kind about this image and I appreciate it. I have been there many nights over the last couple of months so have loads of shots but none that just pop out for me, and all need something done well at least the ones I kept.

I am using them for practice in Lightroom as I am trying to get them as near as I saw them on the evening I took them but with a little extra punch!

You are right I did slide up the yellow slider and the exposure possibly a few other things too but did not want to go too far.

I even digitally framed one shot after a PP session which is on my Flickr site as I thought I finally had it right and sent it off to be printed. How embarrassed I was when it came back way too dark and no at all like I see it on my mac.However I will do it again until I get the colour right.

I am determined to get a good shot as my hubby works and golfs at Turnberry and I want to give him a framed picture taken by me.

I felt this image was maybe too messy in the foreground this is why I asked about cropping it.
Many thanks to you all.
Cathy
 
well I think the messy weed in the foreground is just how it is and you need those rocks in the left bottom corner.

You say it came back from the printers much darker than on your monitor, is your monitor calibrated?
 
I rather like this one as well. Lovely composition and quite gentle.

What I might try with it is to open up the shadows a little and turn the blacks down. The latter will tend to saturate the image slightly and add contrast.

But the result may not be an improvement.

Too many people over-process their images and the result can be unreal.

What you could also try is to move the whites slider to the right, until the highlights clip (see histogram). That will tend to make the image brighter without affecting the exposure overall. A small amount of clipping may be unavoidable here anyway because of the highlights from the sun, but that probably doesn't matter.

If you don't like the result you can always go back a step. It might help to get a better print though.
 
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Steve lol! Well now I will need to google that as I have no idea what it is :) so that has to be a no. If you have a link that can show me how that would be good. I have a 27inch Mac.


Jerry I am going to try out your suggestions and see how I get on. It would be nice to get a nice print and I have many views to choose from once I get them sorted.
Cathy
 
Kath

I quickly found this for you to read, don't be put off it sounds complicated, just have a stab at understanding it. http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/monitor-calibration.htm

The good news is you don't have to worry too much about it as hardware does most of the work for you.

The bad news is the hardware is expensive, but without calibrating you will struggle to get prints looking anything like what you see on the monitor.

Also worth bearing in mind that if you put up a photo for critique from an un- calibrated monitor, then I and others who have calibrated theirs will not see the image the same as you.
Unfortunately when you post images online for people to view you have no real idea how they are seeing it.

I use the Spyder 3 Pro but there are a few varieties and makes you can choose http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/monitor-calibration.htm
 
Steve that did help the original print on my desktop now looks slightly darker than it was after following this.Hopefully this might help.

I use DS colour labs who are super.
It is my prints that are the problem i always need to resend them after making them lighter to have them done again.Good job only snaps for my pleasure.Many thanks and i can now add a Spyder to my xmas list or look for a second hand one.
 
Hi Cathy

This link could well help until you get the right hardware. Someone on TP suggested it some while ago.

http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/
 
John thanks I will have a go at this tomorrow evening when it gets dark. I need all the help I can get :)

Cathy
 
Yeah! Have Spyder on order from ebay so hopefully when it comes I will calibrate my Mac properly.

Once again thank you for all advice given.
Cathy
 
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