Black & White PP Help needed

PP Help needed · 09:20 PM

Hi Guys , when it comes to post processing I am completely lost . I don't have any software on my Komputer,
I have been using the Photobucket built-in photo-editing tool to tweak my photos. is there any PP that you can suggest that would enhance this image/s ?
or could I have taken this shot differently to capture the light .

Taken with Hoya NDx400 + Cokin P-series GND soft . I'm still learning . any input that you contribute is a learning curve for me.

**Schraubstock** · 06-15-2012, 10:13 PM

Hi

I guess what motivated you to take the picture in the first place, namely the beauty of all that plant growth together with some strong light that may have been present, is not coming across with this capture. It is just too dark, flat and featureless. I have attempted to rescue this shot within the limitations of the JPG format. While I realise that you wont be able to do similar corrections because, as you say, you don't have much of any software, I nevertheless present you with a feeble attempt (or general pointer) of what I have in mind. I have done all corrections in OLONEO. (French software)

Greetings

disco_owner · 06-15-2012, 10:51 PM

The 2nd shot post processed has so much more depth now. your version actually looks a lot more decent.if you don't mind me asking what adjustment/s were made to the image on your software ( OLONEO)

also from Memory I had the 2 x GND filter Medium & Low stacked on H250 holder but perhaps not raised enough which may be why the trees on both sides of the image appear to be underexposed.

disco_owner · 06-16-2012, 02:27 AM

Here is my version in PB editing tool

any improvements to the original ?

top-quark · 06-16-2012, 02:57 AM

Post-processing software needn't be expensive. A lot of people get good results out of Google Picassa, which costs nothing more than a small part of your soul.

GIMP is free software that is every bit as capable as Photoshop. More of a learning wall than a learning curve, but that's equally true of PS. I don't know about DNG, but it can certainly handle PEF.

Even commercial software needn't be prohibitive. I recently laid out £99 (or ~$150) for Lightroom 4. That's not a lot compared to the price of good glass.

charliezap · 06-16-2012, 04:15 AM

Top-Quark mentioned "Picasa".I have it as a back up and it is FREE.You can do quite a bit with it and I consider it very user friendly.Check it out.----charliezap

**Bob Harris** · 06-16-2012, 05:02 AM

I'm going to go with what Charlie suggested. Give it a try, it is free and easy to use. You can even use it to upload camera photos directly to your computer. Click here and give it a try. Bob
Picasa

**baro-nite** · 06-16-2012, 05:29 AM

I know you're asking about PP, but the first thing that occurs to me is that this scene isn't a good case for GND. GNDs are best when there is a clean line between foreground and sky. or at least a gradually receding background where the GND effect looks reasonably natural. Branches against the sky is very difficult to deal with either with filters or in PP. My suggestion here is to try again in different light and/or with different focal length and/or framing to take the sky out of the shot.

disco_owner · 06-16-2012, 05:33 AM

Originally posted by top-quark

Post-processing software needn't be expensive. A lot of people get good results out of Google Picassa, which costs nothing more than a small part of your soul.

GIMP is free software that is every bit as capable as Photoshop. More of a learning wall than a learning curve, but that's equally true of PS. I don't know about DNG, but it can certainly handle PEF.

Even commercial software needn't be prohibitive. I recently laid out £99 (or ~$150) for Lightroom 4. That's not a lot compared to the price of good glass.

The Problem is not the Dosh which I need to Fork out on Post processing Software , it's not really knowing how to enhance my images using the software package. that's my problem which is why I posted up the thread .

I haven't really had too much exposure to digital photography . Purchased my K5 at the end of April. only 2 months ago.

I Downloaded both Picasa 3 and Gimp . I'll give them a go. Photoshop LR4 is only $105.00 here "student edition" however I wouldn't know what to do with it.

Edit: thanks for your Comments and input.

@ Baro-nite I'm going to try the same shot under different lighting situation but with the same Lens da 15 ltd.and then compare it with the shot I took originally.

cmohr · 06-16-2012, 06:06 AM

Try the "In camera" Black and White in the cameras white balance setting, I take a lot with it and its great as a quick conversion, plus you get to see black and white at the time you take it, you can still shoot RAW+ so you still have a raw image to use if you what colour, no need to PP, you just get a B&W straight out of the camera. Its a good start into digital Black and white, then you can look into software later.

disco_owner · 06-16-2012, 07:06 AM

Originally posted by cmohr

Try the "In camera" Black and White in the cameras white balance setting, I take a lot with it and its great as a quick conversion, plus you get to see black and white at the time you take it, you can still shoot RAW+ so you still have a raw image to use if you what colour, no need to PP, you just get a B&W straight out of the camera. Its a good start into digital Black and white, then you can look into software later.

that's sort of exactly what I did with the 2 x shots. Both are taken as RAW+ & with in-camera B&W setting, tried to leave the white balance setting on AUTO.
then dump the files on my hard drive when I get home , but only upload the jpegs files.

**Schraubstock** · 06-16-2012, 11:10 PM

Khosrow

...LR4 is only $105.00 here "student edition" however I wouldn't know what to do with it.

The thing is you have to make a start. I know it all sounds very much like an impossible task but you'll find once you get into it its not half as bad as you imagined. And the lingo ? You will pick up quickly, I am sure. Also, a lot of software vendors these days provide tutorial clips.

What did I do in OLONEO ? Answer, not much. OLONEO has Tone mapping sliders. Any functions in this software is real time. It means any corrections that are made are immediately observable in the image, so you don't have to wait for a re-draw. I really like that, because when you use sliders you can go back and forth with immediate results in the image and so settle quickly with the best setting to your eye.

Your image was only corrected by adjusting (on the plus side) "Tone Mapping strength and Tone Mapping detail" and a little increase in lightness.

As others said, start off with some free or cheap PP Software and try to find your feet, so to say. It will be either all you ever need or if not you can graduate from there into some more advanced applications. But by then at least you know how far you want to go and what you want from PP software. Beware ! It can become addictive, similar to "ALBS" ! (Acquired Lens Buying Syndrome)

Good luck

EdwardConde · 06-16-2012, 11:40 PM

HI,

Not sure what system you are running (Mac or PC) but I use an app called Snapseed... Very easy to use and they just came out with a version for Windows & Mac. I use this app on my iPad and Mac... Its a great little app made by Nik Software... I want to say the app cost $20 for the mac.. so it should be the same for PC.

Snapseed | Snap it. Tweak it. Love it. Share it.

good Luck!

disco_owner · 06-17-2012, 02:58 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by EdwardConde

HI,

Not sure what system you are running (Mac or PC) but I use an app called Snapseed... Very easy to use and they just came out with a version for Windows & Mac. I use this app on my iPad and Mac... Its a great little app made by Nik Software... I want to say the app cost $20 for the mac.. so it should be the same for PC.

Snapseed | Snap it. Tweak it. Love it. Share it.

good Luck!

I'm running an i7 Laptop with Windoze 7. Successfully downloaded Gimp and Picasso and have already processed a few photos using Picaso . It is very basic which suits me . I saw what Aperture can do on a Macbook Pro. I was quite impressed. Will Give Snapseed a go. I logged onto the site and had a read. here is a shot from Today 25km Hike to the Gorge with Minimum PP.

**baro-nite** · 06-17-2012, 03:47 AM

Originally posted by disco_owner

here is a shot from Today 25km Hike to the Gorge with Minimum PP.

Very nice composition! Did you use an ND filter here?

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06-15-2012, 10:13 PM	#2
Schraubstock Site Supporter Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Melbourne Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,386	Hi I guess what motivated you to take the picture in the first place, namely the beauty of all that plant growth together with some strong light that may have been present, is not coming across with this capture. It is just too dark, flat and featureless. I have attempted to rescue this shot within the limitations of the JPG format. While I realise that you wont be able to do similar corrections because, as you say, you don't have much of any software, I nevertheless present you with a feeble attempt (or general pointer) of what I have in mind. I have done all corrections in OLONEO. (French software) Greetings Last edited by Schraubstock; 09-16-2012 at 05:36 PM.

06-16-2012, 05:33 AM	#9
disco_owner Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Sydney Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,629 Original Poster	Originally posted by top-quark Post-processing software needn't be expensive. A lot of people get good results out of Google Picassa, which costs nothing more than a small part of your soul. GIMP is free software that is every bit as capable as Photoshop. More of a learning wall than a learning curve, but that's equally true of PS. I don't know about DNG, but it can certainly handle PEF. Even commercial software needn't be prohibitive. I recently laid out £99 (or ~$150) for Lightroom 4. That's not a lot compared to the price of good glass. The Problem is not the Dosh which I need to Fork out on Post processing Software , it's not really knowing how to enhance my images using the software package. that's my problem which is why I posted up the thread . I haven't really had too much exposure to digital photography . Purchased my K5 at the end of April. only 2 months ago. I Downloaded both Picasa 3 and Gimp . I'll give them a go. Photoshop LR4 is only $105.00 here "student edition" however I wouldn't know what to do with it. Edit: thanks for your Comments and input. @ Baro-nite I'm going to try the same shot under different lighting situation but with the same Lens da 15 ltd.and then compare it with the shot I took originally. Last edited by disco_owner; 06-16-2012 at 05:43 AM.

06-16-2012, 07:06 AM	#11
disco_owner Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Sydney Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,629 Original Poster	Originally posted by cmohr Try the "In camera" Black and White in the cameras white balance setting, I take a lot with it and its great as a quick conversion, plus you get to see black and white at the time you take it, you can still shoot RAW+ so you still have a raw image to use if you what colour, no need to PP, you just get a B&W straight out of the camera. Its a good start into digital Black and white, then you can look into software later. that's sort of exactly what I did with the 2 x shots. Both are taken as RAW+ & with in-camera B&W setting, tried to leave the white balance setting on AUTO. then dump the files on my hard drive when I get home , but only upload the jpegs files. Last edited by disco_owner; 06-17-2012 at 10:08 PM.

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06-15-2012, 10:51 PM	#3
disco_owner Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Sydney Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,629 Original Poster	The 2nd shot post processed has so much more depth now. your version actually looks a lot more decent.if you don't mind me asking what adjustment/s were made to the image on your software ( OLONEO) also from Memory I had the 2 x GND filter Medium & Low stacked on H250 holder but perhaps not raised enough which may be why the trees on both sides of the image appear to be underexposed.

06-16-2012, 02:27 AM	#4
disco_owner Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Sydney Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,629 Original Poster	Here is my version in PB editing tool any improvements to the original ?

06-16-2012, 02:57 AM	#5
top-quark Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Aylesbury, Bucks Photos: Albums Posts: 492	Post-processing software needn't be expensive. A lot of people get good results out of Google Picassa, which costs nothing more than a small part of your soul. GIMP is free software that is every bit as capable as Photoshop. More of a learning wall than a learning curve, but that's equally true of PS. I don't know about DNG, but it can certainly handle PEF. Even commercial software needn't be prohibitive. I recently laid out £99 (or ~$150) for Lightroom 4. That's not a lot compared to the price of good glass.

06-16-2012, 04:15 AM	#6
charliezap Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: saugus ma Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 8,686	Top-Quark mentioned "Picasa".I have it as a back up and it is FREE.You can do quite a bit with it and I consider it very user friendly.Check it out.----charliezap

06-16-2012, 05:02 AM	#7
Bob Harris Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Canon City, Colorado Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 18,477	I'm going to go with what Charlie suggested. Give it a try, it is free and easy to use. You can even use it to upload camera photos directly to your computer. Click here and give it a try. Bob Picasa

06-16-2012, 05:29 AM	#8
baro-nite Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: North Carolina, USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,295	I know you're asking about PP, but the first thing that occurs to me is that this scene isn't a good case for GND. GNDs are best when there is a clean line between foreground and sky. or at least a gradually receding background where the GND effect looks reasonably natural. Branches against the sky is very difficult to deal with either with filters or in PP. My suggestion here is to try again in different light and/or with different focal length and/or framing to take the sky out of the shot.

06-16-2012, 06:06 AM	#10
cmohr Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Brisbane. Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,824	Try the "In camera" Black and White in the cameras white balance setting, I take a lot with it and its great as a quick conversion, plus you get to see black and white at the time you take it, you can still shoot RAW+ so you still have a raw image to use if you what colour, no need to PP, you just get a B&W straight out of the camera. Its a good start into digital Black and white, then you can look into software later.

06-16-2012, 11:10 PM	#12
Schraubstock Site Supporter Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Melbourne Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,386	Khosrow ...LR4 is only $105.00 here "student edition" however I wouldn't know what to do with it. The thing is you have to make a start. I know it all sounds very much like an impossible task but you'll find once you get into it its not half as bad as you imagined. And the lingo ? You will pick up quickly, I am sure. Also, a lot of software vendors these days provide tutorial clips. What did I do in OLONEO ? Answer, not much. OLONEO has Tone mapping sliders. Any functions in this software is real time. It means any corrections that are made are immediately observable in the image, so you don't have to wait for a re-draw. I really like that, because when you use sliders you can go back and forth with immediate results in the image and so settle quickly with the best setting to your eye. Your image was only corrected by adjusting (on the plus side) "Tone Mapping strength and Tone Mapping detail" and a little increase in lightness. As others said, start off with some free or cheap PP Software and try to find your feet, so to say. It will be either all you ever need or if not you can graduate from there into some more advanced applications. But by then at least you know how far you want to go and what you want from PP software. Beware ! It can become addictive, similar to "ALBS" ! (Acquired Lens Buying Syndrome) Good luck

06-16-2012, 11:40 PM	#13
EdwardConde Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Los Angeles Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,520	HI, Not sure what system you are running (Mac or PC) but I use an app called Snapseed... Very easy to use and they just came out with a version for Windows & Mac. I use this app on my iPad and Mac... Its a great little app made by Nik Software... I want to say the app cost $20 for the mac.. so it should be the same for PC. Snapseed \| Snap it. Tweak it. Love it. Share it. good Luck!

06-17-2012, 02:58 AM - 1 Like	#14
disco_owner Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Sydney Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,629 Original Poster	Originally posted by EdwardConde HI, Not sure what system you are running (Mac or PC) but I use an app called Snapseed... Very easy to use and they just came out with a version for Windows & Mac. I use this app on my iPad and Mac... Its a great little app made by Nik Software... I want to say the app cost $20 for the mac.. so it should be the same for PC. Snapseed \| Snap it. Tweak it. Love it. Share it. good Luck! I'm running an i7 Laptop with Windoze 7. Successfully downloaded Gimp and Picasso and have already processed a few photos using Picaso . It is very basic which suits me . I saw what Aperture can do on a Macbook Pro. I was quite impressed. Will Give Snapseed a go. I logged onto the site and had a read. here is a shot from Today 25km Hike to the Gorge with Minimum PP.

06-17-2012, 03:47 AM	#15
baro-nite Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: North Carolina, USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,295	Originally posted by disco_owner here is a shot from Today 25km Hike to the Gorge with Minimum PP. Very nice composition! Did you use an ND filter here?