People before and after help

tweet25 · 06-23-2012, 09:23 PM

I think I made it worse. What should I have done to make it not so harsh without washing the colour out? I used elements 10. thank you

Attached Images

Gregory_51 · 06-23-2012, 09:52 PM

Hello
Yes you did make it worse. What exactly did you try? The colour balance is too cyan. You didn't say if it was a jpeg or RAW original. If a RAW there are lots of options when you open a RAW file the raw converter will open up and you can do some corrections there. If a jpeg you have fewer and more limited choices. Try enhance auto smart fix, that will get you in the ballpark. In elements, after smartfix a little dodging of the face will help. Choose the crop tool and select the area and go a corner and it will show a little arc, rotate the box to straighten the image.
Regards
Greg

Pentaxtic · 06-24-2012, 12:09 AM

Looks like it underexposed the pic to get rid of the highlights.

Can try correcting white balance and more saturation.

fg-one · 06-24-2012, 05:33 AM

I don't see what is wrong with the colours on the first image apart from a possibly too pink skin colour. If anything, I would try to slightly shift the tint from pink to green and see what happens. I very often notice over-saturated pink colours in my photos.

**newmikey** · 06-24-2012, 05:42 AM

You probably used some pre-cooked "improve my image in one step" setting - solution? Just don't use it, read up on image processing 101, it's not all difficult and you'll get much nicer results with almost any software, including the PS Elements you are now using - it is a very capable package. These auto-this, auto-that scripts rarely improve things whatever software you are using.

nosliwmit · 06-24-2012, 06:38 AM

I often have a hard time manually adjusting color temperature and tint. I've always thought the "adjust color for skin tone" function worked pretty well in Elements 7 (under Enhance / Adjust Color). Probably that function still exists in PSE 10. It's worth playing with.

tweet25 · 06-24-2012, 08:30 AM

hi, and thank you to all for your advice. I did shoot in RAW, (& jpeg too) the before is the Jpeg the after is an adjusted RAW. Most of the time I try and find a help video and watch along on my laptop as I edit with my PC, but I tried to 'wing it' this time.

I have just started using elements and shooting RAW. Thanks again to eveybody who replied ! I am going to try again. (well I already have, and not much success, so I will continue to try)

SpecialK · 06-24-2012, 10:38 AM

Originally posted by tweet25

...make it not so harsh...

What exactly are you refering to? If you mean shadows, you can "Adjust the Lighting" under Enhance in the jpg editor, and lighten shadows slightly. I find nothing wrong with the original.

grainbelt · 06-24-2012, 10:38 AM

Elements has a fairly straightforward RAW tool that should get you great results with only a few settings. If you'd like to send me the file, I'd be glad to do a quick two-minute jpg conversion with screen shots to give you a starting point to work from. Sent a PM with my email.

--Mike

**newmikey** · 06-24-2012, 02:24 PM - **1 Like**

It is quite normal for a straight conversion from raw to look somewhat flat and featureless. The camera jpeg engine actually goes through a series of adjustments to store the JPG: first debayering, then a tonecurve, individual color channel adjustments, some overal contrast improvement and a touch of local contrast and finally some sharpening. All that takes place during the time before you see the green memorycard activity light come on.

To emulate that exact behaviour is usually very hard or impossible unless you work with a manufacturer's raw converter which has been "preprogrammed" to deliver results that are identical to the in-camera jpeg, but still infinitely adjustable. Having said that, coming up with a colorful, sharp, rich picture with good contrast should be entirely possible - whatever raw software you are using. You just have to "learn" the steps that bring you close to- and eventually beyond- the camera's own jpeg output.

Just some patience, and lots of reading with loads of trial and error and you will eventually reap the rewards.

D4rknezz · 06-28-2012, 08:14 AM

Is it adobe camera raw? That elements use?
If it is, you can throw the raw file here, I can give it a go and then send you the preset so you get to see the changes.

sealonsf · 06-28-2012, 04:21 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by newmikey

You just have to "learn" the steps that bring you close to- and eventually beyond- the camera's own jpeg output.

Just some patience, and lots of reading with loads of trial and error and you will eventually reap the rewards.

Stepping into tweet25's thread -- but can you point me (us) in the direction of where to read? I also use Elements and just started shooting RAW. Some of my results have not been the best. Thanks.

tweet25 · 06-28-2012, 06:49 PM

I don't think it will post ? it is too large

D4rknezz · 06-29-2012, 12:01 AM - **1 Like**

Ok, from your current Raw file, to get it to where the JPEG is, i would increase the saturation of green, and red. I would also play around with vibrance. To get the same tone of red and green, i would make the color temperature hotter...its too cold.
I would not touch any shadow/highlight at this point. See where that gets you?

D4rknezz · 06-29-2012, 12:04 AM

@sealon the thing to do, (which i dont do...lol) if you are not sure, is to shoot with a white card so you can set your whites to it...that would drop all the colours to their correct temperature.
Then, once thats done, depending on how you lighted your shot, i'd make the image brighter/darker, or selectively brighten or darken the image. after that, i usually bring the image to photoshop or something for more processing.

06-23-2012, 09:23 PM	#1
tweet25 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Northen BC Photos: Gallery Posts: 236	before and after help Lens: 50-200 Camera: kr Photo Location: bc ISO: 200 Shutter Speed: 1/350s Aperture: F8 I think I made it worse. What should I have done to make it not so harsh without washing the colour out? I used elements 10. thank you Attached Images

06-24-2012, 10:38 AM	#8
SpecialK Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: So California Photos: Gallery Posts: 16,481	Originally posted by tweet25 ...make it not so harsh... What exactly are you refering to? If you mean shadows, you can "Adjust the Lighting" under Enhance in the jpg editor, and lighten shadows slightly. I find nothing wrong with the original. Last edited by SpecialK; 06-24-2012 at 10:46 AM.

06-28-2012, 04:21 PM - 1 Like	#12
sealonsf Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: San Francisco Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,729	Originally posted by newmikey You just have to "learn" the steps that bring you close to- and eventually beyond- the camera's own jpeg output. Just some patience, and lots of reading with loads of trial and error and you will eventually reap the rewards. Stepping into tweet25's thread -- but can you point me (us) in the direction of where to read? I also use Elements and just started shooting RAW. Some of my results have not been the best. Thanks. Last edited by sealonsf; 06-28-2012 at 04:21 PM. Reason: fixed typo

06-23-2012, 09:52 PM	#2
Gregory_51 Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: London, Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 343	Hello Yes you did make it worse. What exactly did you try? The colour balance is too cyan. You didn't say if it was a jpeg or RAW original. If a RAW there are lots of options when you open a RAW file the raw converter will open up and you can do some corrections there. If a jpeg you have fewer and more limited choices. Try enhance auto smart fix, that will get you in the ballpark. In elements, after smartfix a little dodging of the face will help. Choose the crop tool and select the area and go a corner and it will show a little arc, rotate the box to straighten the image. Regards Greg

06-24-2012, 12:09 AM	#3
Pentaxtic Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Vancouver Photos: Gallery Posts: 417	Looks like it underexposed the pic to get rid of the highlights. Can try correcting white balance and more saturation.

06-24-2012, 05:33 AM	#4
fg-one Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Photos: Gallery Posts: 293	I don't see what is wrong with the colours on the first image apart from a possibly too pink skin colour. If anything, I would try to slightly shift the tint from pink to green and see what happens. I very often notice over-saturated pink colours in my photos.

06-24-2012, 05:42 AM	#5
newmikey Site Supporter Join Date: May 2007 Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,287	You probably used some pre-cooked "improve my image in one step" setting - solution? Just don't use it, read up on image processing 101, it's not all difficult and you'll get much nicer results with almost any software, including the PS Elements you are now using - it is a very capable package. These auto-this, auto-that scripts rarely improve things whatever software you are using.

06-24-2012, 06:38 AM	#6
nosliwmit Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Pacific Northwest Photos: Gallery Posts: 913	I often have a hard time manually adjusting color temperature and tint. I've always thought the "adjust color for skin tone" function worked pretty well in Elements 7 (under Enhance / Adjust Color). Probably that function still exists in PSE 10. It's worth playing with.

06-24-2012, 08:30 AM	#7
tweet25 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Northen BC Photos: Gallery Posts: 236 Original Poster	hi, and thank you to all for your advice. I did shoot in RAW, (& jpeg too) the before is the Jpeg the after is an adjusted RAW. Most of the time I try and find a help video and watch along on my laptop as I edit with my PC, but I tried to 'wing it' this time. I have just started using elements and shooting RAW. Thanks again to eveybody who replied ! I am going to try again. (well I already have, and not much success, so I will continue to try)

06-24-2012, 10:38 AM	#9
grainbelt Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Minneapolis Photos: Albums Posts: 587	Elements has a fairly straightforward RAW tool that should get you great results with only a few settings. If you'd like to send me the file, I'd be glad to do a quick two-minute jpg conversion with screen shots to give you a starting point to work from. Sent a PM with my email. --Mike

06-24-2012, 02:24 PM - 1 Like	#10
newmikey Site Supporter Join Date: May 2007 Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,287	It is quite normal for a straight conversion from raw to look somewhat flat and featureless. The camera jpeg engine actually goes through a series of adjustments to store the JPG: first debayering, then a tonecurve, individual color channel adjustments, some overal contrast improvement and a touch of local contrast and finally some sharpening. All that takes place during the time before you see the green memorycard activity light come on. To emulate that exact behaviour is usually very hard or impossible unless you work with a manufacturer's raw converter which has been "preprogrammed" to deliver results that are identical to the in-camera jpeg, but still infinitely adjustable. Having said that, coming up with a colorful, sharp, rich picture with good contrast should be entirely possible - whatever raw software you are using. You just have to "learn" the steps that bring you close to- and eventually beyond- the camera's own jpeg output. Just some patience, and lots of reading with loads of trial and error and you will eventually reap the rewards.

06-28-2012, 08:14 AM	#11
D4rknezz Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 1,196	Is it adobe camera raw? That elements use? If it is, you can throw the raw file here, I can give it a go and then send you the preset so you get to see the changes.

06-28-2012, 06:49 PM	#13
tweet25 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Northen BC Photos: Gallery Posts: 236 Original Poster	I don't think it will post ? it is too large

06-29-2012, 12:01 AM - 1 Like	#14
D4rknezz Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 1,196	Ok, from your current Raw file, to get it to where the JPEG is, i would increase the saturation of green, and red. I would also play around with vibrance. To get the same tone of red and green, i would make the color temperature hotter...its too cold. I would not touch any shadow/highlight at this point. See where that gets you?

06-29-2012, 12:04 AM	#15
D4rknezz Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 1,196	@sealon the thing to do, (which i dont do...lol) if you are not sure, is to shoot with a white card so you can set your whites to it...that would drop all the colours to their correct temperature. Then, once thats done, depending on how you lighted your shot, i'd make the image brighter/darker, or selectively brighten or darken the image. after that, i usually bring the image to photoshop or something for more processing.