First real pics with new toy.

[IanC_UK]

Ok, i feel a bit inferior after looking at some of the pics in here ! lol

But here goes !

http://www.apsq91.dsl.pipex.com/images/General%20pics/test%20015small.jpg

http://www.apsq91.dsl.pipex.com/images/General%20pics/test%20026small.jpg

None have been edited other than size wise ! lol

[dod]

Hi Ian

The first one's a bit flat, hope you don't mind but I had a very quick play with levels and contrast and it brings out the texture and warmth of the wood a bit. Might have overdone it a bit but see what you think anyway :)

http://premium1.uploadit.org/scottydod//test-015small.jpg

[IanC_UK]

Does improve it a bit (and yeah i think maybe a touch over zealous but i get your point) !!! i really need to be less afraid of PS dont i ! lol Was taken in the evening, failing light etc etc, i thought flash would kill the colours !


Also need to work out what it is im looking at in the histograms ! lol

[Matt]

This may help you on your way to understanding histograms

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/understanding-series/understanding-histograms.shtml

[IanC_UK]

Thanks Matt, something else new to pick up ! ;) LOL

[Steve]

Abstacts are very difficult, for them to work you have to capture some detail, texture, lines, colour or pattern as you don’t have a scene or object that is recognisable. You are almost there but your post production has let the final image down. Dod has done a great job of bringing your picture to life and demonstrated what can be done. I will add that abstracts are high on my personal failure list; I just can’t seem to grab a good abstract so I wish you well in this area. ;)

Your second shot is almost there as well, watch for backgrounds that can distract and grab your attention though. You have a wall creeping in on the left hand side and the window frame in the middle that both distract. Also, although you have done a close frame on the cats head, you have not given the impression that you were after any particular detail, the framing has cut off the top of the cat’s ears and the ends of its whiskers. Moving closer to show that the framing was deliberate or backing off slightly to get all of the cats face in would have improved the shot. The plus points are that you have got focus on the eyes which are very important and the exposure is also very good considering it was shot into the light.

Hope that helps and if you ever suss out abstracts, please tell me how :)

[IanC_UK]

Thanks Steve, as always ! :)

I tried a little something on one of the other pics i got

http://www.apsq91.dsl.pipex.com/images/General%20pics/KT%20copy2.jpg

As for the other one, i just saw this pile of sleepers with the light falling on it and thought its digital what the heck ! :) lol

[Steve]

Now we are talking..sharpen it up and get the levels right on that and it will be as different again ;) Then if you feel like it follow the b&w tutorial and see what you can do. :)

[IanC_UK]

LOL ok Steve !

heres my efforts !

http://www.apsq91.dsl.pipex.com/images/General%20pics/KT%20copy3.jpg

http://www.apsq91.dsl.pipex.com/images/General%20pics/KT%20copy4.jpg

I think i may have sharpened too much ! lol

http://www.apsq91.dsl.pipex.com/images/General%20pics/KT%20copy5.jpg

[Steve]

LOL ok Steve !

heres my efforts !


I think i may have sharpened too much ! lol



Yup I have to agree although your efforts are teaching you things as you go along. Remember that you can do selective sharpening as well ;) Practice, practice, practice is the only way :lol:

Now what you need is for some Photoshop guru to have a go with the same image to give you something to aim for ;)

[Steep]

The last one of the cat looks almost like one of those scratch wax drawings I used to do in school (you know, you cover the paper in black wax crayon then scratch through to the white below to make a picture...)

[CT]

Lovely job by dod there!

[lolyton]

The only problem i have with it is the cats right eye (left as we look at it). The catchlight it has in it that covers half the pupil is distracting, maybe as you are experimeting with photoshop you could try cloning the top half of the other pupil to finish it off or, selecting, copying and rotating the bottom half of the same pupil and paste it into the right place. This would just finish it off nicely i feel!

[IanC_UK]

Thanks lolyton, i will have a look when i get home, am stuck at a work computer at the moment with no Photoshop

Thanks to everybody else for the help, hints and comments as well, i will work this lot out !!! One day ;)