Enhancing images after you've taken them - any advice?

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classixuk

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Hi Everyone,

It's my first post here. I'm from Liverpool, UK. I'm hoping to get some good advice as I'm a total newbie when it comes to photography.

We were the official hairstylists at a fashion show this last bank holiday weekend, so my partner went out and bought a Sony A380 to try and get some decent size shots (our normal camera is only an Olympus 5 mega-pixel point and click :| ).

Coming from a 10 year long webdesign background, I have access to the likes of Photoshop, but after culling over 800 of my shots and being left with 200 "possibles" I've now come to a dead end. :puke:

Half the shots were done inside a cathedral, and the other half were done inside a bombed out church (roof missing, plenty of daylight).

I want to enhance the images we've got remaining before photoshopping them, so I've downloaded the Beta of lightroom 3, but I really don't know if the images are under/over-exposed, or do need sharpening, tone correcting etc.

Seeing as the images were all taken from the same 3 viewpoints with constant light conditions, could you guys have a look at each view and maybe give me some pointers or tips for some lightroom settings to enhance the pictures overall?

This would be a massive help.

Thanks,
Chris.

Example 1 - end of catwalk Saturday view
DSC00117%20%5B%5D.jpg


Example 2 - side of catwalk Saturday view
DSC00252%20%5B%5D.jpg


Example 3 - end of catwalk Sunday view
DSC00802%20%5B%5D.jpg
 
To be honest theyt are tough to make any better than they currenty are..... You really need some decent images to start with and there's a few things wrong with these....

Can you advise what are you expecting? Maybe vignetting would hide some people a but I'm not sure much can be done?
 
as a graphic designer you have acess to calibrated panels right? exposure can be creative so if it looks right on one of them it looks right.

tbh they aint much compositionally which you can't really fix in PS asides from cropping

You needed to be at the front, and tbh if I was going for hair I'd be using 200mm
 
Hey, thanks for the replies already guys.

I wasn't aware that in Lightroom the histogram would show if it's over/underexposed.

EOS_JD, I know they aren't the best images to be working with (the galleries for both can be found on jalbum (cathedral shots classixuk.jalbum.net and bombed out church at classixuk2.jalbum.net). It was the first time we'd been let loose with anything better than a standard camera. We had no control over the lighting or anything and we just literally tried to capture the action as it happened. :embarassed: Now we've got the camera though, we're planning on delving into photography as a hobby much more.

I guess with the images we currently have in the albums, we were hoping to make them look as great as they possibly could (polish a turd comes to mind) before we crop, cull and photoshop for blemishes. The whole event was a charity fundraiser, so we won't be selling the images, but we'd like to make them into an album for the models and organisers of the event, as well as display them in our salons. Any and ALL tips are welcome. We won't take offence. I literally just uploaded the images as they were after the initial cull.

Many thanks in advance for any tips you guys can share!
 
david1701 said:
as a graphic designer you have acess to calibrated panels right? exposure can be creative so if it looks right on one of them it looks right.

tbh they aint much compositionally which you can't really fix in PS asides from cropping

You needed to be at the front, and tbh if I was going for hair I'd be using 200mm
Click to expand...

This is all stuff that we're hoping to learn over the next couple of years. We do have some from the front (in our albums) and you are correct...they look so much better, but we have to include some side shots for the sponsors logos.
The other photographers were going crazy,complaining that the models weren't holding the poses long enough, and that the lighting at the first catwalk was so uneven that their shots were being bleached. :(

You should see the 800 images that we deleted. :eek:

If any of you want to look at the albums and pick out any shots that you think are half decent and should be saved I'd be greatful.

I'm looking for about 20 shots to be saved from each album.

Many thanks guys. I know you spend a lot of time and money learning photography and I respect that (even more so now). Can you help us save this from being a total wipeout though?
 
I'll have a little looksee after I've done tonights stuff

I feel your pain, shot a big fashion show (RAG) a few months ago and of 3600 images over 3 performances a couple of hundred keepers - must deliver those at some point...........

For ****** uneven lighting the best thing I ever did was buy a 1 series camera. I always used to shoot in manual tweaked to the spot I wanted the shot, but it kinda killed all the others, now I can use Av and spot meter off the AF point I'm using with a bit of compensation which is soooo much better


The thing that will make an amazing difference is cropping in to suit the images, which needs to be done on full res versions. Not sure I get you about sponsor details?
 
classixuk said:
(the galleries for both can be found on jalbum (cathedral shots classixuk.jalbum.net and bombed out church at classixuk2.jalbum.net).
Click to expand...

You haven't linked to the galleries properly - can't see them from here. I'd be more than happy to work on a few for you to see what can be done.

PM me with proper links if you like.
 
david1701 said:
I'll have a little looksee after I've done tonights stuff

I feel your pain, shot a big fashion show (RAG) a few months ago and of 3600 images over 3 performances a couple of hundred keepers - must deliver those at some point...........

For ****** uneven lighting the best thing I ever did was buy a 1 series camera. I always used to shoot in manual tweaked to the spot I wanted the shot, but it kinda killed all the others, now I can use Av and spot meter off the AF point I'm using with a bit of compensation which is soooo much better


The thing that will make an amazing difference is cropping in to suit the images, which needs to be done on full res versions. Not sure I get you about sponsor details?
Click to expand...

Ah. Thanks David! That would be amazing.

One of the sponsors for the show was a company called Matrix. They provided over £1000 of free goodies to entice ticket sales for the charity. Their banners were placed around the catwalk entrance, so I am guessing that they'd appreciate some of the shots showing that so they are happy donating to the event again next year.

example of a pic with their banner included:
DSC00246%20%5B%5D.jpg


I realise that for you guys, all of the shots in the jalbum albums I mentioned are what they are, i.e. snapshots. They aren't composed or about to be hung on any walls, but even so, I'd love for them to be the best snapshots they could possibly be. It was raising funds for a kids hospital. ;)

The event did go well enough that the girls organising it said they would do another next year, and this time, spend some time thinking about getting proper photographers in who can work on setting up the shots and sequences both before and during the event. Even some simple 'X marks the spot' for the models to stand on would have been a great help, but alas, we have what we have for this year. :(

David, we have the full res versions (5MB big) of every image contained in the albums, but I made web res copies for the Jalbum uploads to save bandwidth.

Cropping suggestions, along with which images to bin altogether from the albums would be amazing LOL, but if that can't be done, some tips for general settings in Lightroom would be much appreciated. e.g. Side catwalk cathedral shots, increase exposure by 0.6 and auto-tone. Front catwalk cathedral shots, sharpen and auto-levels in photoshop etc. Generic settings I guess.

:help:

P.S. I know very little about composition etc., but I have 3 favourite images from the whole project. Can someone tell me if there is a "photographic" reason these shots appeal to me more than the others???

DSC00213%20%5B%5D.jpg

DSC00287%20%5B%5D.jpg

DSC00356%20%5B%5D.jpg
 
I love those shadows, somat I've been playing with a lot recently

2 needs either the feet or a much tighter crop

1 is good but I'd crop in to put her head on the RH third line and ditch the red eye
 
mobilevirgin said:
You haven't linked to the galleries properly - can't see them from here. I'd be more than happy to work on a few for you to see what can be done.

PM me with proper links if you like.
Click to expand...

Sorry Mobilevirgin.

The Saturday gallery has 94 web ready images (copies of the hi-res ones on the hardrive). It needs culling and then polishing suggestions LOL. http://www.classixuk.jalbum.net

The other gallery (taken in daylight) has the same problem. It's at http://www.classixuk2.jalbum.net

Just to say again, thanks everyone for being so welcoming and understanding too. I was afraid you might think I was insulting your trade and that you might take this thread as...."Here you go lads and ladies, here's some shots, make them look like yours", but thankfully you all seem to appreciate where I am coming from. There aren't many forums like that around nowadays...maybe that's why this one is so busy?
 
we try to be friendly and people that aint here to help don't often stay long, tbh I am also putting off doing some much needed editing this evening that I am really not in the mood for :p

small pile of ash and empty beer bottles is building though
 
david1701 said:
I love those shadows, somat I've been playing with a lot recently

2 needs either the feet or a much tighter crop

1 is good but I'd crop in to put her head on the RH third line and ditch the red eye
Click to expand...

Please hit me with a stick repeatedly when I ask you the following:

What is the RH third line? Does that mean place her head on the top third dividing line? If so, which part of her face should be directly on the line? Eyes, nose or ears?

Many thanks.
 
david1701 said:
we try to be friendly and people that aint here to help don't often stay long, tbh I am also putting off doing some much needed editing this evening that I am really not in the mood for :p

small pile of ash and empty beer bottles is building though
Click to expand...

LOL. My own ashtray is overflowing and there's no beer left in the house! I might have some red wine in the cupboard though. ;) :eek:ff to grab a glass and wash it before depositing red wine into the said vessel:
 
classixuk said:
LOL. My own ashtray is overflowing and there's no beer left in the house! I might have some red wine in the cupboard though. ;) :eek:ff to grab a glass and wash it before depositing red wine into the said vessel:
Click to expand...

epic plan, when this bottle runs out there are 2 more buds then some slightly warm carlsburgs but at least I have 2/3s a pack of ciggies (admittedly I started it an hour ago) and people to talk to

well in the crop thingy you have third lines I would pull it straight over till say noseish area was on the third then tweak up and down a bit then maybe move it side to side in a what looks good to me way (I tend to be fairly populist btw)
 
I've had a quick look. The Cathedral shots are going to be tricky - but there may be a few that can be used. The St Luke's set is much better.

I also recognise one of the 'togs that was at St Lukes and I don't mind asking him if he's willing to share a few of his shots with you.

I'm tied up with work for the next couple of days, but I can have another look over the weekend.
 
mobilevirgin said:
I've had a quick look. The Cathedral shots are going to be tricky - but there may be a few that can be used. The St Luke's set is much better.

I also recognise one of the 'togs that was at St Lukes and I don't mind asking him if he's willing to share a few of his shots with you.

I'm tied up with work for the next couple of days, but I can have another look over the weekend.
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Thanks Peter! If only a few of the Anglican shots can be used, we're OK with that. We will post the rest on Facebook for the models to "use as they like". ;)

Just to let you know, the only tog whose photos we've seen so far are Seth's (Black's photography) who also found the same thing as us...in his words, most of his shots were barely a pass. :( Hopefully your friend will have some good shots.

Thanks for your help. I really appreciate it.

(y)
 
classixuk said:
P.S. I know very little about composition etc., but I have 3 favourite images from the whole project. Can someone tell me if there is a "photographic" reason these shots appeal to me more than the others???
Click to expand...

To be honest and without meaning to insult then the answer would be no.

The first one, at a crop this close, should be in portrait rather than landscape mode as it is a portrait subject. You used on camera flash and this is why you have red eye. This is easily fixed though and if the lighting was really bad then there is nothing you could do about it. You should in future though turn the camera to portrait when tryin to take shots like this. Also, the model isn't looking at or even towards you. Not so much a crime but it would make the shot so much better if she was looking at you or if not looking at you then having her body facing you. As it is you are shooting from an angle and it doesn't really work.

The second one has much better interaction with the model but you've cut off her ankles. This is a no no I'm afraid. You should have either had her fully in the pic, have her from her waist up or else from her shoulders up. These seem to work best. Again, you should have turned the camera to portrait instead of landscape. If you do want to take a shot like this in landscape to get the crowd in then you must get much lower (crowd level) as this makes the shot more pleasing.

The third is the best of the three compositionally but all the above points apply as well. You could crop in much closer as there is a lot of wasted space above and around the model which serves no purpose.

The first three you posted are gone beyond recovery as well I'm afraid. The first is the better of the three but the on camera flash has blown out the heads of the people sitting down in front of you. There is a head in the first one thats blown out and the last one has the feet missing and the background is very cluttered

I've never done a shoot like this so take my advice with a pinch of salt but composition is composition no matter what sphere you are shooting in. Next time try and get in closer to the models as these wide angle shots don't work, especially if you are trying to promote the hairstyles. I presume you used the kit lens that came with the camera? Unfortunately this lens you have isn't really conducive to low light photography like this and you would need a 2.8 lens or faster to be able to optimise the shots.

As you said, it was your first attempt and you couldn't be expected to get it right first time out so next time you should be in a better position to get some useable shots. Best of luck.
 
classixuk said:
It was the first time we'd been let loose with anything better than a standard camera. We had no control over the lighting or anything and we just literally tried to capture the action as it happened. :embarassed: Now we've got the camera though, we're planning on delving into photography as a hobby much more.
Click to expand...

I would stop using the pop up speedlight on the camera and get a decent speedlight since this appears to be the main issue with the photos.

This may help:

http://www.peachpit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=32082&seqNum=4

http://www.peachpit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=32082

Look through all the pages since several apply to your images.

Good luck and use the histogram and LCD on the back on the camera more in future ;-)

John.
 
Also all images seem to be holding the camera in the normal way., turn it 90 degrees and shoot so you get head and feet in te frames.
 
Forgetting composition, the biggest problem here is light fall off from the pop up flash that was used, get youself a flash gun with a zoom head and decent output if you are going to be working at these distances and using flash.

As to rescuing the images you would need to balence the light fall off (underexposure) of the middle and distance ground with the overexposed foreground using two graduated levels adjustment layers.

I have used the very low res image, so how much impact this would have on the quality of the originals I do not know.

This could also be done in lightroom using the graduate filter twice.

124288974.jpg
 
If you can clone out the head in the bottom of the frame this is also improve the picture.
 
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