BEFORE and AFTER: The Post Processing Thread

Are any of you guys from this thread on Instagram? jmg I already follow you , and would happily follow others in this thread who are working on betting their photo skills to give some feedback. I certainly am alway honing my skills either from a composition or post standpoint.

My username: daftphotog

jmg wrote

FMLYSDN wrote

I would say the car is. It's the only one that I shot from that angle. It's a shame. Guess I'll have to go shoot it again!

I would. It's a great location! I would find a way to straighten those buildings though. Are on an inclined portion of the parking structure?

Nice catch. Not sure how I would do that. It looks as if the left side buildings tilt to the right while the left side is the opposite. Perhaps it's and optical illusion?

One quick tip for any newer photographers. Shoot in RAW every opportunity you get and spend time getting to know Lightroom. If you have questions, feel free to ask. Those two tips should be prerequisites for anyone passionate about upping their photo game

Before (thanks SmugMug for low res versions):


After:

FMLYSDN wrote

Nice catch. Not sure how I would do that. It looks as if the left side buildings tilt to the right while the left side is the opposite. Perhaps it's and optical illusion?

I just noticed that. In that case it's lens distortion and can be fixed in Lightroom or photoshop. Sometimes lens distortion is desirable though. How wide were you for this shot?

sirdaft1 wrote

One quick tip for any newer photographers. Shoot in RAW every opportunity you get and spend time getting to know Lightroom. If you have questions, feel free to ask. Those two tips should be prerequisites for anyone passionate about upping their photo game

Before (thanks SmugMug for low res versions):


After:

Great work! I really like the mood you set!

sirdaft1 wrote

Are any of you guys from this thread on Instagram? jmg I already follow you , and would happily follow others in this thread who are working on betting their photo skills to give some feedback. I certainly am alway honing my skills either from a composition or post standpoint.

My username: daftphotog

Great photos on your IG! I haven't posted in my automotive IG in awhile, unfortunately. I gotta get back out there!

IG: Raging_F80

Wow, that requires real skills, well done

Just a quick edit for todays Instagram post (#wheelwednesday).

metrickid wrote

Just a quick edit for todays Instagram post (#wheelwednesday).

Very nice, really sharpened up the wheels. Nice post

sirdaft1 wrote

Very nice, really sharpened up the wheels. Nice post

Thank you!

Another before/after from todays Instagram post.

metrickid wrote

Another before/after from todays Instagram post.

You didn't do what I'd do first thing, take those reflections off the windshield.

dcstep wrote

You didn't do what I'd do first thing, take those reflections off the windshield.

No need, not as visible on Instagram and shot without a polarizer so reflections are inevitable. Way to much work to remove them in a good way anyway.

metrickid wrote

No need, not as visible on Instagram and shot without a polarizer so reflections are inevitable. Way to much work to remove them in a good way anyway.

Oh, I didn't realize that the goal was instagram.

It'd be easy to take them out in LR or PS.

dcstep wrote

Oh, I didn't realize that the goal was instagram.

It'd be easy to take them out in LR or PS.

Why the rolling of the eyes?
I edit the photos to get better at it but post them on Instagram (as mentioned in my first post).

And no, it is not easy to remove the reflections. It is a PITA if you want to do it the right way. Sure you can just use a few adjustment layers to hide it in small sizes but nothing that works in print which is what I'm editing for usually.

metrickid wrote

Why the rolling of the eyes?
I edit the photos to get better at it but post them on Instagram (as mentioned in my first post).

And no, it is not easy to remove the reflections. It is a PITA if you want to do it the right way. Sure you can just use a few adjustment layers to hide it in small sizes but nothing that works in print which is what I'm editing for usually.

Print, or Instagram, which is it?

Don't get your panties in a wad. I happened to be viewing it here, on a competent website, and I just said that I'd get rid of those reflections. You used six layers to basically up the EV of an underexposed file and make one red line prominent, so I assumed that you'd know how to easily remove the reflections.

dcstep wrote

Print, or Instagram, which is it?

Don't get your panties in a wad. I happened to be viewing it here, on a competent website, and I just said that I'd get rid of those reflections. You used six layers to basically up the EV of an underexposed file and make one red line prominent, so I assumed that you'd know how to easily remove the reflections.

Would you have a walk through on easily removing reflections? Legit question. I too have seen it as being thoroughly time consuming; but if you have a quick way to do it, always open to learning more efficient processes.

sirdaft1 wrote

Would you have a walk through on easily removing reflections? Legit question. I too have seen it as being thoroughly time consuming; but if you have a quick way to do it, always open to learning more efficient processes.

I would definitely like to see how that's done... maybe a YouTube tutorial?

Ickdeep wrote

I would definitely like to see how that's done... maybe a YouTube tutorial?

Using the shot that started the discussion, I'd use that benign reflection to our upper left and Clone it over most of the rest of the windshield. Our left windshield edge includes a dark band that I'd want to preserve, so you'd have to go to a smaller size brush for that Clone, The first Clone could use a very large brush, like 200-pixels. 100% opaque, but with a feathered edge. The second Clone would be a brush about twice as wide as the dark strip, or maybe just as wide as the dark strip. I'd test to see which looked best.

It'd take a few minutes, but that's a small investment, if I were going to print.

There are other ways to do it, but since there's that nice benign, large segment of windshield, I'd use that.

Everything from just above and outside the bird, including space in beak, was Cloned in 5-minutes. If I were going to print it large, I'd spend another 10 to 15-minutes, getting it smoother. This is my "online version" and I'll never print this particular shot. Still, it does take more time to get a shot "print ready". If I hadn't mentioned the Cloning, you wouldn't be looking nearly so close at this shot:

Landing by David Stephens, on Flickr

dcstep wrote

Print, or Instagram, which is it?

Don't get your panties in a wad. I happened to be viewing it here, on a competent website, and I just said that I'd get rid of those reflections. You used six layers to basically up the EV of an underexposed file and make one red line prominent, so I assumed that you'd know how to easily remove the reflections.

Lol, I'm well aware of how to remove reflections but as I said there is no quick and easy way to do it so I didn't care for this image.

dcstep wrote

If I hadn't mentioned the Cloning, you wouldn't be looking nearly so close at this shot

It is super easy to spot in this image and looks quite bad. You need to lower the flow if you use the clone tool or use the healing brush instead within local areas.

metrickid wrote

It is super easy to spot in this image and looks quite bad. You need to lower the flow if you use the clone tool or use the healing brush instead within local areas.

Exactly. Thanks.

Is this any better?