Help with soccer picture

[Hoss_1]

I took this picture last weekend. I really like the composition, but because it was early morning part of her face and uniform is really dark. I am new to PSE4 and cannot correct the image. Any help or ideas would be appreciated.

Thank you.

[Wendy]

Hi ...

...and welcome to the forum :)

Try Enhance>Adjust Lighting>Shadows & Highlights that shoud sort it out for you. Do let us know how you go on with it ...

Wendy

[Hoss_1]

Thank you Wendy. I did not notice the shadows/highlights option until you pointed it out. I was trying to lighten the picture using brightness and contrast and kept blowing out the lighter items.

Thanks again for your help.

BTW, can you recommend a good book for a PSE4 beginner?

[Cmcburnett]

If you are a subscriber, the Quick Time videos in the subscriber area are great to watch. You can jump back and forth from your PSE4 editor and the video and follow along. You will learn lots of ways to enhance your photos. Even though the video may be for a certain enhancement, you can use the different techniques on different projects. Welcome to the forum and good luck.

[jigamaree]

Another thing that you could try is to make a copy of the layer and change it's blend mode to screen. If it is still dark, make a copy of that layer. If it is too bright, take the slider and adjust the opacity down.

Greg

[mom to 4]

Greg, that is my favorite way. I also sometimes use the eraser in conjunction with the screen. If bringing the dark part light blows out another part, I just erase the blown out part on the top screen layer. Works like a charm!

It's a great photo Hoss!

PS: My favorite book for PSE4 is a combination book I got by Scott Keilby. It's call PSE Collection: PSE4 bbok for digital photographs and Down and Dirty tricks. Best 30 bucks I think I ever spent! Great instructions, well written and great photos to help you along!

[Hoss_1]

Thanks everyone!!!!

I am looking forward to trying this when I get home and will try to find the book today at lunch.

Allen

[Wendy]

Hi Allan ...

I also would suggest that you subscribe to the site ... you get a newsletter 8 times a year, access to the subscriber area and your own gallery. The subscriber area has over 140 Video tutorials and aroud 80 written ones so its a great learning resource :)

Wendy

[Daviskw]

Hi Allen

Any book by Scott Kelby is fun. I like the way his books walk you thru not only the basics but he gives you step by step instructions to accomplish the most needed and used techniques.

The problem with your picture is a common one and not always easy to correct but Scott Kelby's books will give you the tools needed.

Using the good advice from above I spent 5 minutes on your picture as an example.

I duplicated the background layer

Set the layer blendmode to screen.... not complicated you will learn this technique and use it often.

I lowered the opacity of the screen layer to around 80 percent. You do not want to blow out the highlights.

I did not do any erasing or masking I left the screen layer alone but used the shadows/ highlights tool to increase the shadow brightness.... just experiment with the sliders you will quickly see the results.

Just a little touchup with the healing brush, always noise in the shadows, and a contrast adjustment and all done.

Good luck...Butch



http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1HN9FktJvyKOQ4UuAVglYLLYKm2diP0_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1HN9FktJvyKOQ4UuAVglYLLYKm2diP0)

[OFD678]

Hey Butch,

What is the advantage of using a separate layer and screen mode rather than just using shadow/highlights

Also, where do you use the healing brush on the picture?

the picture looks a million times better.

Also, if I did this photo in cs2 I would make a levels adjustment, shadow highlights and then curves (or some type of color correction if needed). Is that a proper workflow or am I doing things out order or just too much?

thanks
Brent

[Daviskw]

Hi Brent

I used the screen layer for an overall equal brightening of the picture. It is less destructive than shadow/highlights.

I only wanted to brighten the shadows when I used the shadow/highlight tool and as little as possible to boot.

Where ever there are dark shadows there is usually noise hiding there. When I brightened the picture I noticed some noise on the side of the little girls face and her clothes. Also a few spots on her legs.

Any time in RGB you change brightness or contrast you need to watch for color shifts. This is because unlike LAB the luminance is combined with the color information.

Basic workflow I think in CS2 is the same for Elements. There would be nothing wrong with using Levels in either. I just like screen blendmode as a first step to brighten that type of photo.

Butch

[OFD678]

Thanks Butch, I'll give it a try next picture.

Brent