Clint's helpful Photoshop Hints...
 

B&W Tut - PAGE 1
Color Correction - PAGE 1
HDR 1 IMAGE - PAGE 2
CAR COLOR CHANGE - PAGE 3



I'm a professional photographer that specializes in fashion, I've been shooting professionally since age 18. However, I've taught myself retouching and have been able to seek valuable critiques from leading retouchers. www.clintearhart.com

I would like to share how to do a selective HDR toning process in photoshop that does not require PhotoMatix (In my opinion can be great if used properly but alot of time overboard.) With this selective HDR toning... You can use ONE IMAGE...

The Good:
1 Image shot, can look HDR

The Bad:
If the stop difference is too much you'll get some noise

I would love to have a picture of someones car a High Res file, of the car outside in the sun with skys, like 12 PM lighting, the shitty kind and we will make it better!

HDR = High Dynamic Ranger, what this does is your cameras can only see a 5-7 stop range left to right, our human eye can see many more around 10-14 (they suspect), I know there is a Photoshop thread, but I'd like to give some helpful basic Photoshop Do's and Don'ts so that you can get better images!

Let's Do a black and white Tutorial while we wait!

Correct B&W tutorial!
 

HOW TO DO A BLACK AND WHITE IMAGE CORRECTLY.

Lets use this image together: This tutorial will give you a BETTER black and white image vs using photoshops Gray Scale, you have 100% tonal control over all your colors!

http://ladymanson.com/Goodies/PS%20Tutorials/stock1.jpg (It's a stock image will work for the demonstration.)

Open this image in photoshop.

http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/564...10814at439.png



Once you have it we want to work NON DESTRUCTIVELY meaning using layer masks and using a nice soft brush 25 hardness and about 50% flow to paint black and white to conceal or reveal things.

Secondly, as tendency I always duplicate the background image to work on. Next, locate the Adjustment Icon on your layers.
http://img703.imageshack.us/img703/9...14at442.th.png



Locate "Black and White" Click Okay. You will notice this will look like crap simply if you went to image > mode > grayscale, BORING AND FLAT!
http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/195...14at444.th.png



So now here is where the fun beginning you are seeing all the colors in the B&W adjustments layer options above all the layers.
http://img42.imageshack.us/img42/824...10814at447.png



So lets beginning working with the red, THESE ADJUSTMENTS are TOTALLY SUBJECTIVE, meaning I will do what I think will yield, "emotional" results, people tend to be more attracted to contrasty images.

With the red I added more because if you look at the original, where my orange mark is, you will see that getting lighter and darker, I wanted to lighten up the reds in the image...

http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/565...10814at451.png



Now onto yellow you will see that this adjustments will brighten up the "Yellow" areas such as the arches once more, you will see the arches "pop" more.
http://img828.imageshack.us/img828/7...10814at454.png





Lets go onto the green, of course this is going to start messing with the trees, lets go a little darker subtracting green!
http://img828.imageshack.us/img828/7...10814at454.png



Now onto Cyan or the sky, I want the sky to be a little bit more darker, so again subtracting some cyan will bring in the details.

http://img833.imageshack.us/img833/4...10814at456.png



Again blue will be in the sky and most shadows are a form of blue, so you will see by subtracting blue the shadows get darker and so does the sky!



http://img833.imageshack.us/img833/4...10814at456.png



Last but not least magenta there is HARDLY anything in magenta you will notice marginal difference. You will notice this in the shadows will lightly bring the shadows darker.

http://img819.imageshack.us/img819/7...10814at459.png



For the final product I added another curve adjustments layer. And Used an S curve to add extra high lights and extra shadows!
http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/277...10814at501.png




NOW you see the Layer mask, or the white Box next to "Black and white" adjustment? That is the layer mask and you can get creative now! Click on that white box next to the black and white adjustment layer, that is the adjustment mask take a 50FLOW and a 25% hardness and paint the picture where the green would be, this is revealing the green grass...

http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/300...0814at503g.png

Again with this I see a tendency with board members to have "flat gray" images, this adds flair to your images... ;) enjoy!

Interesting thread Clint. Here are a couple of pics for a friend member's Z and mine. As you can tell from the first shot, it is out of focus and would turn out great if properly edited. The second shot is overexposed. I can't attach the hig res files due to their size. If the links below won't do due to file conversions at the time of uploads, I can always dropbox them to you. Let's see you work your magic with the before and after shots :tiphat:.

http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/...1/IMG_7742.jpg
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/...1/IMG_0108.jpg

Check below

Clint, if you can definitely correct the out of focus/blurriness issue in those shots that would be a great start. Beyond that, if you feel like making them pop would make it turn out even better, I'm all for seeing the end result. Thx for your time BTW.

Lets start with the first one the ABSOLUTE biggest problem is the sensor dust. From a marketing and commercial stand point you would get fired if you had this, but seeing its the Z forums no hard feelings but you want to look like you can pretend what you're doing right...

http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/...1/IMG_7742.jpg

Before you start duplicate the background and add a layer mask, (non destructive editing) the layer mask icon to add is the square icon with dot in there and click on the box of the car.

1st- Use the HealStamp tool, to do this you alt+left click a point where you want the brush to sample...

http://img545.imageshack.us/img545/8...10814at601.png

Looks alot better right? The image is under exposed, the background is fine, but the car (subject is) so lets do some selective HDR...

To do this add an adjustments layer -- "Exposure", this is where we're going to "Paint" the car in the layers mask.

You want too Add almost +2 stops of exposure to over all lighten up the image FOCUS on the car! Not anything else, until you're happy with how light the car is... The numbers I have I was happy with Do not screw with offset that is more localized contrast. Add a little gamma to the image as such.

http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/888...10814at603.png

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Once you're happy with that you see the white box next to the adjustment icon, click on the white black and invert it to make it black, CMD+I (on mac) the image will go back to its normal state, do NOT worry about this!

Next thing you do is hit "B" for brush change the hardness to 25% and the flow to about 50% ( I like working with flow more so than Opacity more control). Choose white (hit x & d till the main colors turn white)

Beginning paining over the car lightly.

http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/6...10814at608.png

See how much better this looks? Lighten up the trees too by painting white over them so its not a contrasty area.

Next lets crop!

http://img808.imageshack.us/img808/3...10814at609.png

I use alot of negative space in my photography because I shoot fashion, but with cars I don't find it works that awesome (just my opinion).



Next lets add some selective color! Add an adjustments layer, so what I did was work in the GREEN, YELLOW, and Blue channels, because I wanted the sky to yield bluer the grass to yield greener!

http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/419...10814at611.png

To take some of the blur away you can go to sharpen > smart sharpen and use the setting "rid of lens" blur 10 on the first line 25 on the second you'll get a little bit sharper image.
http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/6...10814at614.png

Again -- you have to be careful with what you paint cause you'll get crap haloing which I got, but just be careful with your painting.


So compare this with the first and what I got...

http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/28/...10814at626.png



Do it to the second image you attached and Ill give an honest critique! :ughdance:

Great tutorial and end result, repped for that and for taking the time. Would it be possible to see actual edited file link. I believe a bit of res is lost through taking a screenshot of your desktop. :tup:

Got it now :tup:

Ha I would but I didn't save it, thats just to give you an idea, how to work on your Nismo ;)

anyone need any help?

Can you tell me what you think of the before and after of this pic? I did this back in March so I don't remember what exactly i did with the photo other than obviously some cropping.
Original:
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6204/...9cbb4b49_b.jpg


Edited:
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6063/...838a0d48_b.jpg

Yes, the only thing that was done that I can see was a crop. No color adjustments were made.

However I did make this adjustment to yours ;) Good exposure btw.
http://img831.imageshack.us/img831/8...0908at111z.png

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

thanks, I was doing bracketed shots. i find that if i have the time i get more usable pictures that way. Looks like you made a couple subtle color adjustments?