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?

I'm liking that tut... :)

thanks (you too Bert)

Sure did. Great bracketing! HDR is suppose to be what our eyes are, we don't see photomatix, so that is ****.

Anyways, if anyone wants me to teach them how to do a HDR image off of one image let me know!

Nice Clint, looks so much better!
Anytime Randy :tup:

Fall colors with your car bert would yield something magical. do it.

Someone needs to give me an image that I can make an HDR out of!

1 IMAGE HDR!!!

HDR sucks when people use PHOTOMATIX your eyes do not see photomatix, HDR (High Dynamic Range) is for what human eyes see approx 10-15 stops where as camera can only do 5-7... depending. Meaning, HDR good image would be detail inside of a house and outside (That would require 2 images regardless) But this tutorial can you get you a nice HDR.

HDR is suppose to LOOK NATURAL!

The Good: 1 Image to get an HDR image.
The Bad: Be careful of noise/banding in shadows.


1.) 1st Open your "Decent" exposed image. Heres my car:
http://img822.imageshack.us/img822/3...10917at122.png

2.) Next we want to work NON DESTRUCTIVELY ! Go ahead and add an "Exposure" adjustment layer, this already comes with a layer mask!

http://img577.imageshack.us/img577/5...10917at123.png

3.) Now we have a layer uptop, so begin imaging what you want lighter and darker etc... Firstly I want to start with the grill of my car and bring some detail back. So you are going to use BLACK brush 30% FLOW 25% hardness setting!!

EXPOSURE: Of course is the TOTAL exposure.
OFFSET: Is Contrast, if you move it right to left you will notice it go flat or super dark.
GAMMA: Is Similar to exposure.

4.) For this to make it easier I'm going to use Exposure: So make sure you CLICK ON THE WHITE BOX (The Adjustment layer)
http://img839.imageshack.us/img839/5...10917at123.png

5.) DO NOT PANIC! When we are raising the whole image's exposure the WHOLE image will appear over exposed but PAY attention to the part of the vehicle you want lightened, so for example I want the grill lightened, lighten until you prefer.

http://img535.imageshack.us/img535/3...10917at124.png

I like the grill to be exposed 3.00 stops to get the detail, and you can see since we opened the shadows that their is noise so compensate somewhere in the middle.

6.) Now to make the whole image go back to normal hit CMD + I (CTRL + I) (Which inverts the layer mask to black, so change your brush to white now (toggle brush colors x&d).

Now we can begin painting the grill with our white brush... You can see the white brush painted on the black REVEALS the tone!

http://img703.imageshack.us/img703/3...10917at124.png

7.) Now repeat step 2 - 6 editing parts of your image adjust the exposure as you see fit... Next I went to my headlights & SI badge.

http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/4...10917at125.png

vs

http://img822.imageshack.us/img822/3...10917at122.png

ENJOY REMEMBER HDR IS SUPPOSE TO BE USED FOR GOOD NOT EVIL!:stirthepot:

any questions? lets see your examples B&A

i need to pick up photoshop and work through these...

Or the trial version!

Yeah i downloaded the trial recently. Is there a way to get photoshop w/o getting cs5.5?

Creative suite cs5 you could purchase four elsewhere :) but are you talking about cs5.5 update

got a photo i'm working on using your tips from that tutorial, will try to have it uploaded today.

Glad to hear :)

Before:
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6180/...220479cf_b.jpg

After:
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6172/...4c9baec5_b.jpg

This are the areas to add more, to get rid of "DMAX" or absolute black:

http://img822.imageshack.us/img822/9...10920at123.png

vs yours:

After:
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6172/...4c9baec5_b.jpg[/QUOTE]

But great overall job ! :tup:

here is another from yesterday:

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6156/...9999881b_b.jpg

Great!

anything else anything wants?

I would love to see a tutorial on how people change the color of the car. Mainly because i would lie to get an idea of how a couple ideas would look on my car.

with your car it's going to be hard but get me a red z photo!

kdo2milger's photo album: Nissan 370Z Forum - kdo2milger's Album: My Solid Red 370z

i figured a neutral color would be easier, but maybe Gun metallic is a little dark?

Because the PG/ (Grays) are what cameras are calibrated too, and also that they blend in (earthly tones) it's hard to do it, unless you isolated your subject on to a white backdrop or extreme chroma color, but non the less ill show you!