Group shot post processing - newbie needs help!
Oct 3, 2019 10:26:09 #
Hey fellow Hedgehoggers! I need some tips on how to post process a group photo so my subjects stand out and "pop" a little bit more. I took these photos and did an exposure bracket. I'm thinking I need to stack them? I just don't know.... It was a late afternoon but not quite to the golden hour. Please advise! I have an early version of Lightroom and an early version of Photoshop to work with. Thanks ahead of time - Allan
Oct 3, 2019 10:28:21 #
The only way anyone can 'help' by re-editing the images is for you to redo this post (use the edit link) and attach and store each of the image files.
Oct 3, 2019 10:41:41 #
I agree with Paul in recommending you upload the originals. Are the shots single bracketed exposure? You could merging as an HDR and see what you get?
Oct 3, 2019 10:55:01 #
While CHG_CANON is correct, I think the following actions might help, using #2 because it seemed best suited for processing due to its mid-low key, leaving room at both top and bottom tones for work.
Crop and straighten
Darken the remaining sky, soas to not throw off tone/exposure adjustments with its extreme lightness. Given the programs you have, in Photoshop I used the Magic Wand tool [Tolerance 16] and Hue [Lightness slider].
Use Curves to adjust--perhaps several times. Click on facial tone somewhere to find out whee that value is on the line, bring up the faces, then click on other areas that need adjustment to see their points on the curves line, and adjust.
Finally, I suspect the original is out of focus, since the small jpeg you posted likely would have passed that through. For that, go to Sharpen/Camera Shake. You probably won't get a perfect focus, but you don't need one. Just don't over-adjust. For the purpose of this shot, we would notice that much more quickly than a slight out of focus.
Crop and straighten
Darken the remaining sky, soas to not throw off tone/exposure adjustments with its extreme lightness. Given the programs you have, in Photoshop I used the Magic Wand tool [Tolerance 16] and Hue [Lightness slider].
Use Curves to adjust--perhaps several times. Click on facial tone somewhere to find out whee that value is on the line, bring up the faces, then click on other areas that need adjustment to see their points on the curves line, and adjust.
Finally, I suspect the original is out of focus, since the small jpeg you posted likely would have passed that through. For that, go to Sharpen/Camera Shake. You probably won't get a perfect focus, but you don't need one. Just don't over-adjust. For the purpose of this shot, we would notice that much more quickly than a slight out of focus.
Oct 3, 2019 11:17:56 #
CHG_CANON wrote:
The only way anyone can 'help' by re-editing the images is for you to redo this post (use the edit link) and attach and store each of the image files.
Oh, I didn't know what that option did so thanks!
Oct 3, 2019 11:24:06 #
Per your recommendations I stored them for download. I quickly loaded these from my camera to my IPad so I don't know if there is some loss of detail from compression or how the os processes the files from my camera...thanks again! P.s. these aren't my only set... I took multiple poses all bracketed the same way.
Oct 3, 2019 12:43:22 #
IDguy
Loc: Idaho
I think the last two in the uploads are exposed about right. I’d crop out the building at the top and reduce the blue impact of the benches...reduce blue saturation or increase luminosity. I might try increasing sharpness or clarity too.
I’m generally not a fan of B&W but fooling with the new ipad editor gave this, which I felt made the people pop best.
I’m generally not a fan of B&W but fooling with the new ipad editor gave this, which I felt made the people pop best.
Oct 3, 2019 13:13:14 #
I was able to quickly improve a couple of the image with some simple histogram adjustments. I think that the results from adjusting the histogram are what people mean when they say an image has "pop."
It would be worth your while to learn what histograms are and how to use them.
FAQ: What is an Histogram, and how do I read it?
Mike
It would be worth your while to learn what histograms are and how to use them.
FAQ: What is an Histogram, and how do I read it?
Mike
Oct 3, 2019 13:28:52 #
Pbplayer wrote:
.....I don't know if there is some loss of detail from compression or how the os processes the files from my camera.........
The files are very small. The originals from your D750 should be much larger (assuming that you have it set to "Jpeg Fine" or whatever the maximum quality setting is).
When you upload the file from your Mac, do you have it set to "Export to internet" or some such? If you have, it'll shrink the file for uploading. A straight "Export" is what you need. Or just use the UHH browse function to go straight to the original jpeg file.
My advice would be to merge the middle three exposures, which should give you a relatively noise-free file with the data spread evenly across the luminosity spectrum. At the very least I would recommend excluding the brightest exposure from the merge.
Oct 3, 2019 13:34:53 #
R.G. wrote:
The files are very small. The originals from your... (show quote)
These were downloaded to my iPad as a sneak peak to the mothers. You have the correct setting I used: jpeg=fine.
Oct 3, 2019 13:40:08 #
The attachments appear to already have been processed from a D750 down to 1620x1080 attachments. This limits the creation of a final result covering all aspects of a final edit (noise and sharpening ideas, for example). The EXIF data is incomplete to determine what software was used to create these attachments nor to determine the original format images (RAW or JPEG).
Personally, I avoid multi-shot exposures for the reasons that occur in these examples. Even asking people to be still, there is slight amounts of subject movement. Given the power of digital editing software, you can coax a great image out of a single shot rather than merging multiple images.
I used the 2nd from bottom version (normal exposure?) for this processing. It seems the image could use some sharpening, but that work should be performed on the original, not this 1620x1080 version. You mentioned having LR, try the adjustments below. The attached has been cropped, leveled and centered slightly.
Personally, I avoid multi-shot exposures for the reasons that occur in these examples. Even asking people to be still, there is slight amounts of subject movement. Given the power of digital editing software, you can coax a great image out of a single shot rather than merging multiple images.
I used the 2nd from bottom version (normal exposure?) for this processing. It seems the image could use some sharpening, but that work should be performed on the original, not this 1620x1080 version. You mentioned having LR, try the adjustments below. The attached has been cropped, leveled and centered slightly.
Oct 3, 2019 13:40:57 #
Blenheim Orange wrote:
I was able to quickly improve a couple of the image with some simple histogram adjustments. I think that the results from adjusting the histogram are what people mean when they say an image has "pop."
It would be worth your while to learn what histograms are and how to use them.
FAQ: What is an Histogram, and how do I read it?
Mike
It would be worth your while to learn what histograms are and how to use them.
FAQ: What is an Histogram, and how do I read it?
Mike
Great before / after example of how an edit can make an image 'pop'!
Oct 3, 2019 13:55:43 #
Pbplayer wrote:
These were downloaded to my iPad as a sneak peak to the mothers. You have the correct setting I used: jpeg=fine.
As Paul points out, they're being downsized somewhere between the camera and the forum. He's also correct about the subject movement. Camera movement can be sorted by re-aligning but subject movement between frames excludes the possibility of doing a good merge.
Oct 3, 2019 15:01:24 #
CHG_CANON wrote:
The attachments appear to already have been proces... (show quote)
Thanks! I'll try these out when I get the originals into Lightroom sometime tonight or tomorrow.
Oct 3, 2019 15:05:01 #
Pbplayer wrote:
Thanks! I'll try these out when I get the originals into Lightroom sometime tonight or tomorrow.
If helpful for sharpening and noise, consider these posts:
Basics of noise processing
Basics of Lightroom Sharpening
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