please comment on my photoshop, as i would like to improve

[allstar]

where mucking around with photoshop in CAD at the moment and i just did alittle editing to..

rider is Sam G
photo by Aaron

original

edited version

altho the bike and the sky look the same there are diferent effects on them
all comments welcome....

 

[cdfeto]

The actual picture is sick as.
But dude! You can't just add a few effects and expect much, although most of it is about taste ... spend more time, be more specific and precise on what you do. Don't want to be a smartarse, but someone else will be, so yeah good luck.

BTW, is that a no hand back flip ?! or front flip?! or juts a major fuck up ...

 

[Tristan23]

It's a sick trick and a fair reasonable photo, there's no need to put on fake effects n stuff. Try keep it simple, so rather than transforming the photo, you just enhance it. I'm still learning photoshop, but i had like 5 minutes of a play with the photo. You probably won't spot much difference, but hopefully just a couple of little things.

 

[dain2772]

I reckon the modified photo looks like a very detailed cartoon. maybe you should keep on going with a whole spread, and do the story about the kids on the bowl!

 

[Tyson james]

It's a sick trick and a fair reasonable photo, there's no need to put on fake effects n stuff. Try keep it simple, so rather than transforming the photo, you just enhance it. I'm still learning photoshop, but i had like 5 minutes of a play with the photo. You probably won't spot much difference, but hopefully just a couple of little things.

What tool did you use?

 

[Tristan23]

What tool did you use?

That's for me to know and you to find out Photoshop is all about learning for yourself, or having someone teach you face to face. I can't really explain what i did over the net, cos it was more than just one tool and technique. Keep workin on it though, you'll figure out what works and what doesn't soon.

 

[carpo_jnr]

What tool did you use?

bit of brightness and saturation...am i right?

 

[djdom]

It's a sick trick and a fair reasonable photo, there's no need to put on fake effects n stuff. Try keep it simple, so rather than transforming the photo, you just enhance it. I'm still learning photoshop, but i had like 5 minutes of a play with the photo. You probably won't spot much difference, but hopefully just a couple of little things.

i find giving the back ground a blur makes it look far better and makes your $200 dollar camera shots look like a pro has taken the shot, it also doesn't take long.

 

[pharcyde]

I was going to be the usual whinge about crap photos and crap single PShop plugins uses. BUT this is the 3rd time Ive tried to write the post today and I figured a gentle push in the right direction of some sites to get you going would be better.

One single search on Google produced these pearls of wisdom:

http://www.photoshopforums.com/
http://www.devppl.com/forum/photoshop-forum-vf23.html
http://www.adobe.com/support/forums/
http://www.photoshoptechniques.com/forum/
http://forum.teamphotoshop.com/
http://www.photoshopcafe.com/cafe/
http://www.tek-tips.com/threadminder.cfm?pid=229
http://www.photoshopcontest.com/
http://photoshop911.typepad.com/help/2007/03/photoshop_forum.html
http://www.photoshopgurus.com/
http://www.good-tutorials.com/

My personal favourite:
http://www.tutorialized.com/

http://www.photoshoproadmap.com/Photoshop-tutorials
http://www.planetphotoshop.com
http://www.photoshop101.com/


So have a dig thru this lot above. Ask plenty of questions,a nd keep practising.

Subtle changes are the key to great photoshop mods. Auto colour and Auto Levels are often all that is needed to make a good photo .... stunning. start out small then work up to bigger mods.

Everything I know (read:very little) about PShop is 100% self taught.

PM me if you need anything clarified

 

[Tristan23]

bit of brightness and saturation...am i right?

More working with levels, adding in a bit of contrast, with a tiny hint of saturation. But i find it's easy to make a photo looked photoshop through saturation, so try to stay away from it as much as possible.

i find giving the back ground a blur makes it look far better and makes your $200 dollar camera shots look like a pro has taken the shot, it also doesn't take long

This is true, yet nothing, and i mean NOTHING, is going to have the same effect as good camera equipment. But obviously not everyone can afford it, and this is where photoshop steps in.

Keep workin on it man.

 

['Ross]

Sorry to be harsh, but what you did looks crap and just ruins the photo. The original looks great and you have just made it fuzzy and yuk.

Take tristans advice and I don't know if your computer can do it but have a look at this http://vpfree.pinkbike.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=151404

This guy takes the most insane photos so any of his advice should be listened to.

 

[GordonG]

Seven and a half minutes work - I hate working with lo-res images...

 

[NICK ATKINS]

i think that photo looked nice to start with some photos just look better when they are simple.
thats what i think anyway

 

[cressa]

Filters suck. Have some fun if you are gonna screw around in photoshop. This is supa dodgey as it was done in about 5 mins, but you get the drift.

 

[Quintin]

That's for me to know and you to find out Photoshop is all about learning for yourself, or having someone teach you face to face. I can't really explain what i did over the net, cos it was more than just one tool and technique. Keep workin on it though, you'll figure out what works and what doesn't soon.

But dude! You can't just add a few effects and expect much, although most of it is about taste ... spend more time, be more specific and precise on what you do. Don't want to be a smartarse, but someone else will be, so yeah good luck.

har har! what on earth are you trying to protect? the fact that you fumbled about with a few filters for 5 mins???

anyway i agree that people should learn themselves. but a little advice cant hurt.

 

[allstar]

i only choose that picture because it had clear lines that would be easy to layer seeing as im a beginer, i didnt pick it so i could make it better. as i said im just learning it at school, and i know that just adding an effect doesnt instantly make a photo better, but i was just trying to get the hang of making a layer in the photo then changing that layer only... stuff like that, but thanks for the tutorials pharcyde i'll check them out, and hopefully get some better photoshop jobs up soon.

 

[stp2mat]

G'day mate, i find that all that really needs to be done (in most cases, unless you are going for a certian effect) is:
-Ramp up the contrast (only a small amount)
-Make it either lighter or darker (change the brightness)
-Maybe enhance some colours (the coulours usually become more defined when the contrast is turned up i LITTLE bit.

If you get the right mix of thoes few easily changable points, it can improve the apperance of a photo greatly, making it much more attractive / pro.

mat.

 

[soil sampler]

it looks like hes about to just eat s#@t.

 

[pharcyde]

An interesting comment from this weeks MONEY SHOT judge:

"Also - one note from me the judge this week. there were several other stellar #1 images out there this week and I had to hit the gong on them because of excessive photoshop. Images are way over-saturated and way over sharped and way over zoomed in on and re-composed. yuck. GONG!

Clean up your acts, and be way more respectable/honourable to real light and how it works in your photography and the world of photography.
Sterling Lorence"

http://www.sterlinglorence.com/



I must admit that I am guilty of doing all that he says not to do.

 

[Tomas]

Not sure what you think of this, but the image is much less washed out, colours are correct (on my monitor anyway) and i had a play around... probably got a little carried away.