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mmshaw · Joined: 16 Apr 2012 Posts: 17

[quote="jeffbanke"]

smileus · Joined: 07 Oct 2008 Posts: 587

I just wanted to show you where to go with the contrast so things get more interesting and less flat:

rinder99 · Posted: Wed May 09, 2012 12:53 pm

Thats perfect.Some nice Plump clean red grapes and ya got a winner.

mmshaw · Joined: 16 Apr 2012 Posts: 17

Thanks everyone! I really appreciate all of your input and encouragement.

kenny123 · Posted: Thu May 10, 2012 1:32 am

To “POP”Color Using Lab mode

Here's how to "pop" the color using LAB (Lightness-Alpha-Beta; Not"Lab") color.

Image>mode>Lab color

Ctrl+ M -This brings up a grid-by holding the "Alt" button and clicking on the grid, you will get either large or small squares

Press "alt" and click on grid to get small squares.

Selecting Channel "a",Hold and drag cursor a short distance ( about one and a half squares-right to left) along top right corner of grid, and do the same to bottom left corner (left to right). Channel "a" allows you to fine tune reds and greens. Just adjust until the color is good for you.

Repeat the exercise using channel "b"-this fine tunes the blues and yellows.

When you have got it how you want: Click "OK"

Image>Mode>RGB color

smileus · Joined: 07 Oct 2008 Posts: 587

Kenny, we are looking at files with embedded profiles here. As soon as the picture is online it'll look different. I don't know about your monitor, but on mine your version is already oversaturated in parts and still too flat and dark. This is your version but with discarded color profile like all the images on SS:

mmshaw · Joined: 16 Apr 2012 Posts: 17

I don't know if you guys saw one of my earlier posts on this thread, but there I mentioned that I am pretty dumb about post-processing and the only software that I have is PSE9 and LR3. Some of what you guys are saying in greek to me! LOL

Kenny, when I looked for LAB color under images I didn't see it. Should I be looking somewhere else or could it be called something else in Elements?

Smileus, when I save a file in Elements I am given the opportunity to save the embedded color profile. Should I not do this? And, it seemed that you did more than just adjust the contrast to the original to get it to look so nice on the sample that you posted.

Hope I'm not a nuisance with all these questions. Thanks!

smileus · Joined: 07 Oct 2008 Posts: 587

Your questions are quite fine. :)

I just meant to give a visual suggestion so you would see that your composition has more potential than it was perhaps obvious. The lighting of a shot can (and often should) become part of the composition. A nice play of lights and darks is something you should try to achieve right from the beginning: while shooting and also in post processing.

Unfortunately I can't just tell how I adjusted the contrast, it's too complex. Some of it I have saved as Photoshop actions so I can do it quite fast, but I still have to make decisions based on what I'm seeing: it wouldn't work if I'd just share some Photoshop actions. You could do a search on Google for midtone contrast, local contrast, soft glow effect or other selective contrast adjustments. Also manipulating the RGB channels on a layer copy and setting that layer's blending mode to luminosity is a nice method and I think I used that too. I know, just pushing up the contrast isn't going to do it all. Still, much of it can be done in Lightroom, where you just have to play around and become more experienced.

What Kenny said is used to gain more saturation if needed and it works better than just using hue-saturation in sRGB. Sorry, I don't have PS Elements and don't know where you have to look. In the "regular" Photoshop version it's in the menu under image>mode>LAB color. You could have added more vibrance or saturation in Lightroom, that's easier.

To come back to your question on the color profile: it's perfectly fine to save the file with the embedded profile. Shutterstock discards it on the previews it generates which is fine, nothing to worry about.

smileus · Joined: 07 Oct 2008 Posts: 587

Okay, I think I can explain the RGB channels method which I mentioned, which alone can take you far, but it must be practiced and it's never the same on 2 different images. I hope Elements can do it, I don't know.

On your originally posted leaves make a layer copy. In PS I have a channels palette, where I can view the red, green and blue channel. Have a look at each channel by clicking on each, which brings up a black and white image. On your leaves the green channel looks quite flat. While it's selected, Go to image>apply image. In the dialog box set channel to red. What we are doing now is to blend the red channel which looks better with the boring green channel, and in this case I chose the blending mode "soft light". So, set "blending" to "soft light" and hit OK.

I would brighten up the black and white result now: go to image>adjustments>curves or perhaps image>adjustments>brightness/contrast and make the channel brighter until it looks good. Now click on the RGB channel, go back to the layers palette and set the layer's blending mode to luminosity (see image below). If it's still too dark, go to curves or brightness/contrast again and make the layer brighter until it looks right. There. Now you can flatten the image.

Now it needs more saturation, but otherwise it's got much better contrast. Good luck!

ruxpriencdiam · Posted: Thu May 10, 2012 10:30 am

I use Elements9 and it will do dam near every and anything you need it to do.

You can DL the new version of GIMP for free and it is very good as well.

I can also get you all kinds of links if needed here is one for PS tricks and tips.

http://submit.shutterstock.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=89878

mmshaw · Joined: 16 Apr 2012 Posts: 17

Smileus, I'm going to try your recipe as soon as I get home from work. Thank you for your the time to explain.

mmshaw · Joined: 16 Apr 2012 Posts: 17

Ruxpriencdiam

Thank you for the link. I followed it and there certainly was information that I found helpful. So far I have worked through the Classroom In A Book but figure that it's a never ending learning process. I would appreciate any links that you think would be of help.

And, do I need GIMP (whatever that is:) ) if I have these other programs?

I don't want to wear out my welcome, but as long as you guys keep answering, I'll probably keep asking!

copidosoma · Joined: 17 Nov 2009 Posts: 3804 Location: Canada

rinder99 · Posted: Thu May 10, 2012 8:23 pm

And.......Applying it to your work and how you see it..Theres a lot of tech people here that go right past it.The very beginning is your eyes as a photographer.