Do you think that ...

[Antonio Correia]

I have overdone the vignetting ?

[KentDub]

I have overdone the vignetting ?

No, not at all. The picture appars to be lacking contrast - maybe try an alternate version?

I like the portrait, his eyes are almost golden

[Antonio Correia]

No, not at all. The picture appars to be lacking contrast - maybe try an alternate version? I like the portrait, his eyes are almost golden

Thank you Kent !
Better now ? I think you were right...

[KentDub]

I like it =)

[Antonio Correia]

I like it =)

Thank you Kent.
However this vignette doesn't satisfy me because it is automatic.
I think I like best the one we can make with control.

I just learned how to here. See the video will you ? Towards the end of it

[KentDub]

Cool video! I didn't realize that lightroom had some of those features. I'll have to give it another try

[Henrik]

Thank you Kent.
I just learned how to here. See the video will you ? Towards the end of it

I don't know about the automatic or manual vignetting. I liked the extra contrast on the picture. - I just wanted to say, that you talked me into taking a look at Lightroom, and I'm now going through Kloskowskis many videos. That man is a pedagogical genious, so I MIGHT try to find way to buy Lightroom

Convince us on the manual vignetting with your picture as an example, when you're done! (Might we see the picture before any vignetting too?)

[KentDub]

I just found the adjustment brush in ACR. Needless to say I spent several hours enhancing some snapshots. Although the masking is not nearly as advanced as photoshop, I am very impressed with the results. I found that I spend way less time pixel peeping and more time making artistic decisions. Throw in the fact that its nondestructive - I'm sold

Besides picture management, does lightroom offer any adjusment or such tools not found in ACR? It seems LR is just a big wrapper for ACR, with an alternative approach to file managment as opposed to Bridge.

[Blazing fire]

I think it should be more abrupt, instead of gentle darkening. I also think it would be better if the subject is not darkened ie, reduce the radus of darkening.

But otherwise, nice composition.

[KentDub]

Antonio, Now that I know what I'm looking for/at, I would think that the shirt was over darkened, maybe try dialing back the amount of adjustment on it? It is clearly a white shirt that was darkened (hinted to by the slight loss of detail - it must have been very bright on the exposure). I think you did a good job with the background making it darker than the subject's face - the viewer's eye goes stright to the subject without distraction.

[Antonio Correia]

I don't know about the automatic or manual vignetting. I liked the extra contrast on the picture. - I just wanted to say, that you talked me into taking a look at Lightroom, and I'm now going through Kloskowskis many videos. That man is a pedagogical genious, so I MIGHT try to find way to buy Lightroom Convince us on the manual vignetting with your picture as an example, when you're done! (Might we see the picture before any vignetting too?)

Henrik, you do well to try LR. However, LR is a kind of program - for photographers yes - but very centered in soft treatment. I mean no manipulation is possible, because to do so we go to CS#.
LR is similar - many commands as alike - to Bridge.
You can move the same image from LR to CS and vice-versa, as you can go from CS to Bridge and vice versa.

Anyhow you can download LR for free to try it out.

"Convince us on the manual vignetting" Yes, I am going to try.
I post now the same picture with a brand new vignetting and a mad one.
I wish I was able to make a movie of what I do ...

First a pic from raw, no treatment al all. See the histogram on it
Second a pic treated for you to see how, with great errors, LR works.
Man I am NOT selling this product. Maybe I should. LOL

More infos if you ask please. I am going to dine. I cooked some chicken legs...

[Antonio Correia]

I just found the adjustment brush in ACR. Needless to say I spent several hours enhancing some snapshots. Although the masking is not nearly as advanced as photoshop, I am very impressed with the results. I found that I spend way less time pixel peeping and more time making artistic decisions. Throw in the fact that its nondestructive - I'm sold Besides picture management, does lightroom offer any adjusment or such tools not found in ACR? It seems LR is just a big wrapper for ACR, with an alternative approach to file managment as opposed to Bridge.

Incredible but I can't remember what's the program behind ACR

[Henrik]

Hi Antonio,

Nice going with the manual vignetting! (I guess, that's what you did??) You'll soon be achieving great results.

I am already trying LR! I guess you're right in seeing LR as a "soft" treatment program - as opposed to CS as "hardcore". I'm primarily a soft photographer, and I do have a "CS" in the shape of Photoshop Elements 6.0 (and Irfan View). So far I've been happy using also ACDSee, Canon's ZoomBrowser and latest Picasa in addition. (Bridge I've never used.)

I read the below review that concludes: "In my opinion Lightroom IS the best photographic database for a commercial photographer and photographic enthusiast and is an excellent workflow solution to manage your images from capture to output - for screen, print or to an external editor for further manipulation (Photoshop CS3 or Elements 6) and yes, the Photoshop products do work ‘hand in hand’."

I myself discovered the "recovery" tool in LR, that did a great job discovering cloudsin the sky for me!

Did you actually do the effort of organizing all your photos for LR?

http://www.photoshopsupport.com/tuto...lightroom.html

[Antonio Correia]

Henrik. The lega of the chicken were weel cooked.

I have about 23.000 pictures and all of them have keywords.
mainly the last ones, or the ones I have shot in the last year.
I have them organized this way and I like it. However I have some doubts about the way keywords work what I have forgotten and overcome not to loose to much time.

Let's say I go to Denmark. OK I have been there 546 years ago but I mean recently. I will attribute Denmark to all my images. Then to some where you would be I would keyword them with Henrik. But on those photos where you were with me looking at the statue I would put: Henrik, Antonio, statue. (you know that muse whose head has been mutillated a couple of years ago and is the synbol of teh city).
Then, among all my photos and after having shot more 23.000 photos I would choose Henrik and I would quickly find the images where you are.
That's very good indeed.

However, reading your link I can't agree with and I quote "... use adjustment layer masks to enable localized editing, apply filters..." because it has.

But indeed "Lightroom is NOT an alternative to Photoshop CS3 or Photoshop Elements." No it is not.
And I agree that CS and LR and Bridge have much in common and they overlap. Maybe it is a commercial tactic.

Some time ago I refused - stupid of me - to work with Aperture. Aperture is a kind of LR. Only LR is connected to CS and has a huge publicity machine behind.

This forum is good.

[KentDub]

Antonio, I was thinking about your process of "custom" vignetting, and it reminded me of a lesson I had back in college. The lesson suggests that images &/or lighting should be manipulated so your subject/focus point is the brightest object in the image (reverse is also true). The lesson entailed basically what you are doing, the "custom vignetting", but while working on a grayscale copy (Standard conversion, not channel mixed). When you have the image looking pretty decent as a B&W, then you were instructed to return to the color version, retaining the changes. The "science" behind it is the human eye is far more sensitive to luminance (black and white) than it is to chrominance (color). If the image looks good in B&W, it has strong potential to look fantastic in color. Doing these simple "soft" effects goes a heck of a long way to help direct the viewer's eye to what you (the photographer) are trying to portray as the subject. This technique dosn't work with all images, but can go a long ways in helping people understand how simple image manipulations have a drastic effect on the viewer. It also helps (viewing in B&W) to find those parts that "stick out" that arn't so obvious in the color version.

With this particular image, doing the "reverse" (i.e. subject is the darkest part of the image) might work very well since it is naturally that way in the origional. Lightening his hat would put more focus on the face, and lighting the eyes a tad would create even more contrast within the face. Maybe give it a try? I'd love to see a side-by-side (three version, with the origional in the center). Would be a good exercise.

[Antonio Correia]

Kent. You are giving me a lot of work. I'm just kidding.

Seriously now: At this very moment I will keep your mail to do what you suggested and I will shut my mail for the night. I must resist.

I am going to study a new piece of software - Danish one - called MacFamilyTree because I am building my family tree and promoting a lunch with all of them in February.

See you tomorrow ...

[KentDub]

Kent. You are giving me a lot of work.

If only I could get paid for telling others what to do!

[Antonio Correia]

Excuse me Kent but I don't understand very well what you suggest when you say that 3 images would be great to compare.

... Lightening his hat would put more focus on the face, and lighting the eyes a tad would create even more contrast within the face. Maybe give it a try? I'd love to see a side-by-side (three version, with the original in the center). Would be a good exercise.

One image for the hat one for the eyes and the original ? This doesn't make any sense to me.
I am missing something, sorry.

[KentDub]

Excuse me Kent but I don't understand very well what you suggest when you say that 3 images would be great to compare.



One image for the hat one for the eyes and the original ? This doesn't make any sense to me.
I am missing something, sorry.

Left side = Your origional treatment (1st post)
Middle = Origional image (no processing)
Right side = The treatment I proposed

[Antonio Correia]

Left side = Your origional treatment (1st post)
Middle = Origional image (no processing)
Right side = The treatment I proposed

Oh I see now. It's what I thought but I was confused. Sorry. Thank you.