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I Need Help
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PostPosted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 10:18 pm    Post subject: I Need Help Reply with quote

I have shot over 100 photos of this car and have not been able to get a single one that I really like. I need advice! The orange color of this car looks best when sunlight is hitting it, but it makes it difficult for me to shoot it. This photo has been processed pretty heavy in an attempt to bring the orange color out. To be honest, I have a minimal understanding of Photoshop CS3 and I make a mess of the photo when I work on it. ANY advice would be greatly appreciated. This is probably the best I have been able to manage.



PostPosted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 10:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

This is my version. I don't know better or not.
Corvette hmm one of the reason why I would like to be an American citizen.


PostPosted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 10:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

This is the problem with so called "metalized" cars.

The optical effect is called "anisotropic reflections" and they are determined by the fine grain of metal that is mixed in the paint of the car.

Anisotropic reflections are non linear and under strong directional light such as clear sunlight day, they can really drive both your camera's light meter and sensor crazy.

One way to control them somehow is to use a polarizer - at the risk, however, to make the car look more flat on the photo than you would like.

I don't think that a real remedy for anisotropic reflections exists in Photoshop. There are probably workarounds that might do the job, but not real anisotropic filtering. There are anisotropic filters in some computer applications such as 3D rendering, but they are computationally very "expensive".

After all I think that to invest in a lens with superior surface coating such as Zeiss' "T star" is the best move to minimize all problems related to surface reflections (internal or external to lens).


PostPosted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 10:43 pm    Post subject: Re: I Need Help Reply with quote

maddog10 wrote:
I have shot over 100 photos of this car and have not been able to get a single one that I really like. I need advice! The orange color of this car looks best when sunlight is hitting it, but it makes it difficult for me to shoot it. This photo has been processed pretty heavy in an attempt to bring the orange color out. To be honest, I have a minimal understanding of Photoshop CS3 and I make a mess of the photo when I work on it. ANY advice would be greatly appreciated. This is probably the best I have been able to manage.

Michael, if you're anything like me, the more you look at the picture the more you'll want to mess about with it. Take a break from it and have a fresh look at it tomorrow is my tip.

Looking at the grass and the trees, not at the car, the colours look a little on the cool side to me, and auto-colour makes it even worse. Maybe you could reduce the blue slider slightly to add a liitle yellow, and increase the red a little to reduce cyan. This makes the other colours slightly warmer and brings out the orange at the same time. You only need about 10 to 15 points adjustment on each slider.


PostPosted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 10:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mike, just have it repainted primer red! Laughing

Pretty car!

Bill


PostPosted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 10:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Attila - What settings/controls did you use? I like it better than my version, but it still is not quite right.

Orio - I have a circular polarizer laying around here somewhere, I will try it at it's 'lowest' setting to see what it does. I took a few shots of the car with film today, Ill see how they look. I think the next time I try to shoot it I will use the G2 (it uses some nice lenses Very Happy )

Peter - I have been trying to get a good shot for about 1 year Laughing I will try your suggestions.

Thanks!


PostPosted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 10:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes, use the G2 and some slide film, good idea.

Bill


PostPosted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 10:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bill - Actually, at some point it is supposed to get some VERY light shadow/ghost flames added. The car is beautiful to look at and a ton of fun to drive, but it drives me nuts when I am behind the camera Shocked


PostPosted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 11:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have no much clue about Photoshop, so I use an amateur software Acdsee edit function.
http://www.acdsee.com/


PostPosted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 11:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

This is my version:



If you find it too much saturated you can tone it down. Btw, your shot here looked dull mostly because it was in AdobeRGB and not sRGB and just Safari is able to display AdobeRGB color space correctly (don't know if Firefox 3 is able).


Last edited by A G Photography on Sun Jun 22, 2008 11:44 pm; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 11:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I guess Alessandro version is really fine, don't need better.


PostPosted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 11:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Attila wrote:
I guess Alessandro version is really fine, don't need better.


Looking at it again I feel there's still just a hint of too much magenta around.


PostPosted: Mon Jun 23, 2008 12:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Better (look at the asphalt and the tyres):



PostPosted: Mon Jun 23, 2008 12:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I took some of the advice from the replies and tried again. AdobeRGB and sRGB, just more stuff to confuse Confused There was a fair bit of magenta on the first version Alessandro.



PostPosted: Mon Jun 23, 2008 12:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

maddog10 wrote:
I took some of the advice from the replies and tried again. AdobeRGB and sRGB, just more stuff to confuse Confused There was a fair bit of magenta on the first version Alessandro.


AdobeRGB and sRGB are color spaces. Photoshop automatically "compensate" the colors so it displays colors the most consinstent possible but other programs don't. sRGB is the color space used by 99% of the PC monitors (except some high level expensive ones) so you need to convert your images in sRGB to display them on the web, otherway your colors go crazy and the images really look dull.
In PS to convert the color space you need to go under edit->convert to to profile

In the image above I first used levels together with the gray eyedropper. The gray eyedropper of the levels dialog is needed to set the neutral color point of an image. So I try to find a neutral color, just like the tyres or the asphalt which are grey-black. Then I applied a duplicate level with soft light to increase contrast and a provia-like curve because it usually gives the look we're accostumed to from many pro shots.


PostPosted: Mon Jun 23, 2008 12:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I didn't know I needed to convert to sRGB. I shoot in AdobeRGB in the camera and use Photoshop to process the RAW images. Never occured to me to change to sRGB. Thanks.


PostPosted: Mon Jun 23, 2008 12:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

maddog10 wrote:
I didn't know I needed to convert to sRGB. I shoot in AdobeRGB in the camera and use Photoshop to process the RAW images. Never occured to me to change to sRGB. Thanks.


It's needed just if you want your image to display well on a PC monitor. If you need to print AdobeRGB is far better because it's a larger color space and translates decently into CMYK.


PostPosted: Mon Jun 23, 2008 1:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi Michael,

I haven't seen the other shots so I don't know what you've tried but I want to suggest that you stop trying to document the car and go for a more exciting shot.

The "pose" itself may be the issue. Wink

Cheers

Jules


PostPosted: Mon Jun 23, 2008 1:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I agree about the pose, I have moved that thing all around my yard trying to find a good spot, with no luck.


PostPosted: Mon Jun 23, 2008 1:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

maddog10 wrote:
I agree about the pose, I have moved that thing all around my yard trying to find a good spot, with no luck.


I find it's not that bad, actually it's also good considering the direct sunlight.

Pro shots of cars are made with huge (and I mean HUGE Razz) softboxes on top of them. One cheap trick you could use is a gazebo or sorta of... I mean some white textile hanging on top of the car so to diffuse light around.

Still one of the best car shot I saw was made by a couple of small flashes on its seats:



(and story http://www.flickr.com/photos/7211625@N06/462135050/
)


PostPosted: Mon Jun 23, 2008 2:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mike, finding 128 neutral in curves this is what I got.



PostPosted: Mon Jun 30, 2008 11:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote



My try.
A lil bit lowered and bla, bla, Photoshoped


PostPosted: Thu Jul 03, 2008 11:31 pm    Post subject: Re: I Need Help Reply with quote

Try Adobe Elements ver 6. This software can work wonders on any photos digital or scanned 35mm prints

John
British Columbia
============================


[quote="maddog10"]I have shot over 100 photos of this car and have not been able to get a single one that I really like. I need advice! The orange color of this car looks best when sunlight is hitting it, but it makes it difficult for me to shoot it. This photo has been processed pretty heavy in an attempt to bring the orange color out. To be honest, I have a minimal understanding of Photoshop CS3 and I make a mess of the photo when I work on it. ANY advice would be greatly appreciated. This is probably the best I have been able to manage.

[img]http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g36/maddog10/Cars/vette-2.jpg[/img][/quote]


PostPosted: Thu Jul 03, 2008 11:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks John, I will look into that program.

Sorin, I just noticed this photo. I was looking at it (without reading the text) and was trying to figure out why it looked so much better in the photo, than in real life. Actually, it is very easy to lower these cars. All you have to do is replace 4 bolts. We lowered one like this in my friends shop. Unfortunately, it was so low you almost couldn't drive it on the street without hitting something on the bottom. It was also a very 'hard' ride, with no suspension travel.


Last edited by maddog10 on Thu Jul 03, 2008 11:49 pm; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Thu Jul 03, 2008 11:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

seems madcat Wink nice avatar!