Need help with a lightning photo...

[luca brazzi]

Firstly, long time no post....been on holiday to the south of France for 2 weeks. Took several thousand photos, of a great many things.

Had some unbelievable thunderstorms, lasting 12-15 hours. Stayed out as long as I could before getting too scared as the lightning came all around me, but got quite a few good pics.

Here's the request. My best shot of the lightning, taken over Nice and the airport had me nudge the tripod by accident resulting in a blurred city. The previous shot is from almost the identical position, and has a good enough view of the city.

I need them spliced together, but its too difficult for my abilities. I want the sky and the sea from the lightning pic joined to the cityscape from the other picture, and not see any joins.

low res of the lightning pic:
[pic]http://www.sleepy-fish.com/temp/img_6468.jpg[/pic]
.
low res of the decent cityscape:
[pic]http://www.sleepy-fish.com/temp/img_6467.jpg[/pic]
.
Canon RAW file of the lightning: File, Save As...(6.8Mb)
http://www.sleepy-fish.com/temp/img_6468.cr2
.
Canon RAW file of the city: File, Save As...(6.8Mb)
http://www.sleepy-fish.com/temp/img_6467.cr2
.
Help, and results hugely appreciated. Tough challenge I think.

Regards
LB:)

[Methanol]

Hi Luca,

Could not download one of the hi res images so had to use the low res ones. Furthermore they are a little out of sync, so I had to bodge it a bit...



I guess you could do some more with it, with a little more time.

Regards,

Methanol

[luca brazzi]

That's fantastic. Don't know why the raw files are not downloading.

Could you share the technique you used, and I'll have a go myself in the morning. I really want to get a full size tiff file (25Mb) showing a result as good as your version.

Thanks
LB

[simpo two]

Hi Luca,
There are always different ways to do things in PS but I'd copy and paste one image into the other to give two layers. You can then use the Erase tool (adjusted for size, softness and opacity) to erase the top layer to reveal the one below. If you go too far, Ctrl-Z undos.

[shadytree]

Cool photo LB , what sort of exposure time did you use ? (and nice photoshopping skills simpo )

[luca brazzi]

simpo two said:

Hi Luca, There are always different ways to do things in PS but I'd copy and paste one image into the other to give two layers. You can then use the Erase tool (adjusted for size, softness and opacity) to erase the top layer to reveal the one below. If you go too far, Ctrl-Z undos.

Thanks Simpo, but its not as easy as that, as the photos are a bit out of sync (one is slightly left of the other, and probably at a slightly different height, partly down to me, but partly down to the tripod being crap, and subsequently left in France .

I'll try and upload the raw files again, so folks can download and try with the big files. I've tried the layers and erase approach, but with poor success.

Stuart, thanks matey, the details were:
ISO 100
30 seconds at f5.6
cable release and mirror lockup, followed by a nice nudge on the tripod.

LB

here's the file again. Both pics in the one zip file.
www.sleepy-fish.com/temp/img_6467.zip (file save as)

[beano500]

Wow! nice lightning! Yes the original links don't seem to work, but the new one does. Like to have a bodge at it meself!

[beano500]

I dunno - what does that look like?



More work, I think....

[luca brazzi]

Pretty good...but not keen on the mega saturated sky, tried that myself, looked too fake. The sky/sea interface looks very blurred too, or is that how the original is.

Certainly better than anything I could do.

When the perfect fix is done, is there a chance I could get the resulting 25Mb tiff file sent through to me?

Thanks again,
LB

PS Working on all the other pics, and will post up a small selection real soon.

LB

[simpo two]

luca brazzi said:

Thanks Simpo, but its not as easy as that, as the photos are a bit out of sync (one is slightly left of the other, and probably at a slightly different height, partly down to me, but partly down to the tripod being crap, and subsequently left in France .

Ah yes, there are many details to change the instructions!
I think that if you increase the canvas size a little you can select one layer and move it with the Move tool until it lines up. Make one layer see-through so you can see what you're doing. If you need rotation as well, that's done using Transform.

Tell you what, you're right - get another PHer to do it

[luca brazzi]

simpo two said:

Tell you what, you're right - get another PHer to do it

Now you know I didn't mean it like that

Will have a go with your instructions, re canvas size and moving around with free transform. I just know there are some real experts out there, and this is a favourite pic of mine.

Goes back sheepishly to editing the several thousand other pics he took on his hols.

LB

[docevi1]

Noticed the "real pros" comment, and I can't profess to been in that catergory, just someone who can fiddle

any good?

>> Edited by docevi1 on Thursday 15th September 15:17

[beano500]

luca brazzi said:

... not keen on the mega saturated sky, tried that myself, looked too fake.

I agree, amazing what detail there is in the original raw files, though.

luca brazzi said:

The sky/sea interface looks very blurred too, or is that how the original is.

It was blurred, but I ended up blurring it a bit more in the mix!

[beano500]

I enjoyed the challenge (So I won't be charging full-rate, Steve!).

Basically copy one onto a second layer on top of the other, fiddle and faff transforming it to be a close match, erase from blurred layer, merge, clone in where necessary, turned down saturation on the top half (which I'd set a bit high when I converted from raw), and merge and sharpen......

Someone with more patience can do even better, there are still a few pixels out of place, but unfortunately I've got a few other jobs to do today

[V6GTO]

Steve,
Remember that Scott Kelby book you sent me? You want page 260! I'll sell it back for 50 Euros...

Martin.

[luca brazzi]

Beano and Stefan, excellent jobs. Beano, I like yours the best.

Martin, surely it'll be 75 Euros with postage I'll pop upstairs and have a look at the book (I got the next edition).

Will have a go myself now. If I fail Beano, can you email me a full size effort of yours (tiff format)

Thanks again,LB

[docevi1]

, I just merged the images.

I had fun playing and learnt some new stuff today so alls not lost

[beano500]

luca brazzi said:

... can you email me a full size effort ...

I would, but I can't seem to e-mail anything this big!

[luca brazzi]

V6GTO said:

Steve, Remember that Scott Kelby book you sent me? You want page 260! I'll sell it back for 50 Euros... Martin.

Which section are you referring to Martin?
LB

[Mrs Fish]

I can't open either of the photos.