Photoshop help please!

[Pet Troll]

I went for a drive with a friend yesterday and took a couple of quick snaps of his car parked in front of a landmark, it looks quite good but I can't help thinking it would look better if someone in the know could give me some tips on how to make it look better.

One specific thing I want to do is edit out a single electrical cable that cuts across the sky, I know how to use the blur tool but not sure that would work properly on this. Is there a tool which you can select the colour of the sky and then copy that colour to draw over the electricity cable to hide it, then use the blur tool to clean it up?

I am only a novice PS user so any help would be great

I have seen some of GFWilliams threads and the amount of difference between the original picture and the final photoshop improved picture is immense!

I know how to bring up the 'curve' adjustment tool, but the image never seems to look any better if I fiddle with the curves.

I can upload the pics if you need to see what I'm dealing with.

[tenohfive]

Use the Clone Stamp tool to get rid of the electricity cable - a quick google will no doubt bring up a few dozen tutorials.

[K12beano]

^^^^ This. (Easy when you know how, try googling for tutorials -or YoohooTube, or whatever)

Also - just guessin' - you might need to separate out your treatment of sky from the rest of the shot because, in an ideal world, they often cry out for different exposures.

I'm in the habit of bringing up just shadow areas....noise allowing....in typical daylight.

[Pet Troll]

Excellent thanks, the clone stamp tool is amazing and did the job perfectly!

I am now trying to work out how to adjust the colours of the image seperately, as the sky is almost white (but I might try and replace the sky with a nice sunset image if I'm feeling brave!) and some of the foreground is quite dark.

[tenohfive]

Pet Troll said:

Excellent thanks, the clone stamp tool is amazing and did the job perfectly!

I am now trying to work out how to adjust the colours of the image seperately, as the sky is almost white (but I might try and replace the sky with a nice sunset image if I'm feeling brave!) and some of the foreground is quite dark.

Use one of the tools to select either foreground or background (personally I find the quick selection tool works best.) If you can't get it perfect then take too much, and once you've got it selected hit Ctrl+J to put it on a new layer. Make sure that layer is selected and then delete the excess parts (if that makes sense) using the same tool or one of the other selection tools - select, press delete and your done. It's a bit rough and ready but it works for me.

Once that's done you can selectively it using curves, levels, brightness and contrast etc - there are a few different ways to achieve the same result.

I can't advise on putting in a completely different background as I've never done it. I can't imagine it's that straightforward given how reflective cars tend to be but I daresay there are tutorials out there.

[Pet Troll]

Thanks, tried that but it doesn't seem to work as there are too many small tree branches in the way. I have tried deleting the sky but again it doesn't seem to go quite right :/

I might just upload the image so you can understand what I am on about!

[tenohfive]

Pet Troll said:

Thanks, tried that but it doesn't seem to work as there are too many small tree branches in the way. I have tried deleting the sky but again it doesn't seem to go quite right :/

I might just upload the image so you can understand what I am on about!

By all means post it. Have you tried the magic wand tool for the trees? You can use a combination of selection tools i.e select the trees with magic wand then change to the quick selection tool, hold shift and select everything else you want.

[Gemm]

http://www.nowiresplugin.com/

I've got this installed in my Photoshop but I've never actually used it, so I don't know how effective this is!

[Gorilla Boy]

Pet Troll said:

I went for a drive with a friend yesterday and took a couple of quick snaps of his car parked in front of a landmark, it looks quite good but I can't help thinking it would look better if someone in the know could give me some tips on how to make it look better.

One specific thing I want to do is edit out a single electrical cable that cuts across the sky, I know how to use the blur tool but not sure that would work properly on this. Is there a tool which you can select the colour of the sky and then copy that colour to draw over the electricity cable to hide it, then use the blur tool to clean it up?

I am only a novice PS user so any help would be great

I have seen some of GFWilliams threads and the amount of difference between the original picture and the final photoshop improved picture is immense!

I know how to bring up the 'curve' adjustment tool, but the image never seems to look any better if I fiddle with the curves.

I can upload the pics if you need to see what I'm dealing with.

Is that because he can't take a good photo to save his life and needs to photoshop everything to death to make it passable as "photography"?

Edited by Gorilla Boy on Sunday 3rd February 21:43

[Pet Troll]

This is the image, all I have done so far is edit out the electricity cable and number plate, and clicked auto levels/contrast.

Is there anyway of balancing the colours better? Where the sky meets the foreground seems very overexposed to me.

Also I can't help thinking that it would improve the image if it was cropped a bit, but I can't work out if cropping out some of the tree on the right would improve it or not? Any tips on image structure?

[dxbtiger]

Gorilla Boy said:

Is that because he can't take a good photo to save his life and needs to photoshop everything to death to make it passable as "photography"?

Edited by Gorilla Boy on Sunday 3rd February 21:43

Errr.. No

[Gorilla Boy]

dxbtiger said:

Gorilla Boy said:

Is that because he can't take a good photo to save his life and needs to photoshop everything to death to make it passable as "photography"?

Edited by Gorilla Boy on Sunday 3rd February 21:43

Errr.. No

More or less sums up my opinion sunshine

[PGD5]

Gorilla Boy said:

More or less sums up my opinion sunshine

You can't really be serious - ridiculous

[Gorilla Boy]

PGD5 said:

You can't really be serious - ridiculous

Just seen that the image didn't show up, it should however work now, found these comments while having a brief glance through his FB page:

[PGD5]

That changes nothing imo. Haters have gotta have something to hate I suppose..

Anyway back on topic:

OP, I'd adjust the WB a touch, the picture looks a little blue/cold in my mind.
I'd also try to straighten it up a little, it looks to be rotated CW a few degrees. Both of these adjustments can be done quickly and easily with adobe Raw editor (if you shot it raw that is) Hope that helps

[Rogue86]

PGD5 said:

Both of these adjustments can be done quickly and easily with adobe Raw editor (if you shot it raw that is) Hope that helps

You can also edit JPEGS in RAW editor (certainly through Bridge, at least)

Don't really understand the negativity towards GF Williams work, either. Seems like point-scoring out of jealousy to me. If I wanted to see pictures that anybody could take, I'd take them myself. Its worth noting that other high-end automotive photographers (such as Easton Chang) also heavily manipulate their images. This is why you and I are talking about it on forums, and why they're shooting press releases for manufacturers.

[PGD5]

Rogue86 said:

You can also edit JPEGS in RAW editor (certainly through Bridge, at least)

Oh yeah, never done or tried that before - thanks for the tip

Is that what you do yourself, or instructed to do at work?

[Rogue86]

It's what I do myself, none of the other guys bother with it. I just find it quicker/easier than trawling through Photoshops many menus to get to the same stuff.

[dxbtiger]

Gorilla Boy said:

PGD5 said:

You can't really be serious - ridiculous

Just seen that the image didn't show up, it should however work now, found these comments while having a brief glance through his FB page:

See second comment, from George, along the lines of a bit of fun, I have never seen a commercial image he has posted that looks that OTT

Yes George's work is heavily processed he makes no bones about that however he shoots with an end image in mind that requires a level of PP to achieve

Bear in mind that the shoots he does for private clients are in all probability going to end up hanging on their wall, they need a certain look/feel to them and are probably guided somewhat by client's brief.

Look for his shots of Andy B's F40 & Zonda as an example, or the Aventador shoot or the MTC shoot.

Whether you like the style he produces or not to say he 'can't take a photo to save his life' is frankly absurd, 'sunshine'

Apologies for the O/T OP.

[gog440]

dxbtiger said:

Whether you like the style he produces or not to say he 'can't take a photo to save his life' is frankly absurd, 'sunshine'

Apologies for the O/T OP.

Then get him to post just one photo that hasnt had hours of Photoshop to make it look decent.
No?

On that FB thread he was asked to put one unphotoshopped photo up for people to see. When he did it had still been PS'd. And then he deleted all the comments from anyone who wasnt arse licking.