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Amigone201
05-13-2007, 08:00 AM
I did some shots today for my friends who graduated this weekend. It did remind me that I have another year to go, but at least I got to have a great time snapping away at one of the more picturesque spots on campus.

Here's the Before:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/213/495785646_fb06258382.jpg

I first selected all the water, added some blue, and upped the contrast slightly. Next I cut it out and pasted it on a layer of its own, where I expanded the now-blue water just in case there would be any gaps leaving the old white water.

Then I went back, grabbed the girl and the background, and pasted it over the blue water, so the edges water are covered behind her and the grass. It's there, but I pasted everything over it. Oh yeah, that little patch of grass on the bottom left was annoying me, and it was hard to get the edges right, so I just said the heck with it and cloned over it.

Next I selected the subject's face and got rid of some of the shadows. I saturated some more color in, because she had gotten a bit lifeless looking. This was the hardest part of the edit; I kept going back over and over again trying to figure out if I had saturated too much or too little. This final edit is something I did only in the last twenty minutes. The CD I gave her earlier was before I made my final decision and her face is a little oversaturated. Oh well, if she's graduating and leaving, she won't be able to yell at me over it!

Here's the After:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/195/495818831_e457b23c4d.jpg

z999
05-13-2007, 11:45 AM
it's good! but if you'll learn to use masks you will have much less trouble doing this kind of editing

jiminyClickit
05-13-2007, 03:35 PM
Amigone,

Good save, especially the face, which is really most important. Surroundings look natural because you did not overdue anything. Your friend will forgive CD if she sees this.

z999 is right, and layers, HDR, etc., will save you time, and you are right to get experience in the labor-intensive manner that will also teach patience and the parameters of individual tools. Well-done.

Amigone201
05-13-2007, 05:09 PM
Thanks guys :) Yeah, I'm going to do a little study on masks when I get the chance.

That water, in real life, is a frightening shade of brownish-green!

xysmas
05-13-2007, 06:48 PM
That water, in real life, is a frightening shade of brownish-green!

Yea, that is how my campus pond looks... it is horrid. Nice work though - Maybe darken your sky a touch as well.