Color Vibrance

[nicoledana]

I know this was most likely covered in some part of this website. Can someone direct me to a thread or lesson that will help me with getting really bright crisp colors in my photos. I dont know what I am doing wrong... Im sure it has a lot to do with lighting and WB which I am struggling with and have been for a long time!

[Samanax]

Originally Posted by nicoledana

I know this was most likely covered in some part of this website. Can someone direct me to a thread or lesson that will help me with getting really bright crisp colors in my photos. I dont know what I am doing wrong... Im sure it has a lot to do with lighting and WB which I am struggling with and have been for a long time!

Make sure that the exposure of your images is close to spot on in camera. That will mean less work in PP.

Are you shooting in JPEG or RAW?

What image editor are you using? What is your workflow?

Do you have a sample image we can look at...makes it easier to help you.

[nicoledana]

Attached are a few of my photos.
Exposure I think is one area I struggle with.
I always shoot RAW.
I use photoshop CS4
Workflow? I dont know what that means.

Originally Posted by Samanax

Make sure that the exposure of your images is close to spot on in camera. That will mean less work in PP.

Are you shooting in JPEG or RAW?

What image editor are you using? What is your workflow?

Do you have a sample image we can look at...makes it easier to help you.

[Free]

You just need to add a bit more photoshop goodness, have you tried the "vibrance" slider in ACR (I'm assuming in ACR, it's in lightroom).

Otherwise check out some of the threads in Post Processing/

Particularly the high pass filter.

Cheers
Free

[Samanax]

The exposure on your images look pretty good...a little overexposed on the 2nd and 3rd shots but not by much.

Workflow - Basically how you edit your photos from start to finish. How do you manipulate the RAW files in ACR, what do you do to them in Photoshop (levels or curves, layer work, etc...)...

To get deep rich colors you actually have to darken the image a bit after you increase the saturation.

Try using the first technique (blur/overlay) found here to see if it helps. I use it a lot.

[nicoledana]

Thanks for the comments. Im still learning Photoshop. I havent even tried messing with the saturation. It scares me a little. I usually play with the curves, sometimes do some B&W with selective coloring, cloning in areas that need it, add blurs to soften some areas (Kids faces, women etc.) ... I tend to over do the contrast... i like very contrasty (if thats even a word) photos... Extreme darks and lights. Photography is sooo subjective. Someone could say the photo is awesome and great colors.. and other people will think its total garbage.. haha this is why i struggle to get things "correct"

This maybe a stupid question, and yes there ARE stupid questions, is there a "rule" to Fstops, and shutter speeds and which ones to use together in certain situations? I tend to throw the camera on Manual for the fun of it, on a fairly bright day and find my setting are way off. Is there anyway to "just know" what to use? I often think to myself how is it possible that NOTHING came of that setting. Sounds stupid, I know. haha

Originally Posted by Samanax

The exposure on your images look pretty good...a little overexposed on the 2nd and 3rd shots but not by much.

Workflow - Basically how you edit your photos from start to finish. How do you manipulate the RAW files in ACR, what do you do to them in Photoshop (levels or curves, layer work, etc...)...

To get deep rich colors you actually have to darken the image a bit after you increase the saturation.

Try using the first technique (blur/overlay) found here to see if it helps. I use it a lot.

[Free]

You want the sunny 16 rule Sunny 16 rule - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[digga38]

I like the doggy

[wilfreddy]

ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS PHOTOSHOP PHOTOSHOP PHOTOSHOP CS4 is the best by far... Layer /hue saturation and thats it....... Keep up the good work