Need GIMP help editing tiger pics

[eaglesfan]

I'd like to start by saying hello to everyone. Most of you prolly don't remember me cuz I wasn't on here for very long, but I'm trying to get back into photography now that i have a decent editing program (GIMP). So, I just downloaded GIMP a few weeks ago and am still getting used to the tools and controls. I have a few pics that I'd like to make look pretty. they're not the best pics in quality, but i like the angle and distance the tiger is at. so can anyone help me? I'm just looking for advice on what tools to use and such like things. here are the pics:

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/b...igerprowl2.jpg

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/b...tigerprowl.jpg

[wulf]

Have you already edited "tigerprowl2"?

Wulf

[OsmosisStudios]

You'd have needed a circular polarizer to remove the reflections, but then you'd have ended up with too slow of a shutter speed.

Just needs some Levels to get some contrast back in there. That's the best you can do/

[BCampbell]

It depends on what final result you're looking for.

To me, the grees are too saturated, and your black isn't black. I would go to colors>saturation and either descrease saturation globally or select yellow and decrease that (usually helps with overstaurated grass). Then either colors>brightness and contrast and bump up contrast by 4 or 6 to get the dark stripes on the tiger actually dark, or colors>levels and move the leftmost marker to the left edge of the reading in the histogram (same with the rightmost, if there is blank space).

These are pretty basic edits, play around with at least the levels dialog for a while so you can get a feel for how it works and what you can do with it, and try some of the auto levelling options, the black/white/grey point droppers, etc.

[eaglesfan]

Wulf: I have not done anything to either picture

Osmosis: ok, thanks

BCampbell: thanks for the advice, i'll try it out.

[wulf]

It must have been the effect of the glass then. I think that one will be difficult to create a strong result from. The other one might be enhanced with something like the curves tool. I'd crop first for a stronger composition and to lose the strong reflection on one side and blown-out vegetation on the other and then draw down the mid-point on the values curve (to make the image darker with better contrast) and green and blue curves (which stops the image being too green and, by reducing blue, brings out more yellow to turn the tiger's fur more orange).

A quick test went from:



to:



Wulf

[eaglesfan]

Thanks, Wulf. Looking at "tigerprowl2", i think i might've put a spotlight effect on it. and i edited the same one you did, following your advice on the curves and the crop. it came out very close to how yours is. thanks! i learned alot about colors and curves. thank you very much!