Original raw Photo CD scan from 35mm slide
Digitally retouched jpg of raw scan
A 'Night & Day' Before & After...
SCENARIO: you already have some photography you'd like to make use of, but the shots are not that great. Spend $$$ and re-shoot them... or just forget the idea?
THERE IS HOPE!
The graphics below show what can be done digitally to enhance, rescue or drastically modify a photograph for web or print. The left photo is the raw Photo CD scan as we got it from Kodak. The right photo is what we ended up with after several hours in Adobe Photoshop. Here's what was done..
• added a dramatic night sky
• image was selectively sharpened and contrast increased
• color of stone was shifted
• some darkened windows were lit up
• streetlights were made to glow
An 'OK' photo turned into a showpiece... at less than a 'reshoot'.
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Original raw Photo CD scan from 35mm slide |
Digitally retouched jpg of raw scan |
NOTES: Photograph is of Lambert Castle in Paterson, NJ, and is used as the opening splash page for a website we're working on for http://www.schtiller-plevy.com , who do historical restoration. Photo by George Peirce Architectural Photography. George's original 35mm slide was sharp, but the Photo CD scan process always yields a file that needs a lot of sharpening, color balancing and contrast work. George also had no control over a bland sky.
We wanted a dramatic night shot, but the flash power needed to light up this building to see the stonework and roof details the client wanted featured would have been practically impossible, not to mention waiting around for a great sky. So we did it digitally, and could do the same with your 'less-than-ideal' photos!
'I hate those window air conditioners...'
Below is another example of digital retouching. The exterior shot of this B&B made the inn look a little on the shabby side; not the quintessential glamour cover shot. We fixed it... the top photo is the original; the key #s highlight the fixes.
1: awnings 'colored up'
2, 11: flower boxes filled
3 & 10: buildings in background removed
4,5: roof flashing, broken shingles fixed
6, 7, 8: window air conditioners removed
9: gutter & downspouts removed
AND FINALLY seagulls, summer sky with early morning moon added to the finished image!
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Here's where we started... |
The final - What's the Jersey Shore without squawking seagulls? |