I've been using PSE for years, but only recently have I been trying to really learn it. I just got a great book and have applied a few lessons from that book and from the latest PSE Magazine to this photo and I think it made a world of difference:
Original Image:
New Updates:
I took this picture of the Nandina right outside my front door. It turns red in winter. My front door is red, and I love the way they complement each other.
When I took the original picture, I was disappointed to see that the color was not as bold in the picture as it is in real life. Ironically (or call it fate) I received my latest edition of Elements Magazine today and there is an article called "4 Essential Photo Fixes". The third fix is punching it up with blend modes. I did what the article suggested and added an adjustment layer with a blend mode of Soft Light. I have never used blend modes before so I thought this was AWESOME. I had to lower the opacity a little bit (67%) and I sharpened it, but I am really pleased with the results, as it shows the true BOLD color of the shrub that I see with my eyes.
Original:
ISO 320 | 1/125 | f/16 | 62mm | Flash Used
Soft Light and Sharpen Lens Blur :
To celebrate the start of the game today, we took a family photo. The first one is one I shot manually. The lighting is dim in the room so the shot was taken at 1.3 second shutter speed. The exposure meter was dead on.....but it looks horrible and yellow.
The second one was shot in Program mode using the same f-stop. But it looks so much better (both of these are right out of the camera).
I thought I knew what I was doing in manual mode, but obviously I am not there yet. I have no idea whatsoever why this photo looks horrid and how I would fix it for next time. Does anyone have some words of wisdom for me?
Update:
Thank you all for the responses (especially the condolences on the Jets. haha). I was preparing to add all the EXIF data to this post, but decided first to research the white balance issue. Well, I had no idea about the white balance setting in the camera. I thought my only choices were in the pre-programmed modes (and I was using manual). So, looked it up in the camera manual and found the setting, only to discover that I had set it (inadvertently) to always use the temperature of 9600! I reset it to Auto. I cannot wait to see how my pictures improve going forward. I have read my manual at least 5 times, and I still regularly learn about new options. Thanks for all your help!
Viewpoint: Before photographing your subject, take time to think about where you will shoot it from. Our viewpoint has a massive impact on the composition of our photo, and as a result it can greatly affect the message that the shot conveys. Rather than just shooting from eye level, consider photographing from high above, down at ground level, from the side, from the back, from a long way away, from very close up, and so on.
I am not pleased with the quality of this photo, but I wanted to document that I tried Viewpoint. I like it, and I think I will continue to try it. This photo (as others this same day) has lighting issues. I am just really struggling in the manual mode. I am unsure each time where to read my exposure from. Anyway, I did try it - my son is standing up on a bench and i am laying on the ground beneath him.
ISO 400 | 1/250 | f/5.0 | 26mm
It is difficult to get out with a baby. Usually I can take pictures only 1-2 times per week, so when I do, I have to take advantage and try to hit as many themes as I can. This is a trio of nature: bark, moss and vine. All I did was crop the right side a bit.
ISO 200 | 1/160 | f/5.3 | 93mm
This is a pumphouse at the nature preserve we saw today. Once again, I struggled with lighting and tried to make up for it with a filter. Blah. Hate that, but I don't know how else to fix this one. I cropped it square, changed it to black and white, used the attic vintage filter mentioned in the previous post (with a pink scratched tin texture), and adjusted the lighting as best i could.
ISO 320 | 1/50 | f/16
Updated:
Here is the original picture:
My son and I went to a nature preserve this morning. We had never been there before, so it was fun. There was a large field where some dogs were playing and my son was chasing them. The light was so great, and I was trying desperately to get a photo of him using the sun as sidelight. I took tons, but none were satisfying to me. It seems that his cute little cheeks are always either blown out or the rest of his face is too dark. I am sure I could fix it with a reflector, but that is not practical. This was the best one I could get (see first one below). I lightened it with photoshop best I could, and I cropped it into a square since there was really just one main focus.
So, I was fooling around with some filters and decided to use a great one from Coffee Tea Photography called "attic vintage" (see second picture below). The texture I added is one I have had for years so I cannot give credit where it is due - sorry someone. Anyway, I think it lightened it up nicely and i think his jacket is kind of retro so this works well. And, it offers a "texture" picture for January.
What do you think?
ISO 220 | 1/800 | f/5.6 | 202mm
Update:
Thanks for the feedback. The texture was already pretty opaque so I erased it around his face. Better?
Balance: Placing your main subject off-centre, as with the rule of thirds, creates a more interesting photo, but it can leave a void in the scene which can make it feel empty. You should balance the 'weight' of your subject by including another object of lesser importance to fill the space.
ISO 100 | 1/80 | f/16 | 95mm
I got this as my son took a short rest between toddling up and down the front steps of our house. I tend to put him to the side of photos on a regular basis (see the unbalanced shot below). This time I put him to the side but included the porch column to balance the right side. The blue in the security sign also balances some of the color. At first I considered cropping out the sign (even though I like the color balance), but I like the statement it makes.
Unbalanced:
Update:
Based on feedback I cropped the sign and shadow out and I lightened up the shadow on is face:
