Photoshop Basics Evaluation
Having completed three very basic Photoshop tutorials I am now convinced that that even on a low level the quality of my photos can be improved, with this new knowledge I can remove dust and scratches from a photo or even complete elements of it before sharpening an image to keep a top quality. Again this is only a very basic level but is enough paired with my prior knowledge to start editing and generally cleaning up the appearance of my photos, while still keeping them very original.
Photoshop Basics - Content Aware Fill
This is the third and final of the basic tutorials that I will be completing, it is essentially an extension of the clone stamp tool and can allow you to remove an element from a picture and replace it with what would be in the background however it is more accurate and much quicker.
The desired area is selected with the lasso or magnetic lasso tool followed by the delete key, you are then given the option of content aware fill, simply accept this and allow the computer to do this for you.
Again this is a very quick process but can remove large parts of an image at relatively quick speed and accuracy. Obviously using the clone stamp tool this can be feathered in and made more subtle but is not terrible as it is.
The desired area is selected with the lasso or magnetic lasso tool followed by the delete key, you are then given the option of content aware fill, simply accept this and allow the computer to do this for you.
Again this is a very quick process but can remove large parts of an image at relatively quick speed and accuracy. Obviously using the clone stamp tool this can be feathered in and made more subtle but is not terrible as it is.
Photoshop Basics - Sharpening
High Pass Sharpening
The following is a very basic but also quick and accurate way to sharpen your images, again it starts with duplicating your layer in case of mistakes. This seems like the next logical step after removing dust and scratches as you can sharpen a whole image as opposed to the previously mentioned method of sharpening only certain areas.
Once duplicated you follow the menu - filter, other, high pass and order the pixel radius in order to determine how much of the image will sharpen. The image is shown in greytones and is then revived by altering the top layers representation from normal to any choice of light between overlay/soft light to vivid/hard light. As before sections of the new layer can be erased in order to show original parts of the image where necessary.
Again this is a very quick process and paired with the previous one can lead to clean, dust free images that retain their original sharpness.
The following is a very basic but also quick and accurate way to sharpen your images, again it starts with duplicating your layer in case of mistakes. This seems like the next logical step after removing dust and scratches as you can sharpen a whole image as opposed to the previously mentioned method of sharpening only certain areas.
Once duplicated you follow the menu - filter, other, high pass and order the pixel radius in order to determine how much of the image will sharpen. The image is shown in greytones and is then revived by altering the top layers representation from normal to any choice of light between overlay/soft light to vivid/hard light. As before sections of the new layer can be erased in order to show original parts of the image where necessary.
Again this is a very quick process and paired with the previous one can lead to clean, dust free images that retain their original sharpness.
Photoshop Basics - Dust and Scratches
This will be the first in a small selection of photoshop tutorials that I will be finding online in order to improve either the content and or quality of my photographs, these will be mainly based on video tutorials found via youtube or google search results.
Removing Dust and Scratches
One of the mot noticeable problems I encountered with developing my own photos was problems with dust or scratches on the film once I had scanned them, this is a fairly frequent problem and once easily remedied, The video below explains the process in full detail but I will be showing only the very basic steps here.
As you can see the original image has a lot of dust and scratches, the first step is to duplicate the layer, this means that if anything goes wrong you can start again and you have not damages the original file. Once duplicated you follow the menu - filter, noise, dust and scratches and the menu below will be shown, by altering the radius and threshold of the pixels the programme will eliminate the scratches etc that it sees as anomalies.
However this can result in a loss of quality as seen above, to redeem this we use the eraser tool to remove sections from the top layer in order to show the detailed sections from the bottow layer, in this case the eyes.
Once this stage is complete the image can be flattened and you have an image that is free of dust and scratches but can retain its quality.
This is a fairly quick and simple process but one that could definitely benefit all of my photos quite easily, next I will be looking at sharpening images overall.
Removing Dust and Scratches
One of the mot noticeable problems I encountered with developing my own photos was problems with dust or scratches on the film once I had scanned them, this is a fairly frequent problem and once easily remedied, The video below explains the process in full detail but I will be showing only the very basic steps here.
As you can see the original image has a lot of dust and scratches, the first step is to duplicate the layer, this means that if anything goes wrong you can start again and you have not damages the original file. Once duplicated you follow the menu - filter, noise, dust and scratches and the menu below will be shown, by altering the radius and threshold of the pixels the programme will eliminate the scratches etc that it sees as anomalies.
However this can result in a loss of quality as seen above, to redeem this we use the eraser tool to remove sections from the top layer in order to show the detailed sections from the bottow layer, in this case the eyes.
Once this stage is complete the image can be flattened and you have an image that is free of dust and scratches but can retain its quality.
This is a fairly quick and simple process but one that could definitely benefit all of my photos quite easily, next I will be looking at sharpening images overall.
Assisting Evaluation
Although I have only had a very brief introduction into assisting I feel that it is something I could benefit from if I continued to do it at a higher level then it is a potential way to make contacts professionally. I feel that I didn't do a great amount of physical work but definitely took a lot of notes and generally have a better understanding of the process of taking pictures in a studio environment and understand the importance of the relationship between the client and the photographer. The fundamental things I have understood is that the client must come to the shoot with an idea of what they want to get out of it and/or that the photographer must know what they want, without this the whole scenario is pointless and somewhat unenjoyable. As a personal preference I also think that there should be some music playing in order to avoid awkward silences and generally keep the mood of the scenario alive.
Assisting Part 2
Due to my late start previously I arranged to assist on another shoot with Emma Saynor that had been present at the previous shoot and was also interested in studio band photography. This time I arrived on time and helped set up, this involved rolling down the backdrop, setting up the lights and softboxes and general housekeeping of the studio. I also played a more active role throughout this shoot by regularly altering the light placements and suggesting arrangements for the band in order to show them all but avoid shadowing each other.
As previously stated I feel like I did more actual work this time round but still not a lot as I feel that Emma was still learning to use the equipment herself and so it was a learning curve for both of us. Again my criticisms are that having music playing in the background may lighten the mood and generally loosen up the clients and most importantly that they must come with an idea of what they want out of the shoot.
As previously stated I feel like I did more actual work this time round but still not a lot as I feel that Emma was still learning to use the equipment herself and so it was a learning curve for both of us. Again my criticisms are that having music playing in the background may lighten the mood and generally loosen up the clients and most importantly that they must come with an idea of what they want out of the shoot.
Assisting Part 1
As previously mentioned I came to the conclusion that doing some assisting work on another persons photoshoot was a practical way to spend my time and see how other people were doing things, I had already spoken to Vicky about this and then agreed to help her with a shoot for a band one evening. However due to traffic I turned up late and the studio had already been set up and the band were about to arrive, fortunately there wasn't a lot to set up and Emma had already helped where necessary.
Below are a few images from the shoot, the main problem was that we were in a much smaller studio than we had planned for and so fitting four people into a the given space and photographing them without shadowing each other became an obvious problem. In terms of direction and choices Vicky was entirely in charge of the shoot and I was around purely to help move lights and set things up.
This was the first time I had worked in a studio but not with the lighting equipment and so there were no problems setting the brightness of the flash and other settings, only problems in relation to the placement of the lights and the resulting shadows.
I noticed that Vicky had been using a Canon 500D with a standard 18-55mm lens and the cordless flash remote in order for her camera to work in unison with the flashes, again this is a piece of equipment that I am familiar with already and so didn't really phase me. Due to the nature of the shoot I did relatively little in terms of actually helping but spent most of the time making notes and my coming to my own conclusions, I think this partially comes down to the fact that Vicky was partially still getting used to the equipment and environment and so it was equally important for her to do and learn things as it was for my self.
After watching the whole shoot I came to various conclusions, firstly it is crucial that the client comes with an idea of what they want from the shoot or alternatively that you know if you have creative control, this may sound like a simple thing but I noticed that on various occasions both the photographer and the client were asking each other what it is they should be doing next. In the same way both clients need to be comfortable an compliant in order to achieve the best results. Finally I feel that the beeping sound present on the flashes should be turned off once all have been tested as it not only distracting but annoying, furthermore I think that there should be some music playing in the background in order to avoid awkward silences and generally keep the mood flowing however I realise that these are both personal preferences.
Below are a few images from the shoot, the main problem was that we were in a much smaller studio than we had planned for and so fitting four people into a the given space and photographing them without shadowing each other became an obvious problem. In terms of direction and choices Vicky was entirely in charge of the shoot and I was around purely to help move lights and set things up.
This was the first time I had worked in a studio but not with the lighting equipment and so there were no problems setting the brightness of the flash and other settings, only problems in relation to the placement of the lights and the resulting shadows.
I noticed that Vicky had been using a Canon 500D with a standard 18-55mm lens and the cordless flash remote in order for her camera to work in unison with the flashes, again this is a piece of equipment that I am familiar with already and so didn't really phase me. Due to the nature of the shoot I did relatively little in terms of actually helping but spent most of the time making notes and my coming to my own conclusions, I think this partially comes down to the fact that Vicky was partially still getting used to the equipment and environment and so it was equally important for her to do and learn things as it was for my self.After watching the whole shoot I came to various conclusions, firstly it is crucial that the client comes with an idea of what they want from the shoot or alternatively that you know if you have creative control, this may sound like a simple thing but I noticed that on various occasions both the photographer and the client were asking each other what it is they should be doing next. In the same way both clients need to be comfortable an compliant in order to achieve the best results. Finally I feel that the beeping sound present on the flashes should be turned off once all have been tested as it not only distracting but annoying, furthermore I think that there should be some music playing in the background in order to avoid awkward silences and generally keep the mood flowing however I realise that these are both personal preferences.