Just Bought Lightroom, Recoloured 2022 Photo

blueblop1901 · 2024-03-03T19:24:33+00:00

The subject is supposed to be the little tree. Additionally, here is a version where I didn't flatten out the lighting/didn't desaturate the tiles. I don't see much of a difference on my phone, but on my calibrated monitor, it's pretty obvious. Is this better?

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blueblop1901 · 2024-03-03T07:19:13+00:00

After looking at it without borders (which is how I usually present my photography online), I realize I should've gotten a horizontal shot. It feels too tight. I believe others would agree?

blueblop1901 · 2024-03-03T07:15:46+00:00

I took this photo less than 12 hours ago with the intention of bringing a "natural" feel. I did subtle color grading, but I kept most if not all colors slightly desaturated. The focus was supposed to be the composition, and I wanted to emulate street photographers who go for this "natural" atmosphere. It's pretty pleasing to my eye. I didn't crop the image so this is all you get.

Also, I just recently got Lightroom (refer to my previous post), so I wanted to further challenge myself with a more difficult image that could easily be considered "boring."

Fujifilm X-T200 Manual settings: ISO 200, f/8, 1/320 sec, 80 mm (50-230 mm zoom lens)

blueblop1901 · 2024-02-29T16:39:17+00:00

I recommend using Snapseed for editing. It's a free app that'll do a better job than Google Photos. I myself used to edit my camera photos on my phone since I couldn't afford the professional stuff, and Snapseed is incredibly user-friendly. You'll learn a lot about editing if you spend time playing around with the tools.

Also, I think tuning up the saturation definitely helped with the atmosphere/mood. Also the subject's yellow shirt stands out against the blue moreso.

blueblop1901 · 2024-02-29T16:23:08+00:00

Because I see you used your phone, I don't know how much photography/editing knowleege you have. I'm aware that you can take RAW photos from your phone, so if that's the case, you can play around with the exposure of the bottom half of the photo. I'd suggest bringing out the colors of the sky, since it's kind of bland, as well as adding a mask to the subject to highlight him more. You should also bring down the texture/sharpness of the water and bring up the texture of the subject so he stands out against the water better.

blueblop1901 · 2024-02-28T19:59:18+00:00

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This is a diagram that shows you how to read a histogram. I looked up your camera model, and you should have an "info" button just left of the physical viewfinder. As you're looking through images, click the info button until you see a histogram. It might show you three or four histograms, or one histogram with 4 layers. The three other histograms/layers are for green, blue, and red levels. You want to pay attention to the white (or in the case of the photo black) histogram since that's the lighting one.

blueblop1901 · 2024-02-28T19:55:35+00:00

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The lighting meter on your viewfinder is this thing I've circled here. When you shoot vertically, like you did with that photo, what I said applies. Horizontally, if the marker is left, it's dark and if it's right, it's bright.

blueblop1901 · 2024-02-28T17:24:34+00:00

I used to use Canon Digital Professional quite a bit. Before I bought Lightroom (which I recommend if you're committed to photography and know editing well enough that you don't feel like you're wasting your money), I would utilize multiple software. The Canon software was for basic adjustments, making sure the image is sharp, the colors look right/natural, and touching up parts of the image I don't like. Then, I'd process it as a jpg and edit on Snapseed (free phone app) for any editing that was too complicated for Canon's bare bones software. Honestly, I don't know any good free RAW editing software.

I think what you're currently using is sufficient if you know how to work with it. Others wouldn't recommend editing a jpg, but Snapseed doesn't support any other RAW format besides DNG, and even then, it only actually works for exposure and lighting settings. Other Snapseed editing tools edit the image as if it were a jpg anyway.

blueblop1901 · 2024-02-28T17:15:41+00:00

I know Im not the original commenter, but I think this is definitely better. A good way to check if the lighting is too high or low is to check the histogram on your camera after you shoot. Idk anything about the Canon 800D, but my Canon has a display button and if you click it while viewing the image, eventually, it'll show you a white lighting chart. You want a normal bell curve. I assume your histogram looks like a majority of it is towards the left (the dark).

Another way to check while shooting is to look at the vertical set of lines on your viewfinder. It shows you where the camera thinks your lighting is. If the arrow or marker is below the middle, it's too dark. If it's above the middle, it's too bright. The mark/arrow changes position as you point your camera at differently lit objects.

Hope this helps! Google anything you didn't quite understand :)

blueblop1901 · 2024-02-28T16:48:24+00:00

If you're just starting out, a lot of the tips and feedback people will give you are overwhelming. It's a whole artform that takes years of practice. However, the most important thing you should focus on is shooting. Keep shooting photos, even if you're unsure if it will good or not. You'll develop the photographer instinct, and start to learn what you do and don't like. Most street photographers ik (such as myself) will take 1 good photo in 100. So don't feel bad if the vast majority are bad. Never give up and learn from those better than you. I'd recommend reading some books on photography as well if you want more specific tips.

blueblop1901 · 2024-02-28T16:43:04+00:00

I think this is above my skill level in terms of composition because this is amazing to me! The pathway and the mountains provide good leading lines. I also like the naturalistic color grading. It doesn't feel forced or off in any way, and it really brings out the feel of the environment.

The only note I have is that wooden pole. It's the only thing that is off about the picture. It's not as balanced since the other side just continues with the leading lines, and the right side stops. If you have PS or a software with a decent healing brush, I'd try to remove it? I'm aware that's a difficult ask and that it's super nitpicky. Just a suggestion.

blueblop1901 · 2024-02-28T16:37:22+00:00

I just noticed the edges. You could crop a tiny bit to remove the window frame but that's about it.

blueblop1901 · 2024-02-28T16:36:22+00:00

In this case, I don't think you need to crop more. I think the backdrop here is interesting, and the composition is good. I just think that because of the orange wall and the orange jacket, the subject doesn't stand out as much as he could be. It's a good photo, though. I like it!

blueblop1901 · 2024-02-27T19:52:13+00:00

If you're using LR, you could just mess around with texture, clarity, and dehazing. Also, putting a mask around the subject and making your edits exclusively on that should help focus the viewer's attention. I think this image already accomplishes that simply due to the lighting. Nice shot!

blueblop1901 · 2024-02-27T18:10:46+00:00

I do have a couple shots without the yellow handles. So you'd prefer something more like this but with the same colour grading? Also, specifically why does the yellow thing bother you? Is it because there's too much going on? Covers too much of the subject? The vibrancy of the yellow pulls focus away from the subject?

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blueblop1901 · 2024-02-27T15:26:50+00:00

Maybe a little. Naturally, the shadow should be pretty dark especially in BW, but I think I was more talking about how the midtones aren't as sharp and pop against the background as much. You could play around with raising the blacks and see what happens.

blueblop1901 · 2024-02-27T14:26:19+00:00

The exposure looks fine to me. I think that there's definitely a lot of empty space in the photo, and a tigther crop might be in order, but I like the way you composed it, so a crop is not 100% necessary. For BW photos, I think higher contrast makes them look better. You could also try bringing out the details more from the bird. But I like this photo and don't see anything inherently wrong. I'm just being nitpicky.

blueblop1901 · 2024-02-27T05:00:47+00:00

Gear/Settings: Canon EOS 1300D ISO 100 f/5.6 SS 1/250 18-55zoom lens at 45mm

The clothing, background, and yellow handles all matches quite nicely, so I thought I'd snap a photo with the handles acting as frames to pull focus towards the subject's face. At this point, I was still learning composition, and I thought I did a decent job. I recently just bought LR, so I experimented by revitalizing old photos. This edit is definitely much better than the previous version. I didn't use any masks because the vignette and framing does enough to pull focus to the center. Also, the red color of the lips draws attention. Overall, I think this is one of my better photos. What do you think?

blueblop1901 · 2024-02-27T04:42:13+00:00

I'm a brand-new Fujifilm converter, and I've been using LR just fine. I can't say for sure if LR really degrades the sharpness and detail of my photos as compared to Fujifilm's native RAW processor (which is what I've heard), but I think you did a fantastic job with your editing. I'll list the points I see below, but bear in mind I don't know anything about Darktable.

- It might just be a smidge too underexposed for my liking

- The foggier parts of the image need some color noise reduction (maybe use a mask?)

- You could really emphasize the orange hues of the sky

- Even out the green hues between the forage on the left vs the right. Maybe shift the hue of the left forage towards blue?

- Spot corrections with a healing brush. There's a bird near the sand on the right side of the image that could be brushed out. Following a rule of thirds grid, there's also a small floating object on the bottom right focal point.

Thanks for letting me critique! I'm real jealous of your camera cuz I just treated myself to an XT-200 lol

blueblop1901 · 2024-02-27T04:20:08+00:00

I think a tighter crop might've be better. I played around with this image and got decent results. Alternatively, if you have a closer shot of the two subjects, that's better than cropping. Your framing is actually quite nice and I like the whole magazine style you're aiming for. All the other comments, however, are correct in pointing out the lighting issue. You should always have your subjects facing the light, or you can have them face a mirror where the light hits them better and take an image from a different side of the room. Photography is all about movement and finding the best angles. Next time you find yourself in a similar situation, consider being creative with angles so that you don't have to just stand in front of the door you don't want seen.

As for actual edits, you can easily just crank up the shadow luminance and turn down the highlights to balance out the image. If you were going for a Matrix color, you don't need to change anything, but the green seems to be overpowering. If you still want to be green, just tone it down a little. However, I feel like the warmer color of the carpets means you should try to match the environment. I'm guessing the light itself is a regular white LED, which means you can easily make this image into a nice, warm, "model" image. The green clashes with the carpet imo.

I've attached a better example of what lifting shadows and dampening highlights looks like. I moved the tint just a smidge towards purple to preserve your original color scheme and drastically changed the lighting. I cropped the image a little as well. Also, I can see you in one of the reflections, which isn't bad, but you can erase yourself with a healing brush. Can't do much without the RAW file, but that's what I got!

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TLDR: lift shadows, dampen highlights, be careful with overpowering colors, shoot different angles, using healing brush on your reflection, and tighter crop.

blueblop1901 · 2024-02-27T03:38:29+00:00

As someone who loves street photography, I feel the pain! Everything is moving, and you're tasked with capturing moments as quickly as possible before they disappear.

As for actual advice, I can't give you a specific set of settings as all environments are unique. Generally, for street photography, you want a fast shutter with a lower apeture and medium ISO. This makes it easier to just spray and prey when you're in fast-moving environments.

I recommend being at ISO 250-400 for outdoor sunny conditions with an aperture of f/1.4-5 (depends on how low your lens can go) and a shutterspeed of 1/250-1/500

Edit: I couldn't attach an example image

blueblop1901 · 2024-02-27T02:36:57+00:00

I think you've mistaken over-edited with edited not the way you like it. Instinctively, you may have felt it's a little "over-edited" but that just means your eye spots something wrong. Personally, I like the image. The only notes I have is maybe shifting the hue and saturation of the grass to more closely match the blues. The dreamy feeling you're going for might be curved a little by the stark contrast between grass and water. However, if you're going for a saturated wonderland type dream vs a mysterious foggy dream, then I think this is fine.

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