MAKING OUR PICTURES LOOK BETTER

[Grandad]

It has been very quiet on here just recently regarding picture taking and 'tweaking' (my favourite word)

The things that offend my eye the most when looking at a picture are; Slanting Horizons, Converging Parallels, Distracting objects in the picture, and out of focus shots.

All of these can be considerably improved or even completely corrected with our photo editors. Even Picasa, with its limited available 'tweaks', can do a pretty good job of making improvements.

I went for a wander around town last Thursday morning and took a few snaps, mostly of people, but this picture taken with an 18mm lens setting showed excessive converging parallels, further exagerated by the low angle relative to the building.

I attempted to improve the exaggerated perspective by opening Image>Transform>Perspective in PSE7 and correcting in two ways.

The first picture is the original. In picture two I have added some correction by dragging the 'handles' out at the top of the picture. This can have the effect of shortening verticals and in this case the main tower has shortened and the nearest tower has been stretched.

In picture three I dragged the bottom handles in towards the centre of frame. Although this shortened the main tower, the nearest tower is less affected and in my opinion this is the best option. This type of correction may require the picture to be cropped if there is any white area left after adjusting.


Unfortunately, by nature, I don't like second best and in photographs, if they can be improved, I like to improve them.

Anyone else got little tweaks that they use to improve their pictures.

[Horus]

I agree Grandad, it is always difficult to get a satisfactory result, but yours looks a pretty good attempt. I use the same sort of tools to correct bad pictures and it is a great way of salvaging some of them, the results are never perfect and you can keep on going forever as you can always find another little tweak. I took the liberty of having a quick go using your number 1 picture and this was the best I could get in about 10 minutes or so, but as you can see the lower part of the church main building still needs pulling out left and right after straightening the towers.

[Grandad]

Good effort Horus but The Nave, between the two towers at the west end and the tall Bell Harry Tower, is much more lofty. It appears compressed and this is emphasised in the shape of the south west door. But as you infer, it is a compromise to get the best looking result albeit not perfect.

When dealing with convergence I think we must remember that tall buildings should not be over corrected until they are parallel. Wide angle lenses tend to emphasise the effect which is there to a lesser degree when viewed naturally.

[Jayway]

Dear Grandad, your pictures make me feel ill. Could you stand in a different place to take them please .

[LovelyLadyLux]

One of the 'tips' or 'tricks' that I learned when I was taking the photography class is that if you want to create a hazy appearance around something - breathe heavily onto the end of your lens. It will start to evaporate from the inside out which does leave a real nice foggy haze about the subject which is caught in the middle.

[Grandad]

One of the 'tips' or 'tricks' that I learned when I was taking the photography class is that if you want to create a hazy appearance around something - breathe heavily onto the end of your lens. It will start to evaporate from the inside out which does leave a real nice foggy haze about the subject which is caught in the middle.

Examples LLL, we want to see examples.

Dear Jayway, I am SO sorry that my picture of the cathedral makes you feel ill. The problem is that, as the precinct is so small, it is difficult to get the whole building in frame....hence my thread to discuss ways of correcting things like convergence that can have the effect you mention.

Hope you are feeling better now.

[Ruby Slippers]

One of the 'tips' or 'tricks' that I learned when I was taking the photography class is that if you want to create a hazy appearance around something - breathe heavily onto the end of your lens. It will start to evaporate from the inside out which does leave a real nice foggy haze about the subject which is caught in the middle.

I think a thin smear of Vaseline has the same effect. (Mind you, cleaning it off might be a bit difficult!)

[Ruby Slippers]

Grandad, just out of interest, is the ducking stool still there?

[Horus]

The best thing to do if you use the vaseline trick is to put it on a cheap UV filter and save it for that sort of use. My tip for getting that dreamy photographic effects is to put an old nylon stocking (or a new one if the Mrs is not looking) or the leg of a pair of tights over the lens.

[Ruby Slippers]

Blimey, Horus, thanks for the tip but I leave the photography lark to 'im indoors! I'm more a 'point and click' merchant myself!

[Grandad]

Grandad, just out of interest, is the ducking stool still there?

Yes it is RS and can be seen above the peoples heads in this picture.


There is another at Fordwich, a few miles downstream, but this is now kept inside Fordwich Town Hall. This is the Town Hall of the smallest town in Britain.


Whoops! Another thread drifting away from topic.

[Grandad]

FLIPPING IMAGES
Photographs that are a 'record' only allow a limited amount of editing. But photos that have some artistic element can be manipulated to make them more pleasing to the eye or even abstract.
As we write and read from left to right I tend to think that pictures that lead the eye in that direction are more acceptable. In the following, the river in the first picture leads from right to left, and in the second I have 'flipped it horizontally' so that the river flows from left to right.



I find the second image more pleasing to the eye. This works fine when there is no text in the image but if there is you may need to do a bit of cloning or fogging to make the text less distinct..............Do you agree and do you have any observations to make?

[Horus]

Nice picture of the ducking stool Grandad and isn’t that the Weavers House we talked about last year sometime?

As to the flipped pictures, first off let me say that is a lovely summery picture and makes me long for the Summer. Love the interaction of the water and the wild flowers on the bank (polishing the camera as we speak) and I spent some of yesterday reclaiming about four square yards of paved area in my garden so I can use it to extend my wildflower planting area this year, even more bees, insects and Butterfly’s.

At first I thought I would agree with you on the second picture looking better, but I found myself liking them both equally although I am right handed, maybe I am ambidextrous and didn’t realise it, always thought I was Church of England.

[bigken]

Simple one Grandad, had it been me i would have took the pictures before going into the pub and not when you came out :-)

It has been very quiet on here just recently regarding picture taking and 'tweaking' (my favourite word)

The things that offend my eye the most when looking at a picture are; Slanting Horizons, Converging Parallels, Distracting objects in the picture, and out of focus shots.

All of these can be considerably improved or even completely corrected with our photo editors. Even Picasa, with its limited available 'tweaks', can do a pretty good job of making improvements.

I went for a wander around town last Thursday morning and took a few snaps, mostly of people, but this picture taken with an 18mm lens setting showed excessive converging parallels, further exagerated by the low angle relative to the building.

I attempted to improve the exaggerated perspective by opening Image>Transform>Perspective in PSE7 and correcting in two ways.

The first picture is the original. In picture two I have added some correction by dragging the 'handles' out at the top of the picture. This can have the effect of shortening verticals and in this case the main tower has shortened and the nearest tower has been stretched.

In picture three I dragged the bottom handles in towards the centre of frame. Although this shortened the main tower, the nearest tower is less affected and in my opinion this is the best option. This type of correction may require the picture to be cropped if there is any white area left after adjusting.


Unfortunately, by nature, I don't like second best and in photographs, if they can be improved, I like to improve them.

Anyone else got little tweaks that they use to improve their pictures.

[Kiya]

As you say Grandad we read left - right, I think I prefer the first pic of the girl, she is on the left as is the bridge & flow of the river, seems more natural to me
On saying that thats a very long pigtail the girl has, I'd love to capture her in a slight breeze with her long hair flowing loosely, not that I'm very good at portraits

[Grandad]

Simple one Grandad, had it been me i would have took the pictures before going into the pub and not when you came out :-)

@BK

So I take it that the pictures have the same effect on you as Jayway then BK I must remember your suggestion as a solution to the problem...hik!

Yes Horus, that is the Weavers but as the pictures were in my album it saved having to upload more. Many years ago we lived in a cottage right there on the river near the ducking stool, but that was before we had children. And as you say H, roll on some better weather and signs of spring.

Kiya, I didn't know the lady in my picture but I am sure she would be flattered at being called 'a girl' She was probably approaching sixty......mutton and lamb come to mind

[Kiya]

Grandad .....Oh dear! if she is around 60 I think she's looking well

OMG!!!! when I enlarged the photo again did anyone notice the mans face in the river ? if you look 3/4 the way down the lady's dress & about 1 1/2 " to the right there he is!!........or is just me that sees him ?

BTW......I'm looking at the 1st photo on the left.

[Horus]

I can see him as well Kiya, fortunately it is just a Nettle flower and a bit of water contour combining to make the picture you see. Did you know that the human brain is programmed to make things it recognises from any abstract shapes it sees and most commonly we see faces in things like clouds, snow, rocky outcrops etc. I think that why the shrinks use those ink blot pictures to analyse your thought processes.

[Grandad]

Well spotted Kiya, you win todays prize for sharpest observation

There were two lads in the river with a dog just splashing around at the time..........

[Horus]

So it is a real face then Grandad? just shows how bad my eyes really are