[mez]

Hi guys,

These are a few pics of Dan (13 in the world) 6 weeks after a shoulder reconstruction. Crazy person yes...but the question is, considering that these are film that is scanned, is there any way for me to make them look better, or do I just have to ... go digital...

I have some shots that I think look really good and sharp, etc, then I scan them and upload to show, and they just don't look that great...help...

[StudioJ]

Is it the scan do you think Mary? Do they look better when you compare the two of them side by side? If so then you might want to fiddle with your scanner settings or have them scanned professionally.

The only thing I can think that would improve the shots would be shooting them with less overhead (harsh) light as the main subject is full of shadows and the water and sky are too bright. The mixture of tight and wide shots works well though.

[shuttertalk]

Perhaps it's the developing of the print, or the scanning, but I find the photos a bit dull (in colour).

Nice action shots though... well done! Must be fun to watch.


Dan... he's your husband?

[mez]

Thanks for the feedback, the shots definately work better looking at the prints...as for the light...wasn't really much that I could do about it...great day for kiting...but unfortunately I can't ...make that won't ...take the camera out into the water to get Dan from the other side, and therefore reduce the shadows. Because of the winds most kiting is done of an afternoon here...and being on the west coast I would have to be in the water most of the time to achieve that :/

I was standing on the shore and playing with the settings of the camera and he started playing with someones kite (his mother killed him when she found out about it but I liked having a subject doing something). I was right at the full range of the 300 lense and then when I've scanned it I've cropped it to something that I thought looked nice.

I'll rescan the photos, after playing with the settings and see how they look then.

Thanks for the feedback guys.

[mez]

Sorry forgot to say, Dan is our kiting instructor. He's currectly ranked no 13 in the world. Just before christmas he returned from the world tour and had a shoulder reconstruction, so he was teaching us so that he had something to do basically.

Really nice guy...but a little too young for me...thanks anyway

[Peted]

Are you using a polarising filter. I had a bit of a play but it could get better with more work.

[mez]

I hadn't done anything with it at all...just as photographed (and cropped) but I haven't had any experience with PSing at all...have the program that came with the scanner (PhotoStudio 5) but haven't really had a play with it...what is the best program to use??

All input gratefully accepted !!

[adam]

I tried playing a bit

[Peted]

Most of the mainstream tools like PhotoShop CS and PaintShop Pro will do everything and a bit more, PhotoShop Elelments is also very good and reasonably priced. Have a look for an older copy of PaintShop Pro on a magazine, you can usually pick them up for the price of the magazine.

[shuttertalk]

I'd recommend Photoshop Elements as well, mez... it's got enough power to do 90%* of the post processing stuff you'll ever need, and is easy to use and reasonably priced too.


(* I made this number up. )

[mez]

You gave me my sky back!!!

I knew that there was colour in the sky...I could see it in the print!!!

Now the big question is, is there somewhere that I can learn to do that...and manipulate pics like I see you guys diong...or is it a case of learning as I go??

[shuttertalk]

Hehe, learn as you go, I say. If you see a cool effect, or anything you like in these forums, just yell out and someone can usually tell you how it's done..

[adam]

I adjust the brightness for the whole image,
then tried to adjust the brightness for Dan alone, but couldn't do it properly,
then cut out the sky and pasted in a sky from another picture I took

[mez]

Cheeky cheeky...now why didn't I think of that...oh the opportunities that I see opening up to me with digital!!

Are you going to Kings Park this weekend Adam??

I'm sure that my husband doesn't like the money I can see being spent on a change over...even a partial one. :/

Oh well...at least I've found a nice bunch of people to help ease me into it...I'm sure if I ask for help someone will be nice to me.

Thanks guys

MM

[NT73]

Last post September 2005. Oh where do they go to. :/