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Hi all,

Thought i'd share some pictures I took tfof the opera house sails yesterday. I quite like the first one, not too sure of the others. Think they might be a bit washed out though, the sky isn't as blue as i'd like. I've got the raw files, could anyone give me any tips on beefing up the blue of the sky?

Thanks!

Jon

<a href="http://jonnydee.smugmug.com/gallery/348576/1/13854103">Originals in gallery</a>

jonnydee

I pulled the middle photo out and opened in PS - check out your levels - pull the left hand marker across to see an increase in contrast and definition. It’s a start.

Nicely composed pics

Chris

sirhc55 wrote:jonnydee

I pulled the middle photo out and opened in PS - check out your levels - pull the left hand marker across to see an increase in contrast and definition. It’s a start.

Nicely composed pics

Chris

Liked the photos jonnydee but I agree that those harsh summer skies look a bit weak. I played with the last photo in PS and got some good results by selecting just the sky with the Magic Wand tool then adjusting the levels (you'll see what improvements can be made when you look at the graph) and also playing with the saturation and lightness to get the desired colour. The benefit of this method is that it only affects the sky and leaves the remainder alone.

Thanks for the tips! I've had another go with the origianls and come up with a more balanced result I think.

Cheers,

Jon

Much better result, Jon. Well done.

I love the adjusted photo...

What white balance settings did you use, or did you do anything to adjust the colour of the sails in PP? The reason I ask is that last time I was down there the sails were looking a little yellow and jaded...

Jon, the sails almost look plastic with their shiny bright white appearance. As abstract art pieces, I think they would work.

Leek, I used the direct sunlight WB setting, then I just tweaked the white end of the levels a bit in photoshop, didn't touch the colour. I think the sun was just very strong directly onto the sails, leading to that shiny kind of look.