My partner in crime Desley form Musings of a Frequent Flying Scientist runs every second week of the month, the Image Reboot Challenge, where she shares her knowledge with post processing photos in LightRoom.
She posts both in her blog and in this blog, as a feature of the Photo Rehab. And I assure you that Desley knows how to masterfully transform frog photos into princes!
I have selected one of the frog photos that I had rejected, when shooting at a busy crossing at Amsterdam city center. I was trying to use low shutter speed and have utterly failed. Here is the proof.
Here is my frog’s rescue operation:
As a first step I decided to improve the photo in RAW mode, still in color, by doing the following in LightRoom:
- cropped
- exposure to -0,25
- contrast +61
- highlights -77
- whites -100
- blacks +35
- clarity +100
- vibrancy +30
Here is the result, which didn’t make me yet happy, as it still looks dull and colorless.
I then edited the photo in Silver Efex Pro2 to make it monochrome. I applied a High Contrast and Structure Filter. I have also increased structure and reduced the soft contrast. It looks more dramatic and I liked it better, not just because I love drama!
What do you think?
Sights & Insights 
i like it very much, it has not necessary something dramatic in it but some rushing, flashing on time or so. Its very intresting, and its like sitting on a bicyle myself , Lucile :O
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Thank you! I’m happy that it made you feel like that! 😀👍
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You very welcome Lucile ❤
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I think the silver shot is amazing. It creates a mood of speed! Love it! ❤
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Thanks, Coleen! All things ‘Silver’ are excellent! 👍😉💗
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LOL! You are a rare gem! 💗📷
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😘
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Fabulous editing!! I love how editing can bring out action and structure in a photo … Great job… I feel as if I’m there … I like the black and white one as well as the color edit:))
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Lia, somehow I have double feelings about editing. It allows us to recover photos but it also serves to totally modify it, changing the elements of the composition, mixing photos, and much more that makes the original photo not recognizable and unreal.
I don’t know yet how to use photoshop well so I’ll see what I can learn to transform photos without overdoing it.
Thank you dearest Lia.
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I agree that editing does modify the original pic and I used to be afraid of using it…I try to keep edits minimal and not to change too much — but I find it brings out the brilliance in the color/light where my phone couldn’t…Yet I agree that too much editing takes away from the original and can look unreal…
I love technology and what it allows us photographers to do:-)
Many hugs!
*Lia
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I agree with you Lia, as it is a fantastic and when used well, helps us to improve the photos and even save images that we liked so much, but didn’t get the right light.
I am a tech-lover too! 😉
Giant hugs!
Lucile
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Love it. Great rescue. The black and white [and the cropping] really reduces visual clutter, making it easier to take it all in.
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Thanks Amy, your comment makes me smile.
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Love it! I’m immediately drawn to the blurred cyclist in the left but then my eye travels that line of gorgeous buildings along the back. Such an amazing transformation. You rock, my Queen!!
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Thanks my master! I’m just your pupil, learning everything from your superb skills and talent!
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Love the transformed image. I am going to have to check out Silver Efex Pro2. Thanks for the tip!
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Thanks Lisa! You’ll love it because it’s a fabulous app for black and white!
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That conversion made all the difference. It brought out contrast, texture and tone and then things popped.
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Thank you, Sally. Making the conversion is a mini class in photography, because it teaches so much on what I could have achieved, if I had used the right settings before shooting. I like post editing much more because of what I learn from it, as I’m not very much into overdoing with editing.
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Definitely like that last one, Lucile.
janet
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Thank you, Janet !
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So much contrast & texture making for a very dramatic photo. Your photography is amazing! It keeps improving by leaps and bounds.
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Love it! This is one of those times when all the work that can go into a great shot just sort of disappears, because the result is so good the viewer doesn’t even notice the process. I’m not sure that’s particularly clear, but I think I’m trying to say that part of good art is that it looks seamless. Or something 🙂
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Love your comment, Su! Very clear. I think we humans take things for granted so naturally, in almost every aspect of life, even when contemplating nature’s beauty.
Thanks for commenting.
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A wonderful edit! The black and white works really well. It looks really dramatic. 🙂
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Thanks much. I appreciate that you take the time to leave a lovely comment.
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I like the final image a lot! That Silver Efex 2 program did quite some magic to the picture.
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Thank you! I am so pleased with Silver Efex 2! Magic is the right word!
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This is what puts the Pro in Silver Efex.
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Absolutely!
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Nicely rescued.
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Thank you!!
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A good black and white is often better; one is not distracted from the issue.
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