I wasn't really inspired to take a photo this week, but for some reason I became inspired to read up on digital processing techniques. Perhaps it was because of the photography seminars I attended a few weeks ago, or maybe it was because Aravind just launched a little side business called AK Imagery. Whatever the reason, today I decided to speed-read a bunch of good articles by Ron Bigelow on the subject of photography and processing.

I also want to get more familiar with Photoshop, so I took the opportunity to pull out an old photo and see what I could do with it. In honour of the Papel's recent trip to Hawaii, I chose a photo I took on Molokai that I never really got around to "fixing". This was shot from Kalaupapa National Historic Park. The original photo had several problems including a tilted horizon, lack of contrast, and rather boring colour reproduction. After a little bit of work, I think this is closer to what I had in mind when I took the picture.

Technical details: This was shot with my Rebel XT + kit lens at 27mm, ISO 100, f/4 for 1/400th of a second.

Comments

Oh Wow! What a beautiful picture! You should send me the original or post it
so that I can see the changes you made. 

I second the request for an original so I can see the difference.

You have to
show me how to use photoshop sometime. I hate that program like telemarketers
hate their jobs.

OK, due to popular demand, here is the original:



Photoshop has a steep learning curve... and
it's incredibly difficult to learn on your own.  Just to get started with it,
it helps to have someone go through and show you where the tools are, what each
tool does and what it is useful for.

Next time you are in town I can show you
some quick examples of what to do.  In the meantime, your homework is to learn
everything you can about "selections".	;)

Good work Mike.  I've been busy studying both good photographing techniques and
Photoshop techniques lately.  One of the things that seperates the 'average'
photo from the spectacular one is the attention paid to it in post processing. 
When the photographer is then able to visualize the post processing and the
final image while composing the shot and releasing the shutter, then you can
really get an exceptional photograph.  Ansel Adams is a fine example of a
photographer who did this in the film age.  He even went as far as to
selectively pour chemicals on only part of the negative for selective dodging
and burning.  John Paul Caponigro is an example of a modern photographer who
follows this philosophy (http://www.johnpaulcaponigro.com/).  

Oh and here is
an interesting slideshow of a wedding photographer with before and after
pictures:

http://www.iqphoto.com/galleries6.htm

Let me know if you are
interested in books, I have several spares and ones I'm not using anymore...  

Oooo...awesome. I like seeing the difference. I really do need to get tips from
you for photoshop. The sole reason I keep it on my computer is the hope that
someday I might be able to manipulate light like that.

So, it's either learn
to use photoshop, or hope they invent the eyeball camera :P