Thanks guys. BTW Manny, what amounts of USM did you use? I am still learning to use the USM tool, how do you know what amount to start with?
Thanks guys. BTW Manny, what amounts of USM did you use? I am still learning to use the USM tool, how do you know what amount to start with?
Steve. you know what I am about to say is typical for me to say
It Depends
I never use the same settings or amounts of anything all the time for final output to A.net or JP.net. I will use layer masks for everything and mask whatever I feel should get more or less of something.
If your image is excellent to start with, you should not have to use much if any sharpening.
For your image I used four separate layers. One for the windows, one for the nose, one for the wingtips and belly and one for the logo. I used a total of four additive USM layers (that is I used the filter four times adding to the last one) and masked the areas I needed more or less sharpening on.
My settings for your image were USM 100,0.1,0 because of the layering and because of the size of the image and the details. For larger details, say if it is a not so sharp image, I will use 250, 0.3,1 and so on... I will judge the settings based on the contents of the image.
I say I get it right 90% of the time now. I was batting .200 when I first started uploading to the db's
Your goal should be to visually get to a point where things look oversharpened (strong LARGE jaggies all over) and then scale it back until they're almost gone. Small jags are ok in small areas. Look at the extreme corners of the image first. Look away from your screen and then quickly look back at the image. This will allow a quick look from a relaxed view. Remember, the screeners will look at your image very quickly for the first time. You have been looking at yours probably for 15 minutes and some more than days LOL.
Make sure your windows are sharp, logos, nose, tail, all the extreme tips should be sharp. Then the body, the wheels.
if anythig does not jive, DO NOT SAVE IT... move on...
The best thign you can learn in post processing is to be the best editor you can be.. .DELETE DELETE DELETE or move on... Your greatest images are waiting for you to finish "playing" with a not so great image!
Manny Gonzalez
Thrust Images | General Photography | R.I.P. Matt Molnar 1979-2013
BRING BACK THE KJFK/KLGA OBSERVATION DECKS
Thanks for the insight Manny. I will play around with this later. I really wish I was able to sit down with you and have you show me this stuff in person, since I am a lot better visual and hands on learner than I am reading the thread and thengoing home and trying it.
Some hosts will default to optimizing the image some won't again like Manny said when uploading check to see. Manny has it centered nicely now. I would throw a little selective sharpening on the titles and tail but I don't upload to JP so I don't know how they like their sharpness. Manny also chopped the stabilizer. Some screeners won't mind it, some will so give it a go!
'My idea of a good picture is one that's in focus and of a famous person doing something unfamous.' Andy Warhol
I never get rid of the original. So now I can go back to that and start over with re-cropping and throw some selective sharpening at it.
Nick, this is so true, but I think I found a happy medium... if the overall motive is good, it is allowed. For example, if you center on the BODY and the wings get clipped, it is OK, but if in the resulting crop the engines are chopped, it will get rejected. In the end it is about balance. I get that now :-) Used to fight it before. So, rules to live byOriginally Posted by NIKV69
-Do not chop the engines, include them fully or not. One egine is OK as long as the other does not show partially.
-Do not chop wing tips unless you chop equally on the other side.
-If you have to clip the wings for any reason, have a good motive for it.
-Look for balance in the resulting crop.
In the case of the Finn from Steve, the crop was done so I could center it LOL. Had I had more room on the original I would have kept it but it is my preference. I now regularly chop off stabilizers than I used to but in general I like to see the WHOLE plane
Manny Gonzalez
Thrust Images | General Photography | R.I.P. Matt Molnar 1979-2013
BRING BACK THE KJFK/KLGA OBSERVATION DECKS
On that angle more times than not you will get away with it. It's wierd. I have found the closer the crop the better the chance and the stabalizer on the far side doesn't really matter then again it's all relative.
'My idea of a good picture is one that's in focus and of a famous person doing something unfamous.' Andy Warhol
I'm going to go back to the original tonight and center it a little better as well as try some selective sharpening. I will post the new version later on tonight.
Adam those are terrific, except for the green cast (through plate glass?)
Here is the first one corrected to taste (eyeballed, not much perfection but it shows the difference)
and your original for comparison
Last edited by gonzalu; 2011-03-09 at 08:12 PM.
Manny Gonzalez
Thrust Images | General Photography | R.I.P. Matt Molnar 1979-2013
BRING BACK THE KJFK/KLGA OBSERVATION DECKS
I've got two versions here and not sure which is better to send, or if either will make it...input is appreciated!
Definitely the first one... more balanced and does not chop the parts indiscriminately ... :-)
I would tighten the histogram a bit as it seems a little flat. Here is a quick touch up... curves and color balance to taste.
you should also leave a BIT of breathing room around the edges, not cropping TOO tightly... crop tight, but not to touch the edges if you don't need to... For me, if I am showing the whole plane, I leave about 5 to 10 pixels from any edge to the nearest part...
If I am cropping, I may crop super tight on an engine nacelle or a window etc, but it is dynamic.
In REAL photography, breathing room is very important. On Airliners, they prefer a tighter crop than not, but that's not to say you can;t have a pleasing border around the aircraft and the closest part to the edges :-)
Cheers!
Last edited by gonzalu; 2011-04-13 at 04:31 PM.
Manny Gonzalez
Thrust Images | General Photography | R.I.P. Matt Molnar 1979-2013
BRING BACK THE KJFK/KLGA OBSERVATION DECKS
I have a really good feeling I will be seeing a motive rejection on this one because of the beltloader and jetway but figure it was worth the shot anyways-
http://brandonsaviationblog.blogspot.com/ My continuing updated Aviation Blog
http://www.flickr.com/photos/seahawks7757/ My continuing updated photostream from BFI and sometimes SEA
Most certainly. You were damned if you did or you didn't. If you wait for ground equip and jetway to pull back you have the tug there.I have a really good feeling I will be seeing a motive rejection on this one because of the beltloader and jetway but figure it was worth the shot anyways-
'My idea of a good picture is one that's in focus and of a famous person doing something unfamous.' Andy Warhol
That is a sweet shot Bran... but definitely motive rejection because the of the blocked number 1 engine, left wing and bottom of number 2 engine. :-(
Manny Gonzalez
Thrust Images | General Photography | R.I.P. Matt Molnar 1979-2013
BRING BACK THE KJFK/KLGA OBSERVATION DECKS
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks