My First Try at Photoshop Elements

[Windknot]

Well....here it is...

This was my first successful attempt at adapting Gilligan's linked hints for cleaning up green/blue U/W photos using Photoshop. I had to screw around for a while to figure out the comparable Photoshop Elements 2.0 commands, but came out with a much better photo on the first full try.

I know I've got a lot of experience to gain getting the color/hue better, but at this point I'm going to have to give Elements an A+.

Windknot

 

[Dee]

Second one looks like a B&W photo. Be careful using that 'formula' for adjusting colors. Some are calling it 'The Mandrake' after the guy who first posted about it on DD. Most of the results I've seen remove too much color, give a lavendar tint to the water, and overall give the photo a washed out look. I prefer the original blue shots to the washed out ones.

 

[Windknot]

Yep,

I know what you mean.....it's hard to define color where there was not any identifiable color to begin with.

The tarpon photo shrunk way down does look a little grey....blow it up to 26" and It definitely looks sharper. I've done about 4 other photos with the "Mandrake" protocol since this one...each one is getting better.

What are everyone's reccommendations for free web photo hosting? I've got promises all over the US and europe (from my fellow divers) to post our Brac photos as soon as I can. I'm thinking Yahoo, but am not sure about size limits.


WK

 

[Dee]

What about Scubaboard's very own Gallery? It's easy to use and you aren't real restricted to sizes.

If you're going to have alot of photos, you might consider Allenhost's Scuba Shots. At $30 a year, that's less than 10¢ a day! You get lots of space, you don't have to re-size your photos, just imbed them into your posts. I've tried all the free ones and most don't allow embedding and are a pain to manage.

 

[jormax]

Well....here it is...

This was my first successful attempt at adapting Gilligan's linked hints for cleaning up green/blue U/W photos using Photoshop. I had to screw around for a while to figure out the comparable Photoshop Elements 2.0 commands, but came out with a much better photo on the first full try.

I know I've got a lot of experience to gain getting the color/hue better, but at this point I'm going to have to give Elements an A+.

Windknot

I like the changes, good job. I tried to find the link you were talking about but couldn't. Could you let me know where it is? I have a couple of shots like that and would like to see if I can straighten them out.

 

[ReyeR]

Be careful using that 'formula' for adjusting colors. Some are calling it 'The Mandrake' after the guy who first posted about it on DD. Most of the results I've seen remove too much color, give a lavendar tint to the water, and overall give the photo a washed out look.

I agree completely with Dee.

 

[Gilligan]

jormax, I put the "mandrake process" on my PT-010 site.

 

[jormax]

jormax, I put the "mandrake process" on my PT-010 site.

Thanks!!

 

[Windknot]

Here's a different situation - original photo was still washed out and green/blue, but there was truly a lot of color hiding outside the operational area of my built in flash.

I've used Gilligan's Mandrake protocol in Elements, and have shortened it by a few steps and getting a pretty good picture with truer colors.

After applying the "SeanDrake" method, I intensified the colors of the tube sponge and little blue fishies by adjusting the hue/saturation for each individual color (saving in between).

Juvenile Baracuda that was following me around while on a dive off the Brac.

Olympus 3030 w/PT-010 Settings were on Auto and the exposure control was set to -0.7.


GEEZE THIS IS ADDICTING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Windknot aka Sean

 

[MildlyDamp]

What you guys have done with these photos is really impressive; picking up techniques like this is one of the great values that ScubaBoard brings.

I think the Tarpon photo would be more attractive with a bit more contrast. I've upped it in my version. The reef shot could also benefit from more contrast (which I've also done), although this lightens the top of the photo, which pulls your eye from the main subject. You could address this by cropping in to eliminate the top, which is mostly empty anyway, or darkening it. I've tried both.