Quick Curves 2: Desert Trouble

[ggroess]

Here is another troubled image. 

Greg

[mikemeister_admin]

Going for the striations in the rock.A pass in Lab to lighten the foreground then passes in RGB for the sky and overall color.

[mikemeister_admin]

Levels adjustment in PS, then LAB mode curve and color adjustment in CM.

[mikemeister_admin]

Yes - a difficult decision, how much to lighten the rocks. 

I've probably over done it, as it looks a bit surreal - but then it is the message I am trying to convey to the viewer, rather than a truthful reproduction.

All done in CM
pass 1 in rgb with L channel as inverted mask to lighten the rocks
pass 2 a little (?) lab saturation
pass 3 - blow in some more sky in Lab with inverted b channel mask

I really need to improve my masking as it looks very jagged at 200% - mind you the noise in the image is enormous.

I'd normally add some Mid tone contrast, but not with all this noise around

[j2e4a8n]

I like it it is a kind of dantesque [Dante in the purgatory]

[ggroess]

Levels adjustment in PS, then LAB mode curve and color adjustment in CM.

We will be showing you in class how to fix this without using levels... ;)

Greg

[mikemeister_admin]

Concentrated on brightening the foreground, probably at the expense of the sky and background hills

[ggroess]

Here is a hint...
http://www.curvemeister.com/wiki/index.php?title=Special_Curves:_Lizard_Tail

Again remember this is the week where we get to try things out and get used to some of the things curves can do.  For the new people, we would never expect you to get this technique without having seen it...

Greg

[mikemeister_admin]

Not sure if I followed - but here's an attempt

[mikemeister_admin]

English Paul,try the bottom lightness curve.Right Click in the lightness box and select pin grid>lower left,then the left side wont be affected.Those points you have at 50 and 75 can be moved back to the diagonal.What you want is a small dip at the spike in the histogram.I used quick selection tool in PSE6 so the action applied only to the rocks.GregM not Greg Groess.