Week 3: Exercise 4 -Skin tones are not just for people

[leeharper_admin]

I finally managed to get back to the exercises this morning  :)

As per the instructions, I tried this both in Lab, and by starting in RGB, with refinements in CMYK. I'm going to upload both versions - I would be interested to know which you prefer. Personally, I like the CMYK version (I'm starting to really enjoy working in CMYK).

The Lab version uses the curves attached, with an additional boost on the saturation slider (applied during a second pass).
The RGB/CMYK version uses a Heavy Black GCR separation. I tried Medium Black as well, but preferred this one. I think that I made the K channel a bit too dark, so the file I have uploaded only uses 80% of my RGB/CMYK adjustment, to knock the darkening back a bit.

Let me know what you think  :)
Lee.

[ggroess]

Lee,
The RGB is looking pretty good some very small changes...
Watch out for impossible colors like blue or green fur.  See screen shot. 
The skin Pin will make the skin look good but you have to check for the other faults as well.

I am not posting an ACV since the changes are easily managed.
Greg

[ggroess]

Lab....
it looks like you did not set a shadow point...
Similar issues.  Check out the tree bark...

Greg

[leeharper_admin]

I didn't find fixing the green and blue patches of fur particularly easy. I applied some small moves in RGB that made the animal's arm look better, but messed up the darker areas of fur. I got around this by masking with the Blue channel. This made the fur look better, but I couldn't address the blue tree bark with those curves, so I decided that I might have more luck in Lab.

It was easier in Lab to address the fur and the tree bark with the same curves, as the separation was between saturated and less saturated areas, rather than by brightness range, and this gave me a greater sense of control.

Personally, I like the previous version more - this one feels more monochromatic. I found it hard to keep things 'By the Numbers' and keep the image looking interesting. I think at this stage I'm still lacking the knowledge to be able to do something good with this one...

Lee.

[ggroess]

I would say it's all in there you just have to reason it back out...if you adjust the mid tones in RGb the ends of the curve are going to move...you only have so much rope...

If you like the curve ends..."lock" them down using 3-4 points on the curve line before you begin; knowing that you can remove them as needed.  To remove a point just drag it off the curve window or highlight it and delete...

Locking parts of the curve is essential to control of the curves you are writing...too many "adjustment points" is bad...locking things into place is good...

Greg

[leeharper_admin]

too many "adjustment points" is bad

I was reading Professional Photoshop this morning and was struck by this - Dan's corrections tend to use very few adjustment points; I find that I am using quite a few (which makes me wonder whether some of my points are in effect undoing the damage that other points are causing).

In the chapter I was reading (chapter 9, towards the end of the chapter), there is a beach image with a cast in the shadows; In CMYK Dan moves the M and Y shadow endpoints, and uses a single point in each of the CMY curves to stop the shadow adjustment from darkening the highlights. Two moves in each channel and the cast is fixed. I like the elegance of that, but it reminds me how far I have to go. This course is teaching me not to be afraid of adding points to curves;I guess that with time I'll learn restraint  ;)

Lee.

[ggroess]

I used to have way too many...I thought I had to tweak everything...
I have learned that  too much of a good thing can be bad. but there are times where you need extra points not for adjustment but for control.

Greg