Do a levels?

gandalf · 22-07-2008 8:35am #1

Ok our beloved mod Fajitas commented on this photo "Do a levels!", can he or anyone else explain what he means.

(bear in mind this has had the **** dodged and burnt out of it

)

Ostrom · 22-07-2008 8:41am

I hope you have the original saved somewhere, way too much dodge and burn

If youre using photoshop, go to the 'levels' tool to make your adjustment. Your photo is very dark and very low contrast, a 'levels' evens out your tones, and gives you control over shadow and highlight. The most basic adjustment is to pull to left and right sliders toward the base of the first peak on your histogram (and last, depending on the structure, for this shot it is likely to be concentrated on the left), and then use the middle (midtone) slider to adjust your overall brightness.

Google level adjustment and it will probably give a clearer description that I can

gandalf · 22-07-2008 8:43am

Yep every RAW file is kept

The thing is I love the extremely dark look this technique gives.

Will have a go at playing with this tonight (I really need to do a course on photoshop!).

Borderfox · 22-07-2008 8:47am

Maybe do two or three different exposures from the RAW and combine them in a HDR and then you can darken but more consistently?

sunny2004 · 22-07-2008 8:49am

To me this image is underexposed and has serious contrast issues...

Now you say its burned in to hell ?

I also donr see a white point...

Is this what you were after ?

A for your additional question, I am assuming that he was referring to using level adjustment in photoshop but I could be completly wrong.....

Any chance of seeing the origional capture to see what you have in fact done to it ?

Ostrom · 22-07-2008 8:58am

I see what you are going for, and I think the shot is perfectly composed for what you are trying to do, but in terms of tone and contrast, I think it needs something less extreme

Detail contrast and tone are what make a b&w shot for me, good balance of highlights and shadow, in your case a white focal point in the upper right, but the image needs consistency. Be subtle with it and make sure you keep detail visible. Just my way!

Roen · 22-07-2008 8:58am

I think it's great as is. Straight from the night of the living dead!

gandalf · 22-07-2008 9:03am

I'll throw the original up this evening when I get home and let you lot have a go at it

Would be interesting to see what you come up with.

Never even considered a HDR effect, any pointers on where I would look at how to do that (lining myself up for grief as its probably already in the digital darkroom forum

)

Ostrom · 22-07-2008 9:08am

HDR is a bit more effort than you need imo, a level adjustment and maybe adding a burn layer would sort it out nicely, keep it simple. Sure fire it up and i'll have a shot at it!

Fajitas! · 22-07-2008 10:12am

Heh, sorry about that!

Bascially, I was telling you to introduce some white into the image, rather than having the grey grey grey!

Open the levels palette, and bring the slider on the right closer to the middle, it'll eventually meet up with the black bits above it... It'll make sense when you're doing it!

Hugh_C · 22-07-2008 10:32am

Roen wrote: »

I think it's great as is. Straight from the night of the living dead!

Got to agree, I like the murky tones especially considering the subject matter.

HDR is the spawn of Satan and should be avoided at all costs, in this case it would be like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. HDR is possibly the most unattractive, over-used technique which should be consigned to Room 101 with the exception of A McInroy who uses it subtly.

Yeah, I like the dark tones - analogous to the soft passages in a piece of music, not everything has to be loud all the time. Listen to something classical.

Hugh

gandalf · 22-07-2008 7:38pm

Heres the original as promised. Interested to see what you lot do with it

Ostrom · 22-07-2008 10:06pm

Trying to keep it in the same style, let me know what you think

I really like it (your original!), its very well framed

Borderfox · 22-07-2008 10:54pm

This one is using an action called wash out

This is is called Velveteen

Fajitas! · 22-07-2008 11:03pm

Roen · 23-07-2008 10:07am

Original ftw!

gandalf · 23-07-2008 10:48am

Jaysus lads some really good and different versions there.

Fajitas yep see what you mean about the levels. However I just love the murky dark look of the processing that I do as well