how to analyze what was done to an image?

[terrier]

Hello all.

After reading topics here I saw that many of you analyze images in photoshop to see what was done to it, mainly colorwise with a histogram or something else.

How can I do this? I can't seem to figure it out. Can someone show me step by step?

I am attaching a few photos, with a simple style I like ( i know it was done with curves - but i cant seem to get it just right). Id like to make my photos look like that, but dont know how to figure out the exact process. They have, especially the black and white ones, a sort of greyish cast.

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[Ziaphra]

Looks like the black is pushed so that they become lighter.

[terrier]

I realized that also, but it's not that simple. I can't get it like that somehow.

[Britsdad]

Hi terrier...welcome
I've been playing with this for a while....it looks to me like the images have been made more contrasty then add a "hard light" blank layer above and painted on useing a "cloud" type brush with colour set at R,G and B 170 ish to give a slightly lighter than 50% grey colour. That brings the greyish cast into the photo, that's my idea. (I'm no pro, so I may well be totally wrong tho' )
John

[grannysdc]

"How can I do this?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I just use my eyeballs and see if I can reproduce it!

Copy background layer, desaturate, brightness/contrast, new layer, filter> render clouds (black and white), layer lighten.. about 75 percent, mask cloud layer and using soft black brush remove clouds where you want, I also masked the copy layer and brought back flags...
just my thoughts.. different cloud, grunge, cotton ball, or wet media brushes set at a low opacity with white color on a blank layer with a little gausian blur would probably work also..U can do it!!
Granny