Fixing a blown out sky

Flora · #16 07-07-2006, 09:35 AM

Hi Swampy,

... so sorry to hear about your broken shoulder .... I really wish you the best and the fastest recovery possible...

Just to thank you for a great tutorial!!!

I'd only like to add a small tip... If the blown out sky is pure white or very close to it, you won't be able to add any colour to it, unless you tone it down to a very light grey ....

Swampy · #17 07-07-2006, 10:27 AM

Thank you, Flora!

Your tip about a "total blow out" may be true, but I've not experienced that in any photos I've worked on. I'll keep my eyes pealed for the exception though.

Cameraken · #18 07-07-2006, 11:20 AM

Hi.

Quote:

I'd only like to add a small tip... If the blown out sky is pure white or very close to it, you won't be able to add any colour to it, unless you tone it down to a very light grey

Flora, does this only apply with ‘Relative’ Checked.? Swampy has ‘Absolute’ Checked.

I hope you Get well soon Swampy.

Ken.

Swampy · #19 07-07-2006, 12:52 PM

good eye there, Ken. Using absolute may make a difference.

And thank you for the get well wishes!

Flora · #20 07-07-2006, 02:22 PM

Hi,

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cameraken

Flora, does this only apply with ‘Relative’ Checked.? Swampy has ‘Absolute’ Checked.

... Thanks for pointing that out Ken!!

.... I've nearly never used the 'Absolute' option .... and I hadn't looked closely at the attachments ...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swampy

Using absolute may make a difference.

It surely does!!! I've just tried it and it works perfectly!!! ...

Get well soon ... and thanks again for a great Tutorial!!!

Steverr · #21 07-16-2006, 05:18 AM

Great tutorial,

Thank-you

RAitch · #22 07-17-2006, 09:13 PM

I haven't tried it... no need since I can already see how this will help.
You can also blend this technique with CTRL+Clicking an alpha channel before adding a mask. That would apply the edit only to the bright sections of the image.

Great idea... something I hadn't thought of.

gsudell · #23 08-30-2006, 09:43 AM

Is there a problem with the page I'm unable to view the tutorial?
Garry

1STLITE · #24 08-30-2006, 10:21 AM

Swampy, I am in your debt for sure! This is absolutely a great tutorial, and has opened up even more things for me, as I never even realized what the selective color thing could do!! THANK YOU!!!

Swampy · #25 08-30-2006, 05:36 PM

gsudell...
If you clicked on the "details" link, you won't see anything. I'm on a Mac and the Java Script for uploading tutorials doesn't work with my computer. The tutorial is contained in the balance of the first post in this thread including the 5 images that were uploaded with it.

1stLight.. Thank you for your kind comments. Glad to be of inspiration. :-)

plugsnpixels · #26 09-27-2006, 02:17 PM

Swampy always has such cool ideas!

I took the plug-in approach, as usual...

Image 1:

After a quickie sky and water highlight selection, I added Alien Skin Xenofex's Little Fluffy Clouds to give the sky blueness and a gentle cloud texture. I then added Cumulous clouds using Twisting Pixel's PixelCreation.

Never leaving well enough alone, image 2 adds sunshine from Knoll Light Factory and graduated fog from nik Color Efex Pro. Finally, I added Warm Soft Effects and Vignette from Digital Film Tools 55mm.

It's getting to the point where it doesn't matter what the weather and lighting conditions are when you go out to shoot! Or better yet, don't go out at all!

LonK · #27 09-27-2006, 03:13 PM

plugsnpixels: The first one just looks disconnected. The clouds in the reflection don't even approximate a mirror of what's in the sky. Of course, maybe that was your intention. I like the second one much more, kind of a low hanging, persistant haze -- adds a touch of mystery to the scene.

plugsnpixels · #28 09-27-2006, 03:37 PM

True. No, not specifically my intention, but I did rotate the image 180 before reapplying the same filter in an attempt to avoid the same orientation of the reflection. Thinking about it more now, I should have flipped it horizontally as well (that might have worked better).

I lightly erased the PixelCreation clouds in the reflection to make them more natural, FWIW.

I'm glad you liked the second attempt. I enjoy layering on the post-effects. I did something similar with the cover image of my 4th ezine, using a scenic generated from scratch in the free (for personal use) Terragen.

LonK · #29 09-27-2006, 03:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by plugsnpixels

True. No, not specifically my intention, but I did rotate the image 180 before reapplying the same filter in an attempt to avoid the same orientation of the reflection. Thinking about it more now, I should have flipped it horizontally as well (that might have worked better).

Yeah, a flip works, a rotation not so much.

I did do this exercise some time ago, but didn't post it. Here it is in case you're interested. This demos a flip of the clouds I added -- with a few more enhancements. I think it's pretty convincing.

plugsnpixels · #30 09-27-2006, 03:55 PM

As I got started I was hoping Xenofex would allow me to apply its effect to a new layer (as the more current Alien Skin plug-ins do), which would have made the flipping easier (my original plan). It didn't, so I resorted to the (incomplete) workaround described above.

Your example is great--looks perfectly believable.