HORRENDOUS photo manipulation advice - does it just make you cringe?

[G Mantero]

I frequent many other forums (although they're not nearly as good as this one, sometimes I pick up a nugget or two of good stuff). The problem is that I see so very much HORRENDOUS advice being doled out by casual users who don't take the time to think about what they're saying.

In a recent excursion to a digital photography forum, I saw not one, not two, but several (!!!!) folks telling an unwitting PS user to use the Render>Clouds filter in order to simulate a sunny, blue sky. Horrors!!!!! There are so many much, much better ways that are almost as easy.

Aaaaaaaaah! Makes me scared, because these folks will probably be trying to steal my clients away from me. At least when my clients see with their own eyes the difference, I'd certainly hope they'd stay, but still.....

It just freaks me out, and I wanted to share it with you

Gina

[DJ Dubovsky]

Well, lets hope when they use that filter they realize it doesn't really make realistic looking sky scenes. I doubt that that was what Adobe intended with that filter in the first place. Maybe that's why all the new members are coming here.
DJ

[summertimerules]

so how do you simulate sunny blue skys? asks someone who doesn't really know.

[chiquitita]

It is the same as web design. Everyone labels themself a professional, and because there is no certification really for it, people who don't know the difference think they are getting a quality product when their neighbor (who "knows about computers") volunteers to "design" their website. Hopefully, as more people are online for longer, they will start to see the difference. It will take time for photo restoration to be the same way. I see some horrendous things being sold as photo restoration - the worst are the people who think blur solves every problem.

BUT - For the casual user offering advice on a forum... everyone has to start somewhere, that is how we learn... what someone knows may not be the best way, but it might be the only way that person knows to do it at that point in time. My only gripe is when people who KNOW they don't know anything sucker people in, just because they think they can make a buck.

[Mig]

There's several ways to do this, but an easy way is filter>render clouds.

MIg

ps. not sure what clouds look like anymore, living in the bay area, it's either sunny (no clouds) or completely fogged over.

[dcarr]

Adobe exchange has some nice cloud brushes as well as horizon brushes.
Debbie

[LQQKER]

Hey Mr. Mantero and others :o)

Yeah, I agree there's nothing like the original. Myself, I find that I'm outside shooting clouds (passerbys think I'm nuts), but this is how I do it. But there are logical reasons to use certain filters such as "render clouds", makes great crinkled paper But when you think about it . . . isn't it great that people are using these filters to spark their imagination? I mean, afterall . . .photoshop is a tool for the imagination, so I say, "go for it".

Oh yeah, and Mig . . .those are the fluffy things that float over areas that don't have a bay under them.

[rondon]

well not sure if this is what you are refering to... but a few years ago I repaired an old poleroid for a friend...and just replaced the clouds with nicer ones from an other photo.. I do it often while colorizing b&w's.. it often easy to select and remove the grey sky and slide nice clouds in behind on a different layer.... fun anyhow..
this was taken in the everglades

RonDon

[clare]

This is freaky..it looks like my brother!

Nice Manipulation thought- good job
Clare

[Guest]

Interesting...

Gina started this thread by saying, " I saw not one, not two, but several (!!!!) folks telling an unwitting PS user to use the Render>Clouds filter in order to simulate a sunny, blue sky. Horrors!!!!!"

Several posts later Mig tells us to simulate the sky condition in exactly that way, however: "There's several ways to do this, but an easy way is filter>render clouds." She then proceeds to post a decent example of the effect (though the sky is more cloudy than sunny).

Opposite opinions on the same advice? Makes me wonder what is missing here. I suspect JUST using the clouds filter is not enough, that there may be some tweaking involved to get a true summer day sky.

One thing you can do with those "rendered clouds" is to go to layer-style-->blending options and fade out the darker areas as much as you like using those slider bars at the bottom (must use option/alt to split the arrows to keep it from looking blotchy). If you don't do this, or something similar, yes, I think you most likely will end up with too many clouds from the render filter alone.

Personally, I'm with Rondon. I have a file of nice skies of all sorts, and when I want a certain sky effect, I often take one of those and tweak it as needed.

Phyllis