Quick photoshop help - Advice

toogoodfortv · 10-11-2009, 16:02

Hi
i took some pictures at my mums work yesterday for a project i'm doing....she works at an entertainment place

I want to enhance the photos so they don't look like average photos taken for personal use,

I want to make them look like promotional type photos

I got good camera angles etc (dad is an amateur photographer so he took alot of them)...

I have adobe photoshop and I'm pretty familiar with it....but I'm unsure of how to go about making them look professional

Hopeless_Savage · 10-11-2009, 16:04

Black and white is the quick way to make it look better, and crop out any bits that might have crept into the shot and ruined it.

x_malibubabe · 10-11-2009, 16:38

If you have good colours then curves and brightness and contrast help it to 'pop out' in a way

Up the contrast and leave the brightness as the same.

GregF · 10-11-2009, 16:44

Go to Image > Adjustments > Levels

Then where you see the graph, bring the two little arrow markers in from each end to where the graph starts to build up, will make sense when you see it

This will help bring out the colours from the original image and will make it look a little more pro

HTH
Greg

toogoodfortv · 11-11-2009, 01:11

THanks guys!! :-D

bspace · 11-11-2009, 01:46

seconded what GregF suggest

another thing you could try
go to filter>sharpen>unsharp mask
set amount to about 8%
radius to 25-30 pixels (this depends on size of image - experiment)
threshold to zero

doing this increases local contrast - giving the image a bit more pop
don't overdo it as it will start to look like a very bad old photocopy

re sharpening
instead of using just 'sharpen'
try this
change to Lab colour (image>mode>Lab Color)
in the Channels palette select lightness
now filter>sharpen>smart sharpen
set amount 110%
radius 0.3 pixels
remove Gaussian Blur
click ok -
(remember to go back to RGB color space afterwards)
this sharpens things up without introducing color artifacts that
can occur when just sharpening in RGB

paulyoung666 · 11-11-2009, 07:16

the clone tool is always handy if you find random objects poking out of the top of peoples heads etc

fainéant · 11-11-2009, 08:28

If they are to be printed, a good quality paper can make a big difference.

Al_T3D · 11-11-2009, 11:10

Just NO lens flares!

10-11-2009, 16:02	#1
toogoodfortv Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Norn iron :) Services: The Cheeky Crew :) Posts: 2,430	Quick photoshop help Hi i took some pictures at my mums work yesterday for a project i'm doing....she works at an entertainment place I want to enhance the photos so they don't look like average photos taken for personal use, I want to make them look like promotional type photos I got good camera angles etc (dad is an amateur photographer so he took alot of them)... I have adobe photoshop and I'm pretty familiar with it....but I'm unsure of how to go about making them look professional

10-11-2009, 16:04	#2
Hopeless_Savage Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Gender: Female Location: Derby, England Services: Virgin Media VIP Posts: 2,399	Black and white is the quick way to make it look better, and crop out any bits that might have crept into the shot and ruined it.

10-11-2009, 16:38	#3
x_malibubabe Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Shipley Services: Sky, BT Broadband & Phone, Freeview, Xbox 360 Elite Posts: 1,089	If you have good colours then curves and brightness and contrast help it to 'pop out' in a way Up the contrast and leave the brightness as the same.

10-11-2009, 16:44	#4
GregF Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 11	Go to Image > Adjustments > Levels Then where you see the graph, bring the two little arrow markers in from each end to where the graph starts to build up, will make sense when you see it This will help bring out the colours from the original image and will make it look a little more pro HTH Greg

11-11-2009, 01:11	#5
toogoodfortv Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Norn iron :) Services: The Cheeky Crew :) Posts: 2,430	THanks guys!! :-D

11-11-2009, 01:46	#6
bspace Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 4,006	seconded what GregF suggest another thing you could try go to filter>sharpen>unsharp mask set amount to about 8% radius to 25-30 pixels (this depends on size of image - experiment) threshold to zero doing this increases local contrast - giving the image a bit more pop don't overdo it as it will start to look like a very bad old photocopy re sharpening instead of using just 'sharpen' try this change to Lab colour (image>mode>Lab Color) in the Channels palette select lightness now filter>sharpen>smart sharpen set amount 110% radius 0.3 pixels remove Gaussian Blur click ok - (remember to go back to RGB color space afterwards) this sharpens things up without introducing color artifacts that can occur when just sharpening in RGB

11-11-2009, 07:16	#7
paulyoung666 Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Gender: Male Services: virgin 10 mb bb , sky HD Posts: 4,882	the clone tool is always handy if you find random objects poking out of the top of peoples heads etc

11-11-2009, 08:28	#8
fainéant Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 1,369	If they are to be printed, a good quality paper can make a big difference.

11-11-2009, 11:10	#9
Al_T3D Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 419	Just NO lens flares!