To see them all, go here: http://www.fototime.com/inv/91DBACBE56E1223
I'll add any others as they are posted.

Well...finally got it done for ya...hope you like it! PS...this isnt a blend...it is just the straight shot single processing. I just created an action to get me to all my curves and color balance layers...so only took a few min. It stops at each layer for my input...then continues on to the next layer/conversion....saves a LOT of clicking.



Roman

wholly PS actions, those all are much improved over the original, boy do I have a lot to learn. . . .

I've created a couple of actions in PSCS2 and they work like a charm as long as they're programmed right. When you have a workflow you use a lot actions are the way to go.

That's lovely, Roman. All the detail is there and it's very crisp.

Yep...isolated the water, copied it to a 2nd layer, and gave the curves a little tweak. Usually water records lighter in the shot...but has a richer look in person. I just gave the curves for that area a slight tweak.

Roman

Hey Roman,

Would you be willing to do a step by step on this? It looks pretty darned good. Everyone's version is better than mine, even my 2nd one. LOL, I am a SLOW learner some times.

James

James, just shoot me an e-mail....I can mail you the action....you just have to know what to do with the curve and color balance boxes when they pop up. Maybe we can do it over the phone some time if you like....I have free long distance across the US.

Roman

Roman,

Over the shots you have helped me with I think I have gotten to the point where I at least understand the steps you take in PS with your standard Workflow. I can also understand the steps the others on this forum mention when they describe their techniques.

What is much harder, though, and what I think really makes some photographers stand out, is the ability to visualize where to take a shot. I may be wrong, but you and I expect many other photographers on this forum seem to have a pretty clear idea of where you want to take a shot. You then seem to use PS to get you there.

I think I tend to use PS to show me what I can do with a shot - rather than the other way around. I find this particularly relevant when I am making changes to the curves and trying to decide how much is too much, when to stop - when to enhance more, etc.... Sometimes I find my self just making changes and looking at them and seeing if I like them. Somehow I think I would be better if I had a really solid idea of what I want out of the picture, and then use PS to try to get there.

Does this make sense to anyone or is this just me???

Well....my template I try to follow is reality. I know what a shadow looks like on a stream....or bright light on a cactus...etc...etc.

Now my EDITING style....believe it or not is play with the adjustments till I get it looking natural. Once I have a curves dialogue box up....I place my curser over the most adversly affected area and see where on the curves it lies and adjust the main curve.....then start working on it.

My RGB and the LAB curve are the curves I use the main curve on....as well as all the diffrent color channels seperatly. In CMYK...I only use the seperate color channels...not the main one.

My main technique is to slide back and fourth till I get what I see is natural....tightening the slide till I get to my destination.

The key is to not only notice what area your trying to correct...but to also notice the areas your not trying to correct....as somtimes getting one part right...messes up another part. So right after I get done....I usually toggle the curve or color adjustment level off and back on to see the diffrence and see if there are any other changes to make....or maybe adjustments to the layer opacity or even some layer masking to localize the adjustments (usually very similar to my bending tutorial...select the area you want to mask with the color selection tool and feather it out a bit (usually not as strong as in a blend for light) then hit the layer mask tool)

Hope this all helps.

Roman

That is a great improvement by Roman- it just goes to show how important the post processing is and how much detail there is in digital capture, some of which is unrealized until it is found / manipulated. Great capture to see it now-