Finally got around to cropping

[The Ruptured Duck]

Been bombarded with psychology whatnots in the first week of school.  Got home today and started playing around in iview



Much better not having that hangar door in it

[Aerophile]

Not bad.  Looks like I'm looking at it in wide screen mode on a standard television.

[flyboy 28]

Not bad, but the exposure could be a touch lighter. Still a wicked fine shot though.

[beaky]

I would just reduce the contrast by one or two clicks, to get a little more detail in the shadows.

[Rifleman]

I would just reduce the contrast by one or two clicks, to get a little more detail in the shadows.

I agree with Sean, and it could have been cropped a bit closer too, to make it a bit more panoramic.......

[Omag 2.0]

The shot has amazing colours against the deep dark plane. Wonderful!

But I'm not a fan of the 2 black bands. The lower one isn't visible due to the dark plane. So one might think you've chopped off a piece of the picture on the top...

[The Ruptured Duck]

I would just reduce the contrast by one or two clicks, to get a little more detail in the shadows.

I agree with Sean, and it could have been cropped a bit closer too, to make it a bit more panoramic.......

Ok 2 questions:

Why does increasing the contrast increase the grain?

Besides cutting the image and pasting onto another blank file, is there another way of getting rid of the black sections I cut out?

So far this is my favorite shot I've taken with the new camera, and it does exactly what it should:  get me (hopefully others) exited to go flying.  Need to get back out to the airport with the film camera I checked out from school tomarrow for my first assignment, all this walking around the neighborhood crap just doesn't inspire me like the airport does .  thanks for the input everyone

[Aerophile]

get photoshop.  I have photoshop elements 5.0 and love it.  I still have lots to learn about it though.  Photoshop Elements will run you about 80 bucks.  The full photoshop version is quite a bit more expensive than that.

Just my $0.02

[Hagar]

get photoshop.  I have photoshop elements 5.0 and love it.  I still have lots to learn about it though.  Photoshop Elements will run you about 80 bucks.  The full photoshop version is quite a bit more expensive than that.

Just my $0.02

I must be one of the few people around here who has never used Photoshop. I'm sure it's a fine piece of software but, as I've always said; the most elaborate & expensive tools are no use at all unless you know how to use them. There are plenty of alternatives without having to spend a lot of money. It would be perfectly possible to crop & tweak that photo in a fully freeware graphics editor like IrfanView. The secret is to be familiar with whichever software you choose & know how to use it to achieve the desired results.

[Omag 2.0]

Hi Doug,

What you are saying is correct to some extent, but Photoshop elements is way more powerfull and above all makes it a lot easier to perform post-processing. Irfanview is usable to resize and rotate shots, but when it comes to adjusting levels, sharpening, denoising, etc. I always use photoshop.

I'm not saying that everyone should have it, but it's not a big investment if you are into photography and it gives you all you need to be creative.

[Hagar]

Hi Doug,

What you are saying is correct to some extent, but Photoshop elements is way more powerfull and above all makes it a lot easier to perform post-processing. Irfanview is usable to resize and rotate shots, but when it comes to adjusting levels, sharpening, denoising, etc. I always use photoshop.

I'm not saying that everyone should have it, but it's not a big investment if you are into photography and it gives you all you need to be creative.

Hi Kris. As I pointed out, there are alternatives. Photoshop might be a powerful professional quality software but that's part of the problem. I'm sure that most people will never need or know how to use its more complex features. I prefer Paint Shop Pro which I've used for many years. I'm familiar with the user-friendly interface & use it for serious editing. I don't pretend to be very good at the finer points of editing but if I went out & got Photoshop tomorrow I would have to start all over again. I'm also certain that it's not common knowledge that most of the Photoshop plugins are compatible with other software including PSP & IrfanView.

PS. I find IrfanView quick & convenient for most jobs. It's ideal for what I want to do & I rarely fire up PSP these days.

[Aerophile]

get photoshop.  I have photoshop elements 5.0 and love it.  I still have lots to learn about it though.  Photoshop Elements will run you about 80 bucks.  The full photoshop version is quite a bit more expensive than that.

Just my $0.02

I must be one of the few people around here who has never used Photoshop. I'm sure it's a fine piece of software but, as I've always said; the most elaborate & expensive tools are no use at all unless you know how to use them. There are plenty of alternatives without having to spend a lot of money. It would be perfectly possible to crop & tweak that photo in a fully freeware graphics editor like IrfanView. The secret is to be familiar with whichever software you choose & know how to use it to achieve the desired results.

Like Omag, I agree to an extent.  While there is still much for me to learn about the software, Photoshop Elements is incredibly easy to use as far as basics go.  One thing I figured out how to do not too long ago was how to process multiple files.  That feature works great for posting images to web forums.  That way you don't have to sit there and resize everything one by one.  

My computer came with an awesome Microsoft editing program when I purchased my computer a year ago.  It was one of those limited trial versions though.  When I upgraded to Vista I lost the program.  I may still have a backup disk with it on there however.  I'll have to look and see if I can find it.  I'll let you know if I do.

I spent a while using different combinations of editors to get the results that I wanted which was very time consuming.  

PS Elements is pretty much all inclusive, There are also some plugins that are available that are better than the standard PS features.  For example, NeatImage has, in my  opinion, better noise reduction than the PS software.  Perhaps I still need to experiment with the standard feature to make it get the results I want, which is where you chime in Hagar and say "I told you so".    I also don't like the fact that when you frame an image it reduces it and you have to readjust the image to fit the canvas.  Recently though I figured out that you can right click and "fit frame to photo" and then readjust it afterwards.

Making an already long story short, Hagar is right in that expensive software requires a lot of time to understand how it works.  

It's just like the first time you used a GPS in an airplane.  Can be a little confusing aside from the "direct" button, but with a little research, experimenting, and practical application it can be your best friend once you understand how it works.  ;)

[Hagar]

Like Omag, I agree to an extent.  While there is still much for me to learn about the software, Photoshop Elements is incredibly easy to use as far as basics go.  One thing I figured out how to do not too long ago was how to process multiple files.  That feature works great for posting images to web forums.  That way you don't have to sit there and resize everything one by one.  

My computer came with an awesome Microsoft editing program when I purchased my computer a year ago.  It was one of those limited trial versions though.  When I upgraded to Vista I lost the program.  I may still have a backup disk with it on there however.  I'll have to look and see if I can find it.  I'll let you know if I do.

I spent a while using different combinations of editors to get the results that I wanted which was very time consuming.  

PS Elements is pretty much all inclusive, There are also some plugins that are available that are better than the standard PS features.  For example, NeatImage has, in my  opinion, better noise reduction than the PS software.  Perhaps I still need to experiment with the standard feature to make it get the results I want, which is where you chime in Hagar and say "I told you so".    I also don't like the fact that when you frame an image it reduces it and you have to readjust the image to fit the canvas.  Recently though I figured out that you can right click and "fit frame to photo" and then readjust it afterwards.

Making an already long story short, Hagar is right in that expensive software requires a lot of time to understand how it works.  

Please don't get the wrong idea. I'm sure Photoshop is the way to go but it's expensive & not everyone can afford it. I'm simply pointing out that there are alternatives that will do the job just as well depending on what you want to do. It all depends on familiarity with the different features of the software you're using & knowing how to use them to do what you want.

It's the same for all software, not only the expensive ones. Take IrfanView for example. A simple little freeware utility useful for resizing photos & screenshots but capable of so much more. For example; I wonder how many people know that most of the Photoshop plugins you mention are compatible with it. Not sure about NeatImage but that can be run as a standalone program. IrfanView also has many advanced features like batch processing that usually come with expensive software. You can even create a simple webpage with thumbnails linked to the images, all fully automatic. It's also possible to add borders & text like Kris uses on his excellent photos but only if you know how to do it. I've been using these programs for years so know what they're capable of & how to use them. If I get Photoshop I will have to start from scratch & learn how to use it before it's any use to me. That is the point I'm trying to make.

[Omag 2.0]

We are talking about photoshop elements, not the full version of photoshop.

Elements 6.0 is about 70 Pounds. Anyone who can afford a decent camera or FSX sure can afford PS Elements.

The full version is over 500 Pounds, so that's not really affordable for just a bit of photo-tweaking IMHO...  ;)  

[Hagar]

I realise that Kris but 70 quid is a lot of money to someone on a fixed income like me. If it's not absolutely necessary I don't get it, simple as that.

Packing up smoking was the only way I could afford to get my camera. One of my better ideas.