Help with photos ...

[MelindaH]

I have several photos that I took last night as the sun was going down behind the trees, and while the photos turned out, the lighting and therefore the coloring is off. I use PSE 3.0. I tried several of the Virtual Photographer actions, and the glamour one did brighten it up quite a bit, but it also added a soft focus that I just am not sure I want because then I have to add the filter to every photo.

Any ideas/ suggestions?

http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s89/mindynkids/IMG_0653.jpg

http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s89/mindynkids/IMG_0646.jpg

http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s89/mindynkids/IMG_0654.jpg

[Becca Bonneville]

I have never used elements but do they have a way you can play with the curves or the levels?! Adjusting those will help the lighting etc.

[joelsgirl]

so I have no idea how to help you, but Jessica Sprague just put the coolest tutorial up on her blog that might help: http://spraguelab.squarespace.com/blog/2008/7/11/photoshop-friday-photo-shazam.html
And even if it doesn't help on THESE photos, it will surely come in useful at some point in the future.

That photo of the kiddo running away from the water is AWEsome!

[cindys732003]

so I have no idea how to help you, but Jessica Sprague just put the coolest tutorial up on her blog that might help: http://spraguelab.squarespace.com/blog/2008/7/11/photoshop-friday-photo-shazam.html
And even if it doesn't help on THESE photos, it will surely come in useful at some point in the future.

That photo of the kiddo running away from the water is AWEsome!

I use this all the time!!! It works great! :) I think I initially read about the Screen thing on Jen Caputo's blog...

[cindys732003]

I have several photos that I took last night as the sun was going down behind the trees, and while the photos turned out, the lighting and therefore the coloring is off. I use PSE 3.0. I tried several of the Virtual Photographer actions, and the glamour one did brighten it up quite a bit, but it also added a soft focus that I just am not sure I want because then I have to add the filter to every photo.

Any ideas/ suggestions?

http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s89/mindynkids/IMG_0653.jpg

http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s89/mindynkids/IMG_0646.jpg

http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s89/mindynkids/IMG_0654.jpg

I played with your middle photo quickly (using the link Kellie gave....makes a big difference....you can tweak it even further too...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/cindys732003/IMG_0646b.jpg

[mrs_jb]

Using a screen and an overlay layer is an awesome trick. A friend of mine taught me that a long time ago and it is a great way to adjust brightness when the levels or curves aren't working the way you want!

[LolaLovesLife]

What about under ENHANCE, go to ADJUST COLOR, then ADJUST COLOR FOR SKIN TONE? Click on her nose to get a good reading. Then do the Jessica Sprauge thing. I got this in about 15 seconds in those three steps

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d153/peache8533/IMG_0646.jpg

[Laura_A]

What fun pics! Thanks so much for the link Kellie, that looks like it will be a big help often!

Good luck Melinda.

[mummytothree]

I scrap (and edit photos with PSE3) and this is what I just did in like 1 minute!!

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e119/mummytothree/IMG_0646copy.jpg

All I did was go to Enhance---> adjust lighting---> shadows/Highlights and set it to 20 t0 30 precent.

Then go to Enhance ----> adjust lighting---> Brightness Contrast and I used a setting of +16 and +24

[mummytothree]

Here are your other two with the same setting except in brightness/contrast I used +15 and +29 for this photo

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e119/mummytothree/IMG_0653copy.jpg

And + 16 and + 27 for this photo
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e119/mummytothree/IMG_0654copy.jpg

[AmyM]

I'm still figuring all that stuff out, but the best advice I can give is this:
Adobe Lightroom.
Don't walk, RUN and get a free trial! Between the editing capacity and the presets, you can fix just about anything with that program. It's here:
http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshoplightroom/
Beware, it's addictive

[MelindaH]

You guys are all so sweet to play with them! That is my daughter in the first two, and my oldest son in the last one. Doesn't it almost look like an extraction or something? Just freaky! LOL!

I will definitely have to play around some more. I really like the coloring of Julia's skin in the adjust for skin tone one, but I don't have that option in PSE 3.0 that I'm aware of -- will double check. The trees look a little too lime green to me in that one, but I could duplicate and layer and erase to get the original green in the trees ....

Thanks everyone!!!