Post Processing Challenge April 4, 2020

There are no rules as to how you apply your post processing to this image; but, please let us know what you have done so we can all learn.

If you would like to post a candidate image next week, please ensure it is of sufficiently high resolution for manipulation by the participants (3000px on the long side, 300dpi for example).

 

Most of all, let's have fun while we are learning or demonstrating how we use our post-processing software, imaginations and interpretations.

 

Here's a Wolf Eel as seen at the Ripley's Aquarium at the base of the CN Tower. I think their lighting was to simulate depths yet allowing us to see the eel; however, the result is a blue eel when photographed. It looks cold. A flash would have been reflected by the aquarium wall so that was out of the question.

 

Have fun!

There are no rules as to how you apply your post processing to this image; but, please let us know what you have done so we can all learn.

If you would like to post a candidate image next week, please ensure it is of sufficiently high resolution for manipulation by the participants (3000px on the long side, 300dpi for example).

 

Most of all, let's have fun while we are learning or demonstrating how we use our post-processing software, imaginations and interpretations.

 

Here's a Wolf Eel as seen at the Ripley's Aquarium at the base of the CN Tower. I think their lighting was to simulate depths yet allowing us to see the eel; however, the result is a blue eel when photographed. It looks cold. A flash would have been reflected by the aquarium wall so that was out of the question.

 

Have fun![ATTACH=full]1336123[/ATTACH]

 

Wow, what an ominous-looking creature!

(2) B&W . . . Converted in Silver Efex. Went to Color Efex to use blur vignetting, followed by some selective sharpening in PSE15.

 

 

2 Versions . (1)I started with a Double Exposure option on Analog Efex, which allowed me to make sharpness and tonal adjustments; it also had a vignetting feature. Then, I did some color modifications in PSE15.

 

 

Reminds me of Moray eels that I have seen while snorkeling in Hawaii. So, I have it chasing a fish, an Achilles tang. I can't quite remember all the random fiddling steps that I took, but they involved Topaz Simplify using "colorful painting" settings in Photoshop CC, plus pasting in a photo that I took of the tang while snorkeling.

Tried to get the goomer to his natural colors, but not sure if I succeeded. Used 3d Lut Creator to attempt to remove blue cast, Topaz Sharpen AI stabilize mode, Topaz Detail 3, plus adjustments in ACR whites, highlights, shadows, and clarity. He/she looks better blue.

Edited April 4, 2020 by tom_r

I tried, like tom_r, to transform the blue to its natural color... a kind of speckled dull grey/white with lemon drop mouth ... I used a gradient filter in LR including adjustments to shadows, clarity, vibrance, temp and sharpening. Added yellow saturation for the lemon drop mouth. I like tom_r’s final submit... mine is still a tad blue, or lavender, or something but not so much grey. Thanks for the challenge!

Punta,

Are you somewhere in the glints in the eye of that eel staring back at us? o_O

 

mpressionz,

It was a challenge, wasn't it? I looked them up online and some were mostly dark gray with whitish markings, but I'm still unsure about the greenish patterns in some of the highlight circular patterns I ended up with on its skin. I think I should have tried to eliminate them. Could it be a kind of mold?

Edited April 5, 2020 by tom_r

Wow—this one was a serious and really cool challenge. All in Lightroom:

1. First try: white balance on the gray eel—maxed out the yellow
   
2. Then into HSL panel to pull down the purple and blue saturation
   
3. Then into the tone curve to bring down the blue even more
   
4. The background had by now become intolerable, so I used a series of brushes to further modify the color there and darken it.
   
5. Then some overall adjustments in the Basic panel: increased contrast, lowered saturation, dehazed, increased clarity and texture.
   
6. Some de-spotting, sharpening, and noise reduction
   
7. Reduced overall highlights, black point, and shadows
   
8. Lots of undoing, redoing, and experimenting here—the Lightroom history list showed 98 steps, which probably should have been about 20.
   

[ATTACH=full]1336260[/ATTACH]

Hey MikeMorrel, it's the easter eel! I bet it doesn't deliver chocolate eggs!

Petting

I have worked with seven different layers and blurred some of them.

Punta,

Are you somewhere in the glints in the eye of that eel staring back at us? o_O I am PuntColorado!!!!

 

mpressionz,

It was a challenge, wasn't it? I looked them up online and some were mostly dark gray with whitish markings, but I'm still unsure about the greenish patterns in some of the highlight circular patterns I ended up with on its skin. I think I should have tried to eliminate them. Could it be a kind of mold?

 

It was a challenge and I enjoyed it. You found the same colors as I did when I searched for the actual creature, which had the yellowish (lemon drop) mouth and I also saw images that had the visible eye with a bluish-green tint...

 

I'm back today looking for the next challenge... am I too early? :)

Edited April 10, 2020 by mpressionz

It was a challenge and I enjoyed it. You found the same colors as I did when I searched for the actual creature, which had the yellowish (lemon drop) mouth and I also saw images that had the visible eye with a bluish-green tint...

 

I'm back today looking for the next challenge... am I too early? :)

 

 

I'll post another tomorrow if someone else hasn't (please do).

It looks like messed up pictures in need of repair are popular.