Let’s play #54 (added files)

[Ben Egbert]

The goal in this week’s Let's Play is to show how you would improve or fix this photo. Show us how you would render it and please explain the steps taken to get that rendering.

Note rescue is more to the point. This important historical image is of our very own Jeffrey fording the Fremont River. I was first across and was not able to get my camera settings right before he started crossing, As a result it’s badly overexposed.

The embedded image is a small jpg of the raw, but use the DNG file for rework.


Jim suggested I put in a couple good images from when I shot him crossing to use as background for Jeffreys crossing. Here you go, small jpgs to show what you het and the DNGs that go with them

I put in two so you can choose the best background

 

[AlanLichty]

Deep shadows can usually be recovered. Not sure what can be done when it's blown out this far. The camera wasn't steady either.

Quite the challenge with this one.....

 

[Kyle Jones]

Here's a quick edit, real entry later...

 

[Ben Egbert]

Now that’s creative Kyle

 

[AlanLichty]

Here's a quick edit, really entry later...

Remarkable edit Kyle

 

[Jeffrey]

You edited my van into a Land Rover Defender! If you can do that in real time, I'll send you some money...

 

[Jeffrey]

It was all just a dream.....

 

[Ben Egbert]

Good take on this Jeffrey.

 

[Jameel Hyder]

Here's a quick edit, real entry later...

View attachment 29389

One click Kyle plug in. Can I have it?

 

[JimFox]

Here's a quick edit, real entry later...

View attachment 29389

Ha ha!!! I agree with Jeffrey, if you could do this for real you might have something there.

 

[Jameel Hyder]

Here is my attempt. Rescue is the word as Ben puts it. Other than convert to sepia, most of the work is done in ACR to recover as much as possible.

 

[Ben Egbert]

Good rescue, at least this shows he was fording a river.

 

[AlanLichty]

Here's another attempt. I decided this was well beyond rescue so I headed into fantasy and transplanted the Fremont River crossing into a backdrop snipped out of some other So. Utah scenery after some rather drastic pixel bending to clean up and resharpen Jeffrey's steed.

 

[Ben Egbert]

Now this is almost as good as Kyles, but even more realistic. Good job, is this your official entry?

 

[AlanLichty]

Now this is almost as good as Kyles, but even more realistic. Good job, is this your official entry?

Yup.

 

[Ben Egbert]

Here is a pretty straight rescue attempt. I used lots of exposure compensation in ACR, then my normal Topaz steps including starting with Topaz Noise AI where I pulled out some detail, then clarity, contrast boost and exposure.. By this time the truck and river were recognizable but the foliage and sky were still a mess. So I used gaussian blur to just make it look OOF and then used multiple to Darken the area. I then burned down the remaing hot spots.

 

[Jeffrey]

Amazing recovery Ben.

 

[JimFox]

Thanks for the additional images Ben, I will try to get to it later tonight.

 

[JimFox]

So here is my version.

I took the background of one of mine, used a layer mask over where my Jeep was. The bottom layer was Jeffrey's Sportsmobile recovered as much as possible. I increased it's size to match better. I think also selected the top of the van and the hood which had gotten recovered to a grayish color, I adjusted it to be more of a brown color. I lightened up the headlights a bit.

 

[Ben Egbert]

Great blend job very realistic