Photoshop question

I've got a photo that needs Photoshopping. I have CS2.

It's a big panorama. The center portion needs contrast enhancement and
the two ends don't. I know I need to make some sort of mask layer or layers
to allow doing this, but the only ways I can think of are terrible kludges.
Is there an elegant way of doing this? Nobody around our office has any idea on
how to do it, and RTFM is useless (of course, as I said, I could kludge it
with some very very messy masking of layers.)

Doug MCDonald

On Wed, 22 Oct 2008 16:52:08 -0500, user wrote:

I've got a photo that needs Photoshopping. I have CS2.

It's a big panorama. The center portion needs contrast enhancement and
the two ends don't. I know I need to make some sort of mask layer or
layers to allow doing this, but the only ways I can think of are
terrible kludges. Is there an elegant way of doing this? Nobody around
our office has any idea on how to do it, and RTFM is useless (of course,
as I said, I could kludge it with some very very messy masking of
layers.)

Doug MCDonald

How about doing the contrast adjustment on the original photos before
stitching? It sounds to me like you have one or more of the original
photos needing adjustment.

ray wrote:
On Wed, 22 Oct 2008 16:52:08 -0500, user wrote:

I've got a photo that needs Photoshopping. I have CS2.

It's a big panorama. The center portion needs contrast enhancement and
the two ends don't. I know I need to make some sort of mask layer or
layers to allow doing this, but the only ways I can think of are
terrible kludges. Is there an elegant way of doing this? Nobody around
our office has any idea on how to do it, and RTFM is useless (of course,
as I said, I could kludge it with some very very messy masking of
layers.)

Doug MCDonald

How about doing the contrast adjustment on the original photos before
stitching? It sounds to me like you have one or more of the original
photos needing adjustment.

Redo the pano so that each frame remains on its own layer. There's a
setting in the stitching module that preservers layers. Much easier to
adjust a single panel. Then create a mask over it to blend in any rough
transitions.

--
john mcwilliams

ray wrote:
On Wed, 22 Oct 2008 16:52:08 -0500, user wrote:

I've got a photo that needs Photoshopping. I have CS2.

It's a big panorama. The center portion needs contrast enhancement and
the two ends don't. I know I need to make some sort of mask layer or
layers to allow doing this, but the only ways I can think of are
terrible kludges. Is there an elegant way of doing this? Nobody around
our office has any idea on how to do it, and RTFM is useless (of course,
as I said, I could kludge it with some very very messy masking of
layers.)

Doug MCDonald

How about doing the contrast adjustment on the original photos before
stitching? It sounds to me like you have one or more of the original
photos needing adjustment.

No, that would be discontinuous. The originals are properly exposed.

The problem arises from the nature of the picture, which is a 180-
degree panorama of Yosemite Valley. In the center the sun is directly
behind me, so trees and landforms are lit straight-on, hence, no
shadows. Whereas at the edges the sun is at 90 degrees or so to the
camera, producing heavy shadows. The shadow vs no shadow situation
produces the problem. It's easy to correct the overall brightness
difference problem. The problem is that that does not fix the
contrast difference.

Doug

"Doug McDonald" wrote in message
...
ray wrote:
On Wed, 22 Oct 2008 16:52:08 -0500, user wrote:

I've got a photo that needs Photoshopping. I have CS2.

It's a big panorama. The center portion needs contrast enhancement and
the two ends don't. I know I need to make some sort of mask layer or
layers to allow doing this, but the only ways I can think of are
terrible kludges. Is there an elegant way of doing this? Nobody around
our office has any idea on how to do it, and RTFM is useless (of course,
as I said, I could kludge it with some very very messy masking of
layers.)

Doug MCDonald

How about doing the contrast adjustment on the original photos before
stitching? It sounds to me like you have one or more of the original
photos needing adjustment.

No, that would be discontinuous. The originals are properly exposed.

The problem arises from the nature of the picture, which is a 180- degree
panorama of Yosemite Valley. In the center the sun is directly behind me,
so trees and landforms are lit straight-on, hence, no shadows. Whereas at
the edges the sun is at 90 degrees or so to the camera, producing heavy
shadows. The shadow vs no shadow situation produces the problem. It's easy
to correct the overall brightness
difference problem. The problem is that that does not fix the
contrast difference.

Doug

Autopano Pro does a pretty good job of blending those sorts of problems from
my limited experience.
http://www.autopano.net/
--
"Calling Atheism a religion is like calling bald a hair color."
Don Hirschberg

Atheist Chaplain wrote:
"Doug McDonald" wrote in message
...
ray wrote:
On Wed, 22 Oct 2008 16:52:08 -0500, user wrote:

I've got a photo that needs Photoshopping. I have CS2.

It's a big panorama. The center portion needs contrast enhancement and
the two ends don't. I know I need to make some sort of mask layer or
layers to allow doing this, but the only ways I can think of are
terrible kludges. Is there an elegant way of doing this? Nobody around
our office has any idea on how to do it, and RTFM is useless (of course,
as I said, I could kludge it with some very very messy masking of
layers.)

Doug MCDonald
How about doing the contrast adjustment on the original photos before
stitching? It sounds to me like you have one or more of the original
photos needing adjustment.
No, that would be discontinuous. The originals are properly exposed.

The problem arises from the nature of the picture,

Autopano Pro does a pretty good job of blending those sorts of problems from
my limited experience.
http://www.autopano.net/

That's not the question. The question is: what is the PROPER way to do
it in Photoshop CS2, on the full panorama?

Doug McDonald

Doug McDonald wrote:
Atheist Chaplain wrote:
"Doug McDonald" wrote in message
...
ray wrote:
On Wed, 22 Oct 2008 16:52:08 -0500, user wrote:

I've got a photo that needs Photoshopping. I have CS2.

It's a big panorama. The center portion needs contrast enhancement and
the two ends don't. I know I need to make some sort of mask layer or
layers to allow doing this, but the only ways I can think of are
terrible kludges. Is there an elegant way of doing this? Nobody around
our office has any idea on how to do it, and RTFM is useless (of
course,
as I said, I could kludge it with some very very messy masking of
layers.)

Doug MCDonald
How about doing the contrast adjustment on the original photos
before stitching? It sounds to me like you have one or more of the
original photos needing adjustment.
No, that would be discontinuous. The originals are properly exposed.

The problem arises from the nature of the picture,

Autopano Pro does a pretty good job of blending those sorts of
problems from my limited experience.
http://www.autopano.net/

That's not the question. The question is: what is the PROPER way to do
it in Photoshop CS2, on the full panorama?

Doug McDonald


Make an adjustment layer, adjust it until the centre is the way you want
it, then paint out the ends with a soft brush until it matches up.

There are many ways to do it, using channels for instance, masking the
higher contrast areas and then inverting the mask and tweaking that.

CS3 & CS4 offer a few more options, but hardly worth upgrading for
something as simple and apparently rare, as this.

Cheers

BlackShadow

KF wrote:
On Oct 22, 3:52 pm, wrote:
I've got a photo that needs Photoshopping. I have CS2.

It's a big panorama.

Try this:
http://www.cs.ubc.ca/~mbrown/autostitch/autostitch.html

That's not the question, which is "
how do I increase the contrast in the center of an image
without changing it at the edges, using a graduated mask, USING
PHOTOSHOP CS2"?

The panorama is already produced, and is quite nice.

Doug McDonald

Doug McDonald wrote:
KF wrote:
On Oct 22, 3:52 pm, wrote:
I've got a photo that needs Photoshopping. I have CS2.

It's a big panorama.

Try this:
http://www.cs.ubc.ca/~mbrown/autostitch/autostitch.html

That's not the question, which is "
how do I increase the contrast in the center of an image
without changing it at the edges, using a graduated mask, USING
PHOTOSHOP CS2"?

A graduated mask might be easiest to fake with a huge soft edged eraser
on an adjustment layer, otherwise it's black magic with channels & the
gradient tool. Try googling for tutorials with those keywords. Yeah, the
help files are almost useless but there are tons of tutorials.

The panorama is already produced, and is quite nice.

Doug McDonald


--
Paul Furman
www.edgehill.net
www.baynatives.com

all google groups messages filtered due to spam

wrote in message
...

I've got a photo that needs Photoshopping. I have CS2.



It's a big panorama. The center portion needs contrast enhancement and

the two ends don't. I know I need to make some sort of mask layer or
layers

to allow doing this, but the only ways I can think of are terrible
kludges.

Is there an elegant way of doing this? Nobody around our office has any
idea on

how to do it, and RTFM is useless (of course, as I said, I could kludge it

with some very very messy masking of layers.)



Doug MCDonald



Create a gradient mask using quick mask mode.

1. Open the image.

2. Select all (CNTRL+A)

3. Enter quickmask mode (quick mask button on tool bar).

4. Use the gradient tool to select a radial gradient.

5. Exit quick mask mode (Click on the quick mask button again).

You now have a radial gradient selection centered wherever you centered it.
If the selection is inverted, invert the selection.

Eric Miller

www.dyesscreek.com