Hello everyone,
I really need help with this one. Can someone please offer method for filling in these sky holes? It's really hard to get the blending to look good.
Thanks,
John
Click to view attachment
Full Version: Please help with retouching sky
I'd select the sky, including gaps, and use a gradient layer to "paint in" the sky, using a gradient that ranges from the present sky's dark to light tones. Example attached.
Click to view attachment
Click to view attachment
QUOTE (pminicucci @ Feb 27 2009, 12:25 PM) 
I'd select the sky, including gaps, and use a gradient layer to "paint in" the sky, using a gradient that ranges from the present sky's dark to light tones. Example attached.
Click to view attachment
Click to view attachment
That looks great! If you would be so kind, I have a few questions (sorry, my retouching skills are pretty basic):
1) To select the sky, did you just use the lasso tool for a rough selection, or did you use something like color select?
2) Once the sky is selected, how specifically do you use the gradient tool? I have used that tool only once or twice, and I'm not very familiar with it at all.
3) The sky in the original has a bit of noise in it (which I don't mind). In order to blend the new, "gradient" sky, would you recommend adding a bit of noise to it?
Thanks very much for your time, Pat, and I look forward to getting this thing printed- that image was stitched using 70 odd shots from a 10 megapixel Canon behind a 400mm 5.6 lens. The full size file could print 160 inches wide at 240 dpi!
John
John: Responses are below.
QUOTE (button @ Feb 27 2009, 02:26 PM)
That looks great! If you would be so kind, I have a few questions (sorry, my retouching skills are pretty basic):
1) To select the sky, did you just use the lasso tool for a rough selection, or did you use something like color select?
John: You can use any selection tool you are comfortable with. For the example, I just used the marque tool to section off the top half of the image and then used color range to select within the initial selection. Your only worry is along the building lines, so that's where I concentrated the color range selections and used quick mask brush strokes for the rest. Save the selection!
2) Once the sky is selected, how specifically do you use the gradient tool? I have used that tool only once or twice, and I'm not very familiar with it at all.
Set up a new layer, above other layers. Load the sky selection and add a layer mask. Click back in the empty layer so the layer itself and not the mask is selected. Select the gradient tool. Double click the gradient shown in the upper menu toolbar to open up the custom dialogue. Chose one of the linear gradient with two data points. Click on the color markers to sample first the darker tones of the sky for one data point and the lighter tones for the other. You can experiment as much as you like by redrawing the gradient since the separate layer is non-destructive to the image and controlled by the layer mask. Hold down the shift key to keep the gradient straight and draw thru the layer (with the gradient tool). If it is too dark or light or the variation in tones is too little/too much, just adjust the tool and draw again. Play around with it.
3) The sky in the original has a bit of noise in it (which I don't mind). In order to blend the new, "gradient" sky, would you recommend adding a bit of noise to it?
That's up to you. I'd use a print to judge.
Thanks very much for your time, Pat, and I look forward to getting this thing printed- that image was stitched using 70 odd shots from a 10 megapixel Canon behind a 400mm 5.6 lens. The full size file could print 160 inches wide at 240 dpi!
John
1) To select the sky, did you just use the lasso tool for a rough selection, or did you use something like color select?
John: You can use any selection tool you are comfortable with. For the example, I just used the marque tool to section off the top half of the image and then used color range to select within the initial selection. Your only worry is along the building lines, so that's where I concentrated the color range selections and used quick mask brush strokes for the rest. Save the selection!
2) Once the sky is selected, how specifically do you use the gradient tool? I have used that tool only once or twice, and I'm not very familiar with it at all.
Set up a new layer, above other layers. Load the sky selection and add a layer mask. Click back in the empty layer so the layer itself and not the mask is selected. Select the gradient tool. Double click the gradient shown in the upper menu toolbar to open up the custom dialogue. Chose one of the linear gradient with two data points. Click on the color markers to sample first the darker tones of the sky for one data point and the lighter tones for the other. You can experiment as much as you like by redrawing the gradient since the separate layer is non-destructive to the image and controlled by the layer mask. Hold down the shift key to keep the gradient straight and draw thru the layer (with the gradient tool). If it is too dark or light or the variation in tones is too little/too much, just adjust the tool and draw again. Play around with it.
3) The sky in the original has a bit of noise in it (which I don't mind). In order to blend the new, "gradient" sky, would you recommend adding a bit of noise to it?
That's up to you. I'd use a print to judge.
Thanks very much for your time, Pat, and I look forward to getting this thing printed- that image was stitched using 70 odd shots from a 10 megapixel Canon behind a 400mm 5.6 lens. The full size file could print 160 inches wide at 240 dpi!
John
QUOTE (pminicucci @ Feb 27 2009, 02:31 PM)
John: Responses are below.
Very much appreciated, Pat. I'll post with the results! After looking at the image, I noticed that some of the buildings are a bit crooked, so I'll fix that, too.
John
Well done, John!
QUOTE (button @ Mar 8 2009, 02:19 AM)
QUOTE (pminicucci @ Mar 8 2009, 10:06 AM)
Well done, John!
One last thing (for anyone who can help): I know that sharpening is somewhat objective, but what would be a good start for output sharpening of this file, given the following:
Paper: supergloss
dpi: 304.8
size: 50 inches x 15 inches
Thanks!
This is a "lo-fi" version of our main content. To view the full version with more information, formatting and images, please click here.