Itsy Bitsy Spiders ... (I've been around kids too long!)

[Nikkofan]

Hi all





These were taken last weekend at Bondi and I'm not looking for critiques of the photos (although positive ones are always welcome! ) so much as for suggestions as to what you guys would do with these in Photoshop. I did a basic PS course last week so have experimented with them as far as contrast & levels but that's about it. Any suggestions? Please don't say "Bin them"!

If you look closely at the spider in the 1st photo, you can see the little guy hard at work weaving away, with the thread coming out of his (her?) abdomen. Unfortunately, the 2nd photo's spider gets a bit lost in the "tangled web he weaves" (ha ha) but it's up in the top left corner.

Thanks!

[darb]

hey nikko .. see if you can embed the imae into y our post ... much more effective.

cool photos ... maybe a USM mask of 140 / 1.4 / 3 thats my usual ... compact your histogram, and chuck +20 on saturation overall, but its otherwise pretty cool anyawy.

[Nikkofan]

Sorry Darb - forgot to put the IMG on either side of the images!

[Nikkofan]

maybe a USM mask of 140 / 1.4 / 3 thats my usual ... compact your histogram, and chuck +20 on saturation overall

Sorry Darb ... but since I've only just done the basic course in PS - could you translate this for me? I'm a bit lost - what is the "USM mask"? and how do you compact the histogram? Is this advanced PS?

Thanks

[darb]

USM is "unsharp mask"

In photoshop, click the filter menu, then "sharpen", then "unsharp mask"

Amount : 140%
Radius : 1.4
Threshold : 3

Thats one of my usual settings.

As for histograms ... hit control L ... you ssee your histogram. if there are blank sections on either side of the scale, pull the little cursors in to brighten and/or modify contrast etc.

But, it may not apply .. either way, there's infinate options you can do with the levels.

Another useful thing with colour saturation is go to "image" menu, "hue/saturation" and you can increase lightness on the saturation for certain channels only ...

if youre using photoshop CS, try also the "shadows / highlights" menu ... fun stuff to myuck around with there.

[Nikkofan]

Thanks Darb

Gives me something to work with. BTW, I know this is in the wrong thread (sorry, Forum Police) but I really like the landscape photos you've posted - particularly the 2nd one - absolutely beautiful and your plane shot looks like an ad for an airline!

If you're hankering to be able to produce work like Christian Fletcher's, then rest assured I'm hankering to be able to do work like yours, especially in PS!

Nikko

[Greg B]

What lens did you use nikko?

[Nikkofan]

I think that was the Tamron 80 - 300. Why? Uh oh, do I want to ask this

I am dreaming of the day when I can satisfy more of my lens lust (is there ever an end to this condition?) by acquiring a good macro, but in the meantime I just use mostly this lens and zoom & crop repeatedly in PS.

[Greg B]

I have the Tamron 70-300 which has a very respectable macro 1:2 capability - is that the one you mean? Or is the 80-300 another kettle of fish altogether?

[Nikkofan]

God, I'm having a bad day today!! Yes, I meant the 70 - 300. Sorry!

[Greg B]

I thought it might be that one but there have been mentions of similar but different zooms, probably older models.

Did you use the macro for the itsy bitsy etc? I reckon more spinky and less context (in the first one) could have given more drama.

[Nikkofan]

This is so embarassing!! Is it just me today, or does anyone else not have a clue what "more spinky and less context" means?

Sorry Greg. I know I'm having a bit of a blonde day today (but I DID remember the White Balance question - my saving grace) but this is the 2nd (or 3rd?) time today I've had to do a Pauline and say "Please Explain?"

For the slow ones today (I hope it's just today), could you elaborate?

[Greg B]

Sorry nikko, entirely my fault.

My first wife called spiders "spinkies", she has gone but the name lingers on. Sorry.

What I was trying to say was, I would have liked to see the spider larger in the frame (and hence less of the surrounds), possibly using the macro feature on the lens.

[Nikkofan]

Ah, thank you!! Now I understand!!

Yes, I agree. I might try that in my next PS session.

Is this your 1st wife's revenge? She lives on in some way ....

[Nikkofan]

Sorry, presuming that she is still around? Should I take my foot out of my mouth? No offence was intended

[Greg B]

No worries, we parted amicably 20+ years ago and I very rarely have any contact. But I still bloody well say spinkies. Good grief.

[mic]

Gees NF, How long have you been with us

You should know these things "spinkies" ( What The )

Mic.

That our Greg Always keeps ya guessing

[Nikkofan]

Mic

In response to your question:

1. since 8 March, as you well can see!

2. unless I have been married to Greg's First Wife (nope), is Spinky supposed to be a common term for arachnids? (there! I do know one other name for them! )

I am stuck in the Land of Dorothy the Dinosaur, Bob the Builder and Colin, Kaeng & Monica just now but .... Spinkies? Nope, sorry! They don't feature in any of the above If you actually knew what a Spinky was (or were you being facetious?), then I am duly impressed!

I have kind of picked up that Greg keeps people guessing. Mind you, from reading these posts, I also have noticed that someone else has kept people guessing ... Mic hael? or is that Mic helle? Or perhaps both???