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I really have no idea when it comes to proper Post Processing, and need some help. So far i've just been using lightroom, but my photos just don't come out the way i'd like them to look. I want to give them a bit of an "artistic feel" mainly just adjusting the colours a little bit. Main reason being I just bought an A2 Inkjet printer and I really need my shots to be perfect before I print them.

So i was wondering if someone can give me a bit of a hand. I'll use some rejected shots of Vietnam earlier this year for examples.
Basically i've just been adjusting the WB to make the image warmer, but this doesn't really seem ideal.

Here is my modified shot:



I want to get that sort of look out of the image, but the one from lightroom just doens't look right to me, and the WB is way off too.

SO here is the original RAW from my D300:
http://rapidshare.com/files/165276033/DSC_9557.NEF.html

Hoping someone can help

Hi Monty,
It's a bit hard not knowing exactly what "look" you want, but I used lightroom to get this result.

I just reckon the original looks a bit boring.

I love the colours in these:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/krisvdv/336502237/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/photosadhu/2317021453/

G'day Monty

Was the kids skin really that colour? To me the WB seems out.

Using CaptureNX2 I've set the WB based upon sampling the grey wood in the barn behind the boy and I've marginally upped the colour saturation. I've cropped a little to move the kids off centre removing most of the mesh to the right.

Image by Monty PP by BullcreekBob


The motion blur on the face of the girl in the centre and the blur of her hands and the girl behind her really don't help. VR might help with camera shake but it's no good for movement. 1/60sec is just to slow when shooting kids - they're usually fast slippery suckers.

Of the four kids we can see, only one is *almost* looking towards the camera. I'm afraid I must agree with the first sentence in your second post to this thread.

Cheers
Bob in Bull Creek

Yeah, the WB is off in the first post. I do realise that it isn't a great shot, that's why it was one of my rejects. I dont want to go giving away RAWs of my best photos

I just think the shot looks cold and unwelcoming with the WB correct.

Any of Sapa, Ha Long Bay or Cat Ba?

My wife is over there just now, and I'd love to see what it looks like?!

is this more what you are looking for

started with the new camera raw preset (vivid)
white bal off cleanest part of the gray shirt
then played with a few things
about 5mins worth of editing
I have saved this photo as a new catalog
download it and open with lightroom 2 and point it to your original file, then you will be able to see all the adjustments (open the brush tool and select each button and hover over it to see where each of the edits where done) also you will need the camera raw 4.5 presets installed to get the starting point
http://mcgoffs.net/pics/test.lrcat
hope this helps

the full history of the edits is still in the catalog so you can follow all the steps (including the mistakes along the way)
note the image will not show in the library as I haven't included the previews so after you point it to your file you have to go to the develop section before the photo shows

Wow, thanks very much firsty, that looks amazing. I haven't really got to use lightroom 2 yet, eg the adjustments brush. But yea, that is exactly the look i'm going for. Thanks!