Step by Step. A spitfire edit.

[reef 3]

Hey guys.

First off if this is a double post i am sorry. I thought i posted this today but when i got home from work it was not here. I'm guessing Preview then closed by mistake :doh

Ok, i was asked if i would show an edit from start to finish so here it is. This is not a photoshop lesson so if you can't use PS it will not be of much use. This post will show the process i might go through for an edit. I say might because i rarely edit 2 shots the same way and am always experimenting. Hopefully it may give you some ideas.

1)

Ok to kick off i took 3 snaps of the Wings of Power spitfire I. I have created three layers brining all the images to one ready to edit.

2)

After lining up the shots into a suitable composition i carefully erase the sky from the 2 background spits. I do this with a soft edge eraser as the background colours are very similar. At this point i also took off the props as i wanted to add my own. With all this done i crop the shot to bring focus on the aircraft.

3)

After combining all the layers i can start to edit. My first step always is to get the right feel to the shot. Many considerations go into this step, time of day, is it sunny, warm or cold day etc. Then i use the curves tool to bring the shot to life. If you dont use this tool i suggest you go try it. Its a fantastic tool that with a little practice can have incredible results. You dont need massive changes to have an effect and dont even need to use all three colour sets as altering just one can make the difference. As you can see in the shot i am altering the blue channel with 2 nodes. The upper node is changing lighter areas like the sky, while the bottoms is changing darker areas. Try it !! Once happy i move on.

4)

You won't see much change in this shot and for those that noticed no change i have added highlights to the bonnet and along the top of the fuselage. Basically anywhere that might reflect a bit of sun. Also added were any shadows, in this case under the tail wings. Knowing where the sun is even if out of shot is important to keep realism in your shot.

5)

Adding the props back in is always done on a new layer, it often goes wrong when i do it so make safe add be able to wipe a layer and start fresh. Basically i draw the props then blur and smudge till happy. These did not turn out so good but it gives you an idea. A good tip here is to select the prop outline before you delete and save for this section.

6)

Ok nearly there. I rarely do an edit now without some work on the glass. Glass is a very reflective surface and often FS can produce a very flat or non existent effect. For this again you need to know where your sun is. I added some blue to the top reflecting sky then added a strong sun reflection. The spit canopy is rounded glass so try to give it that feel with your edit.

7)

Sometimes to finish off a shot i'll add some lighting to the shot but not always. For the sake of the guide i added a bit of light coming from the top as my sun is quite high out of shot. Often this can make a shot a bit arty so depends what your trying to achieve.

8)

To finish off i increased the red in the shot a little and added a border.

It's not a great edit but should give you some idea of what might go into an edit. By all means these are not rules simply ideas on how it could be done. Above all experiment and enjoy what your doing. I hope somone will find a little of use here and look forward to all your efforts.

steve

[mutley 4,495]

Hi Steve,

Thanks for the tutorial and sharing some of the trade secrets!

Obviously frequenting SSW I am familiar with the techniques its just pulling them off is the goal!

This should encourage some more editing by us.

Thanks Steve :mrhappy:

[ddavid 149]

Thanks, Steve - a really useful post for me, as I'm only getting off the ground with PaintShop and I need encouragement!! I'll re-read and re-re-read this, no kid - thanks, mate! :mrhappy:

Cheers - Dai. :mrhappy:

[1mag1n3 0]

Wow reef wonderfullllll!!!!

I love it! :wub

Just one thing...

The edit i just did, i am revamping it, making it better...

Just to get the curves on it i assume you have to flatten the image to be able to do this..

Is there anyway round this or do you have to merge the layers and leave it at that?

Thanks...

[reef 3]

Hey guys.

No problem doing this post, always happy to help if i can and just glad it is of help to somebody

Imag. I often run curves over one layer maybe to make it stand out but take care with you cutting otherwise you will get borders. I would maybe do this to enhace an aircraft while leaving the background as it is. If its for an overall effect, either remember what curves you apply and add to each layer or merge first. Hope this helps a little.

steve

[1mag1n3 0]

Cool, thanks for that...

Its just one thing, flattening a rather complex image could be disatrous!

Thanks!

[reef 3]

You could always save to another filename before you flatten. I usually do all my editing to get the image right, then flatten, then work on finishing touches. Generally if i don't get a shot right when posted, i take on the criticism and put it into my next image so having to go back to a flattened file is less of a problem. Best of luck

I'm happy to answer to the best of my abilities any problems or ideas anyone has if i can so always feel free to ask.

steve