Red Colobus and baby - C&C requested esp. re separation

[davidedric]

Taken on Zanzibar.

I've done some selected sharpening on the monkeys, and their separation from background on the left is, I think, OK. The green leaves on the right though seem to me to really interfere with the image. Can someone suggest what I might do - if possible in LR4, but PSE9 also available. Please demonstrate if you feel able to. Any other C&C also welcome. Thanks for viewing.

[ggt]

What a beautiful animal. I think you did a great job capturing the fur and the faces!

The only thing I know to do is in PSE. I would lasso the bright leaves and adjust the lighting levels on just them. Not much. I'd move the sliders a bit to the right. In PSE, I could also probably adjust the luminosity on just the leaves as the animal has no green in her. It doesn't need much, just a little tone down on the places the light hit's the leaves. Not sure which would work best --I'd play with it. I think the same luminosity option is available in lightroom.

I just love how the baby is looking right into the camera.

You have patience! Thanks for posting.

[Bobobird]

That is an excellent image - both sharpness and colour are very good. That bit of bright green on the right is slightly distracting but not much. There is also some green tint on the animal's left side.

BUT - still a great image and I would be happy to leave it at that.

If hope you do not mind, I have taken the liberty to make a slight adjustment in PS but should work in LR.

[IMG][/IMG]

New hue/saturation layer, reduce the saturation of the green and yellow until you are happy with the left side. Then mask back the areas that do not need the adjustment.

Fur tint - you might be able to fix that in the first step if not another hue/sat layer and reduce the yellows until you see what is right for that left side. Then mask out the areas that do not need any changes.

It is always better to fix problems at the beginning of the post processing so would suggest you start from scratch and redo.

[ggt]

Bobo, I like what you did with the color, but the fur on Mom's back seems to have lost some luminance???? Or is just just me?

Maybe, if I get real good at this stuff, I can justify an upgrade from PSE to PS!

[Bobobird]

Gretchen, yes I did. It is just a quick example of the step taken and I had no wish to dabble into the actual image itself. I am sure Dave will get it all right soon.

[jamn4ex]

Dave I like the image as is.. I wouldnt change the leaves on right , as I study the image the colubus faces and hair detail command my attention. Rendering those leaves as a nice bright colored space filler. Now if the glare on the leaves was brighter than the white in the fur that might have bothered me. Just my inexperienced opinion. By the way great shot.

[davidedric]

Very many thanks for the ideas (and the nice comments ). I didn't know quite where to start. I don't have layers in LR, but when I looked at the image I could only see green/yellow in the leaves, so I thought before going to PSE I'd try desaturating those two channels. I think this is more what I was looking for. So much to learn, so little time!

[Bobobird]

Now you have what you wanted. Great edit.

[jeeperman]

Nice capture, this last edit is right on the money.

[Steve S]

Hi dave, i rather like the saturated first image best. A few minor adjustments............

Increased blacks
added some sharpening
added a slight vignette to make the monkeys pop out of the background a little more
dodged the monkeys faces a little to brighten them up a little
burnt the bright leaves on the right to darken them a little


Very nice image, i like it.

[jamn4ex]

wow! now it is fantastic! glad I came back for another view!

[ggt]

Wow, steve, really fantastic! The eyes really show.

[davidedric]

Thanks Steve. Great edit. Back to school for me

[davidedric]

I've been looking and thinking. I do actually prefer my edit to Steve's - because it more accurately reflects what I was trying to show. Hope that doesn't sound arrogant. I think it just reflects the subjectivity of assessing images. Thanks to all for contributing.

[jamn4ex]

Dave dont be offended . I was commenting on an end product . Only you know the image seen versus image represented. I personally would have been ecstatic to have been able to produce your 1rst image and found it not in need of a recooking. That said I know very little of pp. so I keep most my comments very general in that area . Thanks for posting an excellent image.

[davidedric]

Absolutely not offended. The comments lifted me, made me think and made me try harder. For me, a great example of what CiC is all about. Thanks again to all.

[pnodrog]

All changes done in Lightroom 4. Reduced the green saturation and luminosity, added a bit of vignetting, lifted the eyes a little using adjustment brush and cloned out some brighter background detail. Result probably similar to most of the others. Very nice image to start with.

[jeeperman]

Ok....belay my last....no I like Steves edit it is even more spot on.

[Steve S]

I've been looking and thinking. I do actually prefer my edit to Steve's - because it more accurately reflects what I was trying to show. Hope that doesn't sound arrogant. I think it just reflects the subjectivity of assessing images. Thanks to all for contributing.

Doesn't sound arrogant at all dave. I've said it more than once............ 'learn the basics, and learn them well. After you've learned the basics, no matter what, do things YOUR way, not someone elses. It's the only way YOUR artistic style will surface.'

You've made a very nice edit, on a really good image. Well done!!! Hope to see more of your images of this quality.