how to make photos color more vibrant?

[nickmak]

Dear Paul Yeo,

wah sad, you only have a little D70, no wonder colour not nice. (this isn't to be taken literally ...)

going by this thread, before the invention of photoshop, nobody could get nice colours.

1) that bouquet of flowers, looks somewhat underexposed by around almost 1 stop. have you tried to shoot that same thing with a different exposure? perhaps try bracketing ... go look for a subject with the same ugly colours and shoot it one stop brighter and one darker. see where you find the best results lie at.

2) i see some blue in the sky above. it was a blue sky day? or a muted, cloudy shadowless day? it looks a bit muted since there aren't any significant shadows around the bouquet. colours look more vibrant in more direct sunlight. without direct sun +/- shadows, dull colours might look more lively with a warming filter like an 81B for example. but again this is your age of photoshop so just click the famous "velvia filter".

3) ever tried some consumer pocket cameras? i hear they give nice colour. (again not to be taken literally.)

I think we should HELP Paul_Yeo here with his D70 than make awful comments about him and his camera... Paul_Yeo spent a lot of money on the D70 and lets make it better for him, his camera and his photography...

 

[hyun]

I think we should HELP Paul_Yeo here with his D70 than make awful comments about him and his camera... Paul_Yeo spent a lot of money on the D70 and lets make it better for him, his camera and his photography...

you seem to have read a lot into my message.

i think it'll benefit him to look into this problem as i outlined in points 1 and 2 rather than to resort to photoshop for every solution - there'll be more learning about photography this way.

and after that, you can do all the photoshop you want to enhance the image further.

so i'm deeply regretful that the points i brought up were more worthless than all your photoshop advice.

 

[blurblock]

I think we should HELP Paul_Yeo here with his D70 than make awful comments about him and his camera... Paul_Yeo spent a lot of money on the D70 and lets make it better for him, his camera and his photography...

Personally, I find Hyun advise quite good, he asked him to add 1 stop and to use a warming filter, pretty correct advise, if I should say so myself. But for the contrast, I think it is good if he can tell us the lens he is using, some lens is pretty poor in the contrast department.

 

[hyun]

i.e. it looked to me more like an exposure problem. as for how to get the exposure right, 1) rely on the automatic features of the camera, 2) or use a luxurious light meter, 3) bracket, or 4) develop some personal techniques.

i dun have much luxury so i tend to use 4) most often, followed by 3) when i dun trust 4). but most people do all right just using 1) and sometimes 3) for difficult situations.

i think with most of the crappy lenses, pretty nice colours can result from it as well, so changing to some awesome lens the price of an HDB flat won't really help the situation. it's still basic photography - exposure, judgment of lightning, [ and now digital enhancement], and finally the output (print, slide, monitor, watever).

 

[nickmak]

i.e. it looked to me more like an exposure problem. as for how to get the exposure right, 1) rely on the automatic features of the camera, 2) or use a luxurious light meter, 3) bracket, or 4) develop some personal techniques.

i dun have much luxury so i tend to use 4) most often, followed by 3) when i dun trust 4). but most people do all right just using 1) and sometimes 3) for difficult situations.

i think with most of the crappy lenses, pretty nice colours can result from it as well, so changing to some awesome lens the price of an HDB flat won't really help the situation. it's still basic photography - exposure, judgment of lightning, [ and now digital enhancement], and finally the output (print, slide, monitor, watever).

Sorry, but I personally believe that when Paul_Yeo asked how he should deal with the situation with his D70, we should help him with his D70 and not recommend him another camera yet, as stated in Point 3 of the statement you pointed out before my first reply...

 

[justarius]

Sorry, but I personally believe that when Paul_Yeo asked how he should deal with the situation with his D70, we should help him with his D70 and not recommend him another camera yet, as stated in Point 3 of the statement you pointed out before my first reply...

I think point 3 is meant to be a joke. And hyun did say 'not meant to be taken literally'. Lighten up a bit, yah?

And I think hyun made some good points. Using photoshop only solves the symptoms of the problem, and hyun is suggesting solutions to get to the root cause of the problem. Using photoshop may save your ass, but I prefer to get it right with the camera first time round.

 

[Virgo]

My version (apologies for the touch-ups):

From:

To:

How about this? (My favourite):

 

[blurblock]

i.e. it looked to me more like an exposure problem. as for how to get the exposure right, 1) rely on the automatic features of the camera, 2) or use a luxurious light meter, 3) bracket, or 4) develop some personal techniques.

i dun have much luxury so i tend to use 4) most often, followed by 3) when i dun trust 4). but most people do all right just using 1) and sometimes 3) for difficult situations.

i think with most of the crappy lenses, pretty nice colours can result from it as well, so changing to some awesome lens the price of an HDB flat won't really help the situation. it's still basic photography - exposure, judgment of lightning, [ and now digital enhancement], and finally the output (print, slide, monitor, watever).

Colours and sharpness, most probably can, by adjusting D70's inbuild satuation. However, Contrast links directly to the quality of the lens. I am not asking him to rob the bank though ... a $350 Tokina 28-70 Pro Sv provide outstanding contrast.

 

[zekai]

i thought the original pic was just under exposed.

 

[mpenza]

yup, original pic is underexposed.

using autolevel in a program like Microsoft Photo Editor will help improve the contrast and colors.

 

[Paul_Yeo]

Thanks for all your advises.

Personally, I think I still have lots to play with my D70, not maximise yet. so not getting a new camera lah.

I know D70 only low entry DSLR. But seriously dun think a D70 is so bad that it cannot produce some decent looking pic

not need to be super super professional like those art wolfe lens but at least better loh. hee hee. ;p

Appreciated.

Yesterday night i went to try the SGRB IIIa thingy. The colors look richer .... hmmm ... slightly unnatural.... dunno if nice on print :sweat:

 

[Paul_Yeo]

Colours and sharpness, most probably can, by adjusting D70's inbuild satuation. However, Contrast links directly to the quality of the lens. I am not asking him to rob the bank though ... a $350 Tokina 28-70 Pro Sv provide outstanding contrast.

I am using Nikon ED AF-S lens. dunno if it is a crap lens? :sweat:

 

[blurblock]

i thought the original pic was just under exposed.

Looks to me the exposure was just right ... which is the exact problem. The exposure was just right .....

 

[blurblock]

Thanks for all your advises.

Personally, I think I still have lots to play with my D70, not maximise yet. so not getting a new camera lah.

I know D70 only low entry DSLR. But seriously dun think a D70 is so bad that it cannot produce some decent looking pic

not need to be super super professional like those art wolfe lens but at least better loh. hee hee. ;p

Appreciated.

Yesterday night i went to try the SGRB IIIa thingy. The colors look richer .... hmmm ... slightly unnatural.... dunno if nice on print :sweat:

Seen D70 in action b4, personal view, other then WB problem under controlled lighting, think it is generally a pretty good cam. I had seen at least one outstanding wedding shot from Yinkhoon actually, I was drooling like mad ... he is using the kit lens too, I think.

The Kit lens is way better the 300D 18-55, try overexpose by 1 stop for your pictures and show us the outcome.

 

[Paul_Yeo]

From all your discussion, it seems to me that you all like to overexpose by 1 stop huh.

so the right exposure normally is not recommended?

 

[blurblock]

From all your discussion, it seems to me that you all like to overexpose by 1 stop huh.

so the right exposure normally is not recommended?

On certain cases, right exposure is better, but for wedding, more vibriant colour might be better, you can try 2 stops even if it fits you. JFI, most of my shots I overexposure by 2 stops at least (on film, the lattitude is good). I overexposure by 2/3 stops when I was using the 10D. (D.Camera more sensitive to lights)

 

[Paul_Yeo]

by the way, does Polarizer filter helps to make photo more vibrant?

 

[justarius]

yes it would help in some cases.

 

[Virgo]

by the way, does Polarizer filter helps to make photo more vibrant?

Especially if you want to enhance the 'blueness' of the sky and remove the reflection in water/glass surfaces.

 

[RAIN_MAN]

ya someone mention abt PROFESSIONAL FILM,it helps?ARE those film really hav beta colour range?i always believe by overexposure will help to improve colour saturation...
i personally do not tink that palorizer help to improve colour saturation but it definatly help produre blue sky and reduce reflection...

pls advise...