Computer Graphics with Photoshop - Gaussian blur, other blur, no blur

Author

Gaussian blur, other blur, no blur

John McWilliams

2006-12-06, 6:20 pm

I am working on finishing up a team photo- a HS, UAS football type of
picture, where there are several rows of players in uniform, looking
stolidly ahead, etc. nothing too unusual about it, except the lighting:
Fill flash was used, but the light was very late afternoon, diffuse
through partial cloud cover, and almost straight on the subjects. It
wasn't too hard to get the color balance right, but it seemed counter
intuitive to set the temp in PS (actually Lightroom) to around 4,000
when the 'warmth' was so apparent. Anyway, that's an aside.

The matter I am trying to deal with is at the top of the photo, and at
the top sides, where the bleacher seats are very apparent, and quite in
focus. They are raised and painted aluminum seats on concrete, so that
you see about a two inch horizontal strip of purple every couple of feet
in the places no one is seated. I've tried Gaussian blur at various
levels, but am not thrilled with the results. I've thought of adding a
gradient, but not sure where to go on that. At the top will be large
letters with the team name.

It'll look all right if I don't do any blur or other technique to lessen
the impact of the horizontal lines, or so I believe, as it's not been
done in years before, and most folks looking at it will see the players
they know, and not be concerned with what I see as a glaring deficiency....

Or will they?

--
John McWilliams

mike

2006-12-06, 6:20 pm

John McWilliams said what... on 11/20/2006 12:54 PM:
> I am working on finishing up a team photo- a HS, UAS football type of
> picture, where there are several rows of players in uniform, looking
> stolidly ahead, etc. nothing too unusual about it, except the
> lighting: Fill flash was used, but the light was very late afternoon,
> diffuse through partial cloud cover, and almost straight on the
> subjects. It wasn't too hard to get the color balance right, but it
> seemed counter intuitive to set the temp in PS (actually Lightroom) to
> around 4,000 when the 'warmth' was so apparent. Anyway, that's an aside.
>
> The matter I am trying to deal with is at the top of the photo, and at
> the top sides, where the bleacher seats are very apparent, and quite
> in focus. They are raised and painted aluminum seats on concrete, so
> that you see about a two inch horizontal strip of purple every couple
> of feet in the places no one is seated. I've tried Gaussian blur at
> various levels, but am not thrilled with the results. I've thought of
> adding a gradient, but not sure where to go on that. At the top will
> be large letters with the team name.
>
> It'll look all right if I don't do any blur or other technique to
> lessen the impact of the horizontal lines, or so I believe, as it's
> not been done in years before, and most folks looking at it will see
> the players they know, and not be concerned with what I see as a
> glaring deficiency....
>
> Or will they?
>
J,

what about using the lens blurr tool (CS and above I believe) with the
cutout of the team being the mask? It's very configurable so you might
get some favorable results.

mike

Mike Russell

2006-12-06, 6:20 pm

"John McWilliams" <jpmcw@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:mt2dnbFbCocZdvzYnZ2dnUVZ_smdnZ2d@comcast.com...
>I am working on finishing up a team photo- a HS, UAS football type of
>picture, where there are several rows of players in uniform, looking
>stolidly ahead, etc. nothing too unusual about it, except the lighting:
>Fill flash was used, but the light was very late afternoon, diffuse through
>partial cloud cover, and almost straight on the subjects. It wasn't too
>hard to get the color balance right, but it seemed counter intuitive to set
>the temp in PS (actually Lightroom) to around 4,000 when the 'warmth' was
>so apparent. Anyway, that's an aside.
>
> The matter I am trying to deal with is at the top of the photo, and at the
> top sides, where the bleacher seats are very apparent, and quite in focus.
> They are raised and painted aluminum seats on concrete, so that you see
> about a two inch horizontal strip of purple every couple of feet in the
> places no one is seated. I've tried Gaussian blur at various levels, but
> am not thrilled with the results. I've thought of adding a gradient, but
> not sure where to go on that. At the top will be large letters with the
> team name.
>
> It'll look all right if I don't do any blur or other technique to lessen
> the impact of the horizontal lines, or so I believe, as it's not been done
> in years before, and most folks looking at it will see the players they
> know, and not be concerned with what I see as a glaring deficiency....

Often when blurring or darkening does not get the look you (or the customer)
wants, you can get away with desaturating the background. In this case that
would get rid of the distracting purple color. After that, try a little
darkening perhaps to make the seats stand out less.
--

Mike Russell
www.curvemeister.com/forum/