Image Processing ⇒ Smoothing Water After The Fact

[minniev]

I had already packed my tripod for the flight home and saw this canoe on the way out of Alert Bay so getting two exposures and blending wasn't an option. I tried a little devious processing with Topaz Simplify to yeah, simplify the thing by getting rid of detail, then painting the canoe back in, along with some tree detail and spots of water detail in certain places. Is this worth pursuing? What do you do in such situations.

[PietFrancke]

the colors are a matter of choice, I don't care for them in that the canoe is still in the original palette and thus isn't blending in as well as it could (my opinion, your mileage may vary). So I'm just not liking the colors chosen - your water blur effect on the other hand is fantastic! With it, I think you have introduced a surreal calmness to the scene.

[minniev]

the colors are a matter of choice, I don't care for them in that the canoe is still in the original palette and thus isn't blending in as well as it could (my opinion, your mileage may vary). So I'm just not liking the colors chosen - your water blur effect on the other hand is fantastic! With it, I think you have introduced a surreal calmness to the scene.

I do agree about the color issue, that is my biggest objection to what I ended up with. The blues, and some sort of subtle pinks. I need to move on to color correction now and see what I can do. I need to find a way to separate the detail effect from the color effect.

[PietFrancke]

the colors are a matter of choice, I don't care for them in that the canoe is still in the original palette and thus isn't blending in as well as it could (my opinion, your mileage may vary). So I'm just not liking the colors chosen - your water blur effect on the other hand is fantastic! With it, I think you have introduced a surreal calmness to the scene.

I do agree about the color issue, that is my biggest objection to what I ended up with. The blues, and some sort of subtle pinks. I need to move on to color correction now and see what I can do. I need to find a way to separate the detail effect from the color effect.

right, I hear exactly what you are saying... Sometime you can create a new layer and desaturate it. Then apply your new desaturated layer with a blend mode of luminosity and it might a lot of the original color alone, or you can bring back your original color by setting the original layer back on top and give it a blend mode of color. But not to ramble on about it too much except to say that figuring out how to isolate a particular change and then applying exactly and only that -- that is the key to forward progress. It lets you build as You wish.

Two things I always struggle with. One, knowing what the image needs, and Two, getting the Single change needed without bringing in everything else.

[minniev]

right, I hear exactly what you are saying... Sometime you can create a new layer and desaturate it. Then apply your new desaturated layer with a blend mode of luminosity and it might a lot of the original color alone, or you can bring back your original color by setting the original layer back on top and give it a blend mode of color. But not to ramble on about it too much except to say that figuring out how to isolate a particular change and then applying exactly and only that -- that is the key to forward progress. It lets you build as You wish.

Two things I always struggle with. One, knowing what the image needs, and Two, getting the Single change needed without bringing in everything else.

I’ll try those strategies. They sound reasonable.

I feel your pain on both counts. Add to that: I know how I want it to look but the steps I think will get me there don’t do quite that.

[minniev]

Is this any better? Used Piet's idea about Blend with Color using a copy of the original on top of the manipulated version

[PietFrancke]

Do you recall which Topaz simplify you used? I can stand to smooth water here and there too! I like the mood of your new image very much.

[Psjunkie]

Looks like it worked..well done

[minniev]

Do you recall which Topaz simplify you used? I can stand to smooth water here and there too! I like the mood of your new image very much.

One of the buzz sims I think.

[minniev]

Looks like it worked..well done

Can you think of another way to do this?