Hi All! I'm hoping someone can help with suggestions or a point to a great tutorial that will work with PSE.... I am working on an album for my niece's senior year. She and her friends take a lot of nighttime photos with their phones. The problem is that many of them come out off-color and grainy, with a low resolution. I am at a loss how to correct. My usual tricks do not seem to be making them any more attractive for scrapping. Any suggestions? Here is an example:
I think PS has this, under IMage to curves? try playing with the curve levels, it is kinda fun to see...and that may be a good start! here is a start tutorial
I think your going to have a hard time correcting these. Good lighting is key. Maybe suggest they use the flash some. anytime you try adding exposure(light) to underexposed images like this you are going to add noise. I really don't know that there is a lot you can do.
Amanda is right, that light is key and there isn't much you can do. If it were me, I'd try to fix the weird, reflecting eyes and just go with it. It's not perfect, but it's better than no photo. I don't know PSE, but I know that removing an appreciable amount of that noise is going to make the picture blurry. (In PS, Filter - Noise - Reduce Noise.) Removing a little bit of noise isn't a big deal, but that's a lot.
I agree with the others... you could brighten it a little...but honestly, it's a fun photo with a fun memory attached...I'd use it as it. No one would analyze the photo quality of this type of LO...and years from now, she'll only look back with and laugh and be happy to have it. BTW...she did use the flash...that's what you see in their eyes.
To scrap it... My first thought would be that you might be able to pull something off if you blend it into a colored background. One of the blend modes might change it enough and put a new spin on the picture. Then just erase the paper a bit where the action is/over the girls. I'd love to see what you end up with! It's a tough one, but a great memory!
I would try putting it in the page, and then duplicating the player using the layer mode screen. Sometimes that lightens them enough for me without adding too much noise. Sometimes not.
I would enlarge and blend it into a background. Sometimes you can still use the photo. Here's one where I did tht to try and rescue the only Halloween picture I had of my GS. https://the-lilypad.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=178928&title=moc-2310-trouble&cat=516
I pulled it into LR really quick just to play round (I'm a super newbie in there, so have no idea what I'm doing) and got this.. Not sure if it's better or just a different bad, lol.. You might be able to play around with bw, too.. Actually.. the noise in the bw is kind of fun.. You could put a spin on the page where the journaling is like a news article or police blotter about the mischief the girls are into or something. IDK- just an idea..
How in the world did I miss all this great feedback on my question? Thanks to each of you for your responses and suggestions. And Amber... as always, Love you girl! You are right... that last one with the noise really has a nice effect. So nice, in fact, I am using it on my layout today with some of your folio goodies! https://the-lilypad.com/gallery/data/1008/sgleason_moc2015detailed2.jpg
