Pet Photo Retouching

[Pipsmom]

I've looked around the site but can't locate the topics I need to learn how to retouch and restore dog pictures...especially those pesky Jpeg's that feature black dogs that owners don't know how to light and photograph to start with...... as my name here implies I am Pipsmom, and I own two long haired Shih Tzu dogs....Friends on a Shih Tzu forum I belong to are asking all the time can you save this picture of took of Fido..... and I struggle with them being a Newby
Can anyone kindly steer me towards any topics that relate to pet hair ...I need to understand how to highlights and features without blowing out the color and detail

 

[colleague]

for black dogs you can use image -adjustments - shadow/highlights
https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/adjust-shadow-highlight-detail.html

 

[Pipsmom]

Your a star, thank you so much

 

[IamSam]

While we have had many threads here on the forum about shopping dogs, I'm having a hard time finding them at the moment.

In the meantime, take a look at these tutorials.............at least those that apply.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Photoshopping+black+dogs

The best thing you can do would be to post a particular image of a dog photo, and let us give you direct and specific suggestions for that image.

edit: Here's one thread I found. Please take note of post #24 in this thread. This is why we ask that all images be uploaded to the PSG server in order to preserve the integrity of the threads for future readers.

A more recent one.

edit: Here's another.

edit: One more!

 

[Pipsmom]

Oh Sam you have out did yourself, thank you for the links. I have the YouTube video in my library already but the others are extremely interesting.
Let me study and apply those lessons to see if I can bring out the blacks in a few of my test photos first....I don't want anyone to do it for me ...but rather just nudge me in the right direction if I'm getting it all wrong....That's how I have taught myself so far...See One...Do One...And learn from mistakes and try again. Will post some pictures when I get them finished. Thanks again!

 

[Tom Mann]

One photography suggestion:

In most cases, but especially if you have a simple, non-adjustable camera, and/or plan on working on the image in Photoshop, shoot dogs with dark fur against a very dark background. It can/should be a different color, but dark, nevertheless, and light fur against a light background. That way, the exposure is not dominated by a background which is vastly different in brightness from the dog. This is just part of the general rule to get the image as close as possible to perfect right in the camera.

A second photography suggestion:

Dogs do *really* well with rim lighting. If you don't know what it means, look it up.

Tom M

 

[Pipsmom]

Thanks for the tips Tom....I'll keep that in mind shooting my own pups.

I'm only a beginner learning as a hobby.......the pictures my forum friends send me to practice on are of poor quality mobile phone pictures or off the fly in the house with a million back ground images to deal with in the background.....Then topped off with poor indoor lighting!
These are just regular household photo's they let me practice and learn on...My hubby has set me up with all the proper gear so all I want to do a good job for my friends and guide them taking better pictures in the future....

My theory is if I start learning off of rubbish pictures and can bring renewed life to them in the process and make them happy...I'm satisfied.
And heck I just love a challenge anyway......Tell me it can't be done and I try to prove......Yes I can