OK, sorry, I read the thread but didn't absorb the correspondence very well :-(
I wonder now if I've only ever seen a toned down second edition of "Fire Eating Drummer". If so I suspect that you've reduced the contrast globally, and this has excessively flattened the highlight tonality. It's a foible of film that the highlights have less contrast than the midtones, because they are 'rolling over' onto the shoulder. If you reduce contrast to contain extremes of exposure, or to limit the midtone contrast, the highlights can get crushed. Have you thought about adjusting curves across several layers. In that technique you work two layers at a time - the floating layer is optimised for best midtones while the background layer is optimised for either highlight or shadow separation of tones, letting everything else go to hell because they'll be thrown away at the end. You select the floating layer and erase the problem areas to reveal the optimised areas underneath. You can repeat the process as often as you want by copying the original image back in, making it the new background layer and then optimising it for the part you want to correct next. It's the digital version of dodging and burning multicontrast paper at different grades. If you haven't tried it you should give it a go. It's like magic to see the highlights and shadows fill up with details before your eyes. I could send you a 'quick & dirty' rework of your shot if you like, but I've got no webspace to post it myself, and wouldn't put up an unauthorised version of someone else's work, anyway. regards, Anthony Farr > -----Original Message----- > From: Shel Belinkoff [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Monday, 18 April 2005 12:02 PM > To: pentax-discuss@pdml.net > Subject: RE: PESO PAW - Fire Eating Drummer > > Actually, had you read the entire thread you'd have seen that I told Paul I > wasn't happy with the pic. By not saying anything on the initial posting I > felt I'd not "contaminate" comments or opinions. > > Shel > >
