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Thread: Image enhancement

  1. #1

    Default Image enhancement

    Hi everyone, I'm currently working on my first AAR and I would appreciate some advice on images. To begin with this is the first time I have really posted screenshots, and secondly this is the also the first time I've tried sizing, cropping, enhancing etc too.

    I would appreciate any and all advice on how to insert the images in the AAR, is the size below ok?
    I would also appreciate advice on the enhancing. The first image is a screenshot that i have cropped but nothing else. The second shot is one I have messed with a little in GIMP, tweaking brightness, contrast and sharpness to try and enhance the image a little. Do you think the enhancements work? Any tips for making it better?







  2. #2
    Hitai de Bodemloze's Avatar 避世絕俗
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    Default Re: Image enhancement

    Hey there part_time_player

    I'm very much in the same boat as you. I'm not a photoshop wizard at all and I've been messing around with editing for the first time recently as well. Your efforts are very good though, from where I'm sitting at any rate. I think you might have overdone the sharpness a little bit though. I generally leave sharpness alone when I edit and just focus on contrast/brightness/saturation/warmth to bring out the colours. But then again, I'm no an expert.

    Best of luck with your AAR, I look forward to reading it

  3. #3

    Default Re: Image enhancement

    Hey there good to see another new AARtist. The size of those pictures there are good. To insert an image you should first upload it to another site(ie Phtobucket, Imageshack, Flickr) and then copy the url(or if they have a url to embed pictures) and paste it into the "Insert image" tool next to where you insert links. I think you have done quite a good job at editing those pictures but rememebr it alwasy depends on the picture you are editing. Try keeping the same size for all your pics (or two; one for horizontal pics and one for vertical pics). My own pics are something around 750x426 but it depends on how large you want yours to be.

    On a side note when you start you AAR put a link in your signature for your AAR. It makes it easier for people to reach. Also putting a picture with a link helps attract people to your AAR. Just a thought. Best luck on your AAR journey

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  4. #4

    Default Re: Image enhancement

    Like f0ma said I think you've overdone the sharpness. I tend to leave photoshopping to a select minority of images to emphasise their importance - if you did every one of your images people would notice them less.

    Also photoshopping loads of images takes a long time, especially if you are a pedant like me. I think I photoshopped about 10 images out of the 450 in my AAR.

    In any case, the above two have both give you good advice - best of luck with your AAR!
    The Wings of Destiny - A FotS AAR (Chapter 12 - Updated Apr 24)
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  5. #5

    Default Re: Image enhancement

    I have done my share of pic editing, and my colleagues are right on the sharpness part. While I was playing on my old computer I tended to overdo those as well because screen resolution can cheat the eye. Also, MTW2 have lower image quality (even despite some of the great textures) so more tweaking may be required. Brightness and contrast is what I tweak the most, with the occasional color balance. But at the end it really comes down to personal preferences. If you can, I suggest to check out the pics on various computers to see how they look.
    The size looks good, and as it was suggested, make sure to keep it consistent. And yes, add the link to your sig!
    Good luck!

  6. #6

    Default Re: Image enhancement

    Thank you all for the feedback, I've tried some things on a few different pictures now and I think I'm getting the hang of it.

    Radzeer - I'm about half way through "Primus Inter Pares", it's a great piece of work and offers some great guidance on how to create a good AAR, that's the standard I'd like to aim for.

  7. #7
    Shankbot de Bodemloze's Avatar From the Writers Study!
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    Default Re: Image enhancement

    I actually really like the effects on the second picture, but I'm all for quote noticeable enhancements.
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  8. #8
    Jingles's Avatar Praefectus
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    Default Re: Image enhancement

    Kind of like Robin said, in my opinion if you're going to enhance an image there needs to be a point to doing it. For instance, say you make a couple of images black and white or sepia toned to represent one of your characters remembering a past battle. Or maybe you make an image that's very desaturated to enhance the gloomy tone of the scene. There's not much point in making random enhancements for no reason because it just wastes time you could spend doing more writing. As for image size, the examples you posted seem about right. Making it too big can be a bit of an irritation sometimes. You want the screenshots to enhance the AAR after all, not get in the way of it.

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