Any Photoshoppers

[fenderbelly]

Can you advise me on how to give more definition to clouds in photoshop CS3

I go to >duplicate layer > Filter > Render > Clouds > and it doesn't matter what i try it doesn't look any different.

I may be on the totally wrong track so any help would be appreciated.


Cheers Fred

[Master Splinter]

If you want to give clouds in an existing photograph more definition....that's not the way to do it.

The clouds filter just generates a random not-really-cloud-like pattern based on background colour. (holding down 'Alt' as you select 'Filter' will give the cloud pattern more contrast.)

Have a quick play with Image - Adjustment - Levels and see if that is able to bring up the clouds. If it does (but it stuffs the rest of the picture) then you'll need to isolate the clouds as a selection and just muck around from there till you get the result you want.

Mind you, if you select your foreground objects instead, then you can copy 'em and paste them into the cloud background of your choice.

[silentC]

If you create an adjustment layer and then fiddle with levels and/or curves until your clouds look nice, you can then mask out the affect to the rest of the image by painting on the adjustment layer with black to mask out the layer or white to add it back in.

[Harry72]

Are we talking adding clouding or increasing intensity of cloud that's already there?

[fenderbelly]

Thanks guys for the info.

Harry increasing intensity of what is there already.



Cheers Fred

[BernieP]

G'Day Fred

A site to try if you want to add contrast http://www.webdesign.org/web/photoshop/photo-editing/high-contrast-clouds.5286.html

Cheers
Bernie

[ian]

Fred

in the days of film (especially black and white), people used a RED filter to enhance clouds

worth a try in Photoshop


ian

[Harry72]

Overlay a extra layer that are transparent, you can play the the hue/satuation levels on that layer... like Ian's idea to add some red.

[MajorPanic]

Fred,

If you want to emphasise the clouds you should adjust (darken) the blue channel for the sky which will more definition to the clouds. I'd use a masked adjustment layer just for the sky/clouds.

It's a lot easier to do in Lightroom than Photoshop

http://www.majorpanic.com/images/woodwork/BB/Sky-1.jpg

http://www.majorpanic.com/images/woodwork/BB/Sky-2.jpg

[Canon]

Hi Fred,

Create a blank layer above your photo. then set that layer to softlight.
Then go to the brush tool, select an opacity and flow between 10 to 50%.
Ensure that the colour black is selected.
Then with the blank layer highlighted, paint over the area of the photos that you want to darken and show more depth in, you will have to run your brush over it a number of times, and you should se the changes as you go.

Good luck :2tsup:

[fenderbelly]

Thanks guys for your input,i've tried a couple of these with some success so now i'm on the learning curve.

Cheers Fred

[kahlua_khan]

Howdy,
Depending on the camera you have you could also get a polarizing filter. From what I remember these make ths sky more blue and the couds more fluffy. Will only work on an SLR or a digital SLR though.

[GEEHARD]

you can also try using a 'polarising filter' on the front of your lens, they work brilliantly and will help to emphasize cloud detail, sky colour saturation etc, a must have filter for all photographers i rekon.
G

[fenderbelly]

Yeh got the filters, they do cut out the glare in sky and water and help stop reflections from glass and such like.




Cheers Fred