changing areas of a photo

[jeb]

When I saw that the ability to lighten/darken areas of a photo was in the new x10 I thought it would be something I could use on several old photos I have.

But having gone through the Help file on the Photo region and mask tool, I find that it is all but useless. My photos - and I assume most everyone's - does not have a clear cut line that needs to be lightened/darkened, they fade in. Also, I find it impossible to draw the lines for the regions/mask areas.

Please tell me this is not the way to lighten/darken areas of a photo.

This is something that has been in photoshop for years - if this is the response that xara has come up with if falls very short. - jb

[Egg Bramhill]

Hi Jeb, I think you've got this all wrong. I'm not a filter user so I'm not 100% sure I'm correct but there's no needs for masks in this fearure.The tool is just added to the Enhance Photos tool bar and you can use the new Shadows Brightness & Highlights Brightness sliders to adjust either/both the dark/light areas of the photo

[jeb]

Egg, I see nothing different on the Enhance tool bar - anything you use there applies to the whole photo, not just to certain parts of it - unless I am missing something. - jb

[Egg Bramhill]

Hi Jeb,

Do you see these 3 new icons? Not really my expertise but there are differences?

[browj2]

This is my third attempt to reply. I am not enamoured with the functionality of this forum. Probably me but I find that the Magix Knowledge Forum works much better, even if it does not look as slick as this one.

For Jeb, I am surprised that this is only new now in Xara. It exists in Magix Movie Edit Pro and Video Pro X6, as well as on my Canon Ti4 camera, as HDR, or High-Dynamic-Range imaging. As per the Magix Video Pro X6 manual it is defined as:
HDR Gamma: Unlike "Gamma", very dark areas are selectively lightened.

This is wonderful in the video program where I often have underexposed areas or too much backlight, both in videos and photos.

I tried it in Xara and below, if this works as inserting images does not cause them to show up in the message like they do in the Magix Knowledge upon import, are the before and enhanced images. Notice that the bright areas remain the same, no masking necessary. Looks good to me. Good tool, but should have been in X9.




John

[jeb]

Egg, I opened X-9 rather than X-10 when I replied to you the first time - sorry.

I have used the 2 new tools and they certainly make a difference.

I have attached the before and after of one photo I am working on - it certainly is an improvement. But is there a way to get the marked difference of the right side and left side of the photo the same - to "blend" the areas together? - jb

[Egg Bramhill]

Hi Jeb,

Glad you found it.

In my opinion you've gone a bit OTT on the lightning/darking bit but that's just a matter of taste.

As for your question re the left/right differences that looks to me more like a partial exposure of the original negative and you'd need to talk to someone with far more expertise than me in photo manipulation, I have non at all.

[jeb]

I agree - am not finished but trying to find a way to blend the areas together so that there is not that obvious line between them.

I don't have the negative - this was bleached out by the sun, a part of the pic was covered and a part was not. I have several like it I am trying to restore.

Tks - jb

[Egg Bramhill]

Perhaps a more proficient user of Xara or PhotoShop might come to your assistance.

[Egg Bramhill]

Okay jb, just for fun I tried my best at removing the faded section. Here's the results I ended up with. At 96 dpi it can just scrape through but any larger and the joins would show. Also had to reduce the family homestead a bit