[starchild]

With the camera I have now (Epson PhotoPC 650) when I take pictuers of leaves and trees (in the shade) they come out reddish. Sort of light reddish brown.

I've tried using flash and it's the same. They don't come out a nice, deep green. Sometimes even leaves that aren't in the shade are like this. Too much sun washes them out and they're too bright.

I don't think there's anything to set on the camera for this (my previous camera had settings for indoor, white light, etc)

I need to fix any pictures I want to use in PSP or PS, after. When I use color balance (PS) it comes out too bright and yellow. Or like a bright lime green. Same with the RED,BLUE, GREEN option. I never can get it to look normal (dark green)

I've tried the adjust bright-contrast, also. And with the other settings. It never comes up looking natural, always too bright or yellowish or something.

I admit I don't really know what I'm doing, and maybe not setting the color balance/adjustments right (like midtones? Shadows, etc?)

There is a grove of trees beside my house, and the sun comes in and makes patterns on the leaves and trees, and on the grass nearby and I keep trying to "capture" this look in a natural way.

Any ideas?

~ Carrie

[buck52]

post a picture starchild with as much info about it so we can have a look

buck

[starchild]

I don't know what you mean by info. It's an Epson PhotoPC 650 camera that auto sets the exposure. I don't remember now which ones I took with the flash and which I didn't. it a grove of trees and leaves, I tried standing in different parts of. What I wanted (and have tried before) is to capture the dark green with the sunlight showing through the trees/leaves in places.

When I stand inside the grove of trees/leaves and shoot OUT (through the trees- at the sunlight in the yard) it's better. Though, of course the sunlight parts are kind of washed out.

I know I'm not going to get much without an adjustable camera, or filters, etc but figure I should be able to fix it in a graphics program.

I left these 144 resolution as they come off the camera and reduced them to 3" in size. Not sure how bit they will be on here. Normally I'd reduce them to 72 resolution and 6" to post on the web.

[starchild]

How come sometimes when I add pictures they come out on the page open and sometimes as attackments to click on?

The pictures average a funny reddish- brown. I can't seem to get them a nice dark (normal leaf color) green.

[buck52]

As you have probably guessed... that camera can't handle the white balance situation you have given it

I picked one and just fiddled with it for a minute in photoshop...using adjustment layers with levels and curves...PSP will be much the same

color balance

buck

[starchild]

I thought maybe someone might enjoy a challenge

I guess I will go in the direction of making tree/leave pictures into some kind of art. Or shooting it from another direction. Standing inside the trees, shooting out into the light works better.

If I had a better camera that took better pictures, I wouldn't have a reason to learn all this.

Sort of like "in a perfect world... what would there be to learn?"

We'd probably quickly get bored.

~ Carrie

[buck52]

in a perfect world you'd have a better camera...

I'll go out on a limb and say... even Photoshop is not a subsitute for a good camera...

"waiting for flame"...

buck

[buck52]

here's one starchild taken with my sony DSC-S70 on automatic

buck

[starchild]

"In a perfect world..."

I like that line.

"In a perfect world it wouldn't matter how many pixels a person has- or can afford." Would that make a good affirmation for a picture?

In a perfect world everyone would have all the expensive electronic stuff they wanted.

Here's one I took in the rain (it seems to help when it's not bright sunlight around the trees and leaves) used a new layer, and "painted" light on it, some brighter than others, then merged the layers.

I had thought color balance or RED,GREEN,BLUE settings would fix it and I somehow wasn't doing it right.

Since I'm learning to use plug ins and filters I can always change the pictures to art. I don't really need leaves and trees. otherwise. I was trying to get the dappled effect of sunlight coming through the trees, like a design.

Also, if I stand inside the trees and take the picture OUT, it helps, too.

One good thing about making do with what I have, it forces me to learn more and be more open to being creative in different ways.

Where if I had an expensive camera that did it all for me, I wouldn't have to.

(I have had fairly good 35mm film cameras in the past, with ZOOM lenses and filters and close up lenses. etc. In fact I can use the closeup lenses from my Pentex K1000 on my Epson digital now. Not the big Zoom telephoto, though)

~ Carrie