Sample Edit 07/24/2015

I just realized it's been 3 years since I've done one of these. To be perfectly honest, I rarely edit all of my photos to this amount of detail but I figured I'd show you guys how in depth I go for some edits that I do. The photo that we're about to dissect is one from the most recent throwback post of Daniel's old Spoon S2000. Sorry in advance for the giant watermark in the photo. I've had experiences where people take my photos, and crop out the watermark and post their own on top... *Cough* Oh, and sorry for the crappy JPEG quality, just remember to click on the pics to view them in a larger format!

Anyways, here's the original shot with some tweaking in it's RAW format.

First things first, I look at what I need to tweak/remove. Immediately I'm able to identify several things that need to go (red). Of course, being the scrub that I was back in the day, I shot without a circular polarizer and didn't time my shots right. So keeping those two things in my, I could've made my life a lot easier. Remember to take time in prepping your shot because this could save you precious hours in photoshop.

The cars in the background have to go, along with the sign names and the reflection and cones that you can see behind the spoiler. This shot was probably one of my least favorites to edit, besides the hood shot where I had to remove my own legs from the shot.

Next thing I look at is how to fix the contrast issues in the photo. The ground could have a bit more contrast along with the hood/bumper area and the rims could also use some touching up. The background could be brightened up just a tad bit.

The one obvious spot that needs to be fixed is the flare coming off the front bumper. This can easily be fixed using the clone stamp tool and sourcing the clone from the hood and surrounding areas. This can also be the hardest part of the car if one isn't careful about where they source their clone stamp from. Anyways, it's always good to be cautious about this part of the edit since if you screw up here it'll be really obvious that you photoshopped something off the bumper.

After removing the flare off the bumper, next is to remove the clutter occupying space in the background. Before you guys move onto the next snap shot you should try to look and see where you can source your clone stamp from.

Here's the way I went about it. For the sign I obviously sourced the clone layers from the sign itself. I was able to manipulate it so it only said "WEST" and "NORTH". Of course... this kind of detail is useless but I felt like doing it anyways. The other areas highlighted in red boxes show where I sourced my clone stamps from. I was able to recreate the background and eliminate all the clutter that we saw in the original photo.

Posting this snapshot seems a bit redundant but can you see the contrast difference in parts of the car between the left side and the right side? (Again, sorry if the quality of the snapshots are garbage. I tried my best).

If you were able to spot the contrast fixes in the lower bumper, headlights, bumper, and rims then you've got a good eye...

Second last fix is the background. Using a flare I brightened the background up a bit. Makes a minor difference but it changes things up a bit.

Last but not least, the color correction for the shot. I managed to use a different set of gradients from a previous set that I edited and increased the contrast of the surrounding gravel in this shot. I basically messed with the gradient filter that I made until I got something that I liked.

That's about it! I think this shot took a handful of hours to do. Hopefully this sample edit gives you guys more insight as to what goes on when I edit my shots. This kind of editing is a lot easier said than done, but it'll appeal to those of you who are detail oriented.

Most of you probably think this is overkill (and I agree it is) but I find it's good to exercise the creative part of your brain and utilize your problem solving skills to fix photographic errors on the spot.

See you guys on the next post!

Two Jake Lake

The beginning of July always seems to be the best time to go camping. Me and a small group of friends decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather and headed out to Two Jack Lake for our camping trip. After arriving, we quickly set up camp and drove out to a nearby trail that would lead us up to Boom Lake.

For those of you who haven't been to Boom Lake, Boom Lake Trail is one of the more accessible trails. Parking is plenty and the parking lot even has bathrooms in case you need to do a last minute numero uno. The trail is relatively straight forward with no sudden gradient changes that will make your life hell.

After about 5 kilometers or so, we managed to reach the lake... and I must say, it was definitely worth the hike.

This is the view that will greet you after you emerge from the tree line. Of course pictures will never do this view justice, so I highly recommend that you guys go out there and do this hike! It's well worth the time.

Boom Lake lies right next to the border of Alberta and British Columbia, but it's actually not that far of a drive from Banff itself. This shot faces towards the SE side of the lake (correct me if I'm wrong).

A shot towards the other side of the lake towards the NW side of Boom Lake. Outside the tree line you'll come across large boulders and cobbles that you need to be careful around when trekking through. Once you reach the actual lakeside though.. it's absolutely gorgeous.

Since I'm not baller and lack the gear to do some proper super wide angle shots, here are some iPhone panoramics for you guys to enjoy. Hopefully they don't look too bad on the big screen!

The view right when you emerge out the treeline and onto the lake shore. Quite a different view from my previous hike up to Moose Mountain. It's definitely more relaxing knowing that you're not on the summit of a mountain about to get electrocuted by thunder clouds... (but that's beside the point).

After having lunch and an hour or so of lounging around, we made our way back down the trail. Back at camp, I decided to head out by myself to shoot some more cliche landscape photos.

By the time I made it out to this point, the sun was about an hour or so away from setting. (I tried my best to capture the actual color of the lighting.)

After a while of lounging on the lakeside, a few friends decided to join in and well.. they decided to walk into the lake (because why not, right?). 

The next day we planned on doing a second hike but the weather forecast didn't look that great. Instead, we did our rounds around Banff and did what tourists do. Anyways, that's pretty much all the pictures I took during the trip. Hope you guys enjoyed the photos!

Throwback Thursday - Spoon fed S2000

I know it's been a while since I've really posted anything, but I'm back with some old shots that I managed to dig up. It's been roughly two years since this set was shot. I held back because I initially felt that these shots weren't good enough... but that was two years ago. Since then, a lot has changed.

Rewinding back to 2013, I remember a good friend of mine introduced me to Daniel a few months prior to this shoot. Back then, Daniel had 2 iconic cars in his possession. The AJR Turbo Fit and this S2000 you see here. Throughout his time of ownership, Daniel loved this car to pieces and kept it as clean as possible.

Black was difficult to capture in this kind of light, but you can't deny how sexy the Spoon wide body kit looks on this S2000.

By now you've probably come to the conclusion that practically everything you see here is Spoon.

Daniel used to daily drive this car, which in itself is a feat considering the poor condition of the roads here in Calgary.

The car was initially purchased a few years back... 

... And from there, he brought it home and made it his own.

(You can never go wrong with the addition of a roll cage, bucket seat and Takata harnesses)

(I wasn't lying to you when I said almost everything was from Spoon.)

(Berlina black on the outside and black on black interior on the inside)

From the interior...

... and onto the wheel setup.

(Spoon Sports calipers, no surprise here!)

In the engine bay, you can expect to see more Spoon.

The hard top makes this S2000 look more sexy than it already is.

(Out of the entire set, this shot is my favorite)

No photo shoot is complete without a few rolling shots. As the clouds started to roll in and the sky washed out, it was time to go for some rollers before the hard rain kicked in.

Despite eating a few bugs, I feel this shot was definitely worth it.

That's pretty much it! Although Daniel doesn't own this car anymore, he loved it to bits. For those of you who are wondering where it is now, it's up in Edmonton and it still sees a ton of action out on the track.

Hopefully I'll be able to dig up more content for future "throwback" posts. In the meantime, keep your eyes peeled.