Photoshop is amazing. I could easily believe that you could earn an
advanced degree in this program. When I think I have a good bag of tips, I
learn something new and it becomes my new favorite tip. I know and use
stuff now that I had no clue about 2 weeks ago, and so on.

Here are a couple of my recent favorite tips for ski photos.

First, a copy of a shot off the camera after doing basic attempts to
improve the shot with curves, then reducing size and quality significantly
for the web, and sharpening:

(WARING: Pownographic image of skiing Breckenridge)

http://homepage.mac.com/saemisch/Tem...2735Camera.jpg

This shot has a high contrast back-lit subject on overwhelming bright snow
that the camera sensor tints bluish. Now, two of my now-favorite tricks:

1. Apply a "contrast mask" to lift the dark portions and fade the brights
(duplicate layer, desaturate, invert, Gaussian blur, Overlay mode, 50%
opacity)

2. Add a new solid color fill to simulate a photographic 81A warming filter
to get the snow back to white (new solid fill layer, color beige, blending
mode Color, about 15% opacity).

http://homepage.mac.com/saemisch/Temp/DSC_2735Fixed.jpg

Compare the skier, the snow and the trees. You can do much of this with
other programs and/or with much more tinkering with other adjustments but
Photoshop lets you record the actions and assign them F-keys. Bada-bing.
Done.

What books and tip sources have you all liked? i highly recommend "The
Photoshop Book for Digital Photographers" by Scott Kelby.

My quest for Photoshop prowess continues...

Mike...

--
Littleton, Colorado (reply to msaemisch at yahoo dot com)
Visit my ski pages at: http://powderday.us
Carpe powder-diem