Affinity Photo: How to Fix this Photo

[DianeF]

I took this photo of a piece of my art work in less than ideal conditions. The bottom half of the piece is too dark and the photo is crooked and does not appear flat. I need to use this photo soon to apply for an exhibition, but I know that it needs improvement.

I have played with this a lot in Affinity Photo but am not getting results that I like. I tried rotating and cropping to get the top of the piece straight but I couldn't get it completely straight. I don't know how to fix the perspective so that the piece looks flat with a straight top.

I also tried to remove the piece from its background and then add a new white background behind it. I was able to do that, but then the piece appeared too narrow. I also couldn't get a perfect selection. I used the selection brush tool and spent a long time trying to get a good selection but there were still places that weren't selected correctly.

I experimented with various adjustment layers to improve the colors and brightness overall and then tried selecting only the lower part of the piece, feathering the selection, and then adjusting that part of the piece with an exposure layer and a highlights and shadows layer. Again, I couldn't get this to look natural and to blend in with the rest of the piece.

It's clear that I don't have a good enough understanding of the program to accomplish my goals. I'd be grateful for any suggestions for how to improve this photo, including a suggested workflow for what steps to take first.

I'm attaching the original photo and the photo that I worked on in Affinity Photo. The one on the left is the photo I worked on in AP and the other one is the original.

Thanks for any help anyone can give me.

[toltec]

You could use the mesh warp tool to straighten it.

Apply a Level adjustment, then paint on the levels mask with a gradient to adjust the brightness on the top and the bottom, without lightening the middle.

 

Like this

 

 

You will need to spend a bit of time to get it square or maybe crop a little?

[DianeF]

Thanks, Toltec.

I've never used the mesh warp tool but I will try it.

I don't understand what this means: "Apply a Level adjustment, then paint on the levels mask with a gradient to adjust the brightness on the top and the bottom, without lightening the middle." Are you saying that I apply a levels adjustment to the whole piece, then create a mask (by creating a new mask layer?), apply a gradient to the mask and then do something else? I have played with masks, but not masks and gradients, and am not clear about the steps involved. Sorry, but I'm still confused and wonder if you could please add a bit more detail.

I was also not clear about your comment about getting the piece square. It's a rectangular piece, so I don't want it to be square. What I want to do is select it and then create a white fill layer behind it. I want the white background to be as narrow as possible but all the edges have to be visible.

 

 

 

[toltec]

When you use the mesh tool Double click to set a control point. Double click to add more points. You can then just drag the point or handle as you want.

 

All adjustment layers have a mask built it. You can paint on it with the paintbrush in black or white. You can also use a gradient using the gradient tool.

 

If you select the adjustment layer,  (see layers in my first post) then just paint on it with the gradient tool. Click on the gradient control bar to set a new point in the middle. Set the middle colour to black, the end colours to white. (as below) That will give a black and white gradient like I posted before.

See here, black in the middle. White either end. I am actually painting on the mask, although it might not look like it here.

 

The black will stop the levels adjustment applying to the middle of the picture. That way it lightens either end, but not the middle.  You can play around to adjust it as you like. There are little handles between colour points, drag them to adjust.

[DianeF]

Thanks, Toltec. This is clearer though I'm still having some trouble. I can't figure out how to use the mesh warp tool without somewhat distorting the image. What seemed to work was to pull out the bottom left of the image to keep the left side equidistant from the left hand side of the page.

I followed your instructions re. the gradient. If I want to readjust the gradient once you've accepted the levels adjustment made using that gradient, how do you get the gradient line back again? I can adjust the Levels dialogue box by doubling clicking on the mask in the levels adjustment layer but I can't see the gradient to fiddle with it.

I still have to do a better job selecting the image, removing it from its original background and then putting it on a white background. In terms of work flow, I'm thinking that I should select the image, copy the selection to a new layer, and make the straightening and levels adjustment on that layer. Then I should create a new document with a white background and paste the adjusted image onto that. Is that the correct workflow and way to do this? Or should I create a background layer in this document after making the other adjustments? That way I can resize the entire document to the correct size.

I would like to start from the beginning and redo this and then load the finished image for any suggestions for how to improve it.

[toltec]

I don't think you can help some distortion. Just do the best you can. You could always use the liquify persona to "reshape" a little.

 

You can't edit a gradient drawn on a mask. You have to start again.

 

If you want to be able to do that, it becomes a little bit more complex. You have to use a rectangle and use that as a mask.

 

a. Draw a rectangle (shape tool) over the whole page and fill it with a gradient.

 

 

b. Use the gradient entry box and set the opacity at the ends to transparent, the middle black. as shown below.  

 

To use that as  a mask, drag it over the adjustment layer thumbnail until a blue vertical highlight bar appears on the right of the thumbnail. That indicates it will become a "mask" of the adjustment layer. See below.

 

Rectangle is now masked inside the Levels adjustment. See little page thumbnail on Rectangle to indicate it is masked.

 

You can now affect the adjustment in real time. In middle of image shown here.

To change, select the rectangle layer (click on thumbnail) and select the gradient tool. Use the gradient box again, not the colours panel, and adjust the transparency. You can drag the sliders and see what it does in real time. Adjust as necessary.

 

Actually, I just realised I did that the wrong way round for you and lightened the middle, not either end. You will have to swap the black and transparency on the gradient.

[DianeF]

Hi Toltec,

Thanks for your additional suggestions. I worked some more on this piece and think I have a reasonable version of it which I'm attaching here. If you have any suggestions for improving this, please let me know.

Is the use of the gradient tool with a levels adjustment generally the best way to alter the brightness and contrast in a piece where the lighting has been uneven?

[toltec]

12 hours ago, DianeF said:

Is the use of the gradient tool with a levels adjustment generally the best way to alter the brightness and contrast in a piece where the lighting has been uneven?

 

Well, it doesn't have to be a Levels adjustment, there are other similar adjustments but you do need the gradient. I personally prefer the levels as it's quite simple (because of applying a gradient to it) but the great thing is there is loads of choice.

 

Remember too, that you can add more than one gradient mask to the mask if you cant get it right with just one.

And more than one adjustment type, with a mask to that, like an HSL adjustment.

 

See how I set the layers above. Although you probably wont want two masks in levels. It is just to give you an idea and what you can do. Just duplicate the rectangle layer and "tweak".

 

Personally, i would tone the bottom up a touch, make it a little bit lighter, maybe with a HSL layer to give it a bit more saturation. Again with a mask, as per the picture. It looks a little bit off balance. Of course, I down know what you want to achieve, so maybe vice versa.

Try going to filters > Distort > Lens Distortion and entering 2 in the dialogue box, maybe 3.

.

Officially it is to correct pincushion or barrel distortions in some lenses but it will help straighten it a bit.

[DianeF]

Thanks for the additional suggestions. I will work further on this image.