I have some San Diego friends who follow my blogging adventures, and one of them took me to the woodshed this morning because my picture of the Santa Fe Depot in my earlier post this morning “is nothing like that.”
He is right.
Here is the picture I put in my post:
Santa Fe Depot, San Diego, California
Many decades ago, the Santa Fe Depot was probably the tallest building in downtown San Diego. No more. That area is so overrun with skyscrapers that there is no way to get a decent picture of the Santa Fe Depot. I have 206 pictures of the Depot, and this is the best I could get of the full building:’
The beautiful domes were hidden behind the palm tree or lost in the maze of the skyscraper. The other tilting skyscrapers didn’t add anything to the picture.
Enter Photoshop CS6….
I spent 1½ hours removing the skyscrapers using Photoshop’s Magic Wand and Quick Selection tools. Removing 90% of the skyscrapers was really easy. It was those skyscraper parts invading every nook and cranny of the outline of the Depot that took so much time to get right. Once I got that, I simply inserted a new sky and — voilà! — nice picture.
What I noticed as I was compiling this post was that I was so excited about the sky and the lack of skyscrapers that I forgot to lighten the shadows. When I lightened the shadows, I noticed the people, the car, the trash can, two poles, two electric raceways, and a sign on an exterior wall. They started bugging me, so back to Photoshop I went. Here’s my final product:
I’m wondering which picture you like the best. Actually, no I’m not. You don’t get to vote…. you don’t get to choose…. you have no say whatsoever…. so there!
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Russel Ray Photos 
Nice. 😀
I have been thinking of upgrading from CS5 to CS6. Is it worth it?
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Probably not unless you GPS your photos, want to create picture books, or edit movies.
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Thanks, I’ll stick with the CS5 then 😉
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stiil I am going tell you – without the skyscrapers
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There is always one in the crowd………lol
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I like the one w/o the skyscrapers etc! Time well spent and I’m grateful. And BTW, I would never have known the difference!
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🙂 Great shots! I agree, I love how the architectural elements stand out so much more in the one without the skyscrapers.
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Not a fan of adding skies but this time it really did make it better 🙂
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Adding skies is the #1 thing why I learned Photoshop, PaintShop Pro, Lightroom (a waste for that purpose), Photo-Paint, and CorelDraw. I take most of my pictures in the morning before the marine layer has dissipated, not to mention May Gray and June Gloom. I so totally dislike nondescript gray and white skies.
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Taking out the skyscrapers was a good call…;)
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I appreciate all of your effort, you showing the many differences, and your owning the fact it is all about you, your post, your life…your fun! Zoey’s picture seems to be in full agreement of not having to look to others for nods of approvement, Hee, Hee!
“.”
Cat
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Most I do with a photo is possibly crop it. I think I’m very clever when I do that. The rest is as it was.
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Liked them all!
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I like the final pic, but I would like to see a wee bit of shadow added back in. On my screen (& I say that because we all probably have different computer screens), it looks a bit too flat & shadowless.
(and I have to edit 99.999999% of my own photos)
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I could have sworn that I stated that you didn’t get a say……………..lol
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I agree with you, it’s a nice building without all the clutter of the skyscrapers behind it. Nice job editing it all out too.
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Beautiful job. I have no qualms about using photoshop. The last picture is stunning and I know how much hard work that was! Good for you. I think it’s so nice you were able to create what used to be. I use a different software and used to drive myself crazy with everything that could be done. I now settle for just a few touches, but only to make it look like it really does with the naked eye.
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I like you!
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Like the best first photo from the top… Oh, and Zoey’s of course!
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Here’s an idea—-how about I send you 206 pics of me, and you fiddle with photoshop and make me as gorgeous as the depot? 😉
(Great work, btw!)
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It always helps when the starting point is pretty good!……lol
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Your photo puts this fabulous building where it belongs, Russel, in a class by itself. Great job!
Blessings – Maxi
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Stay outta the wood shed, Russel!
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Too late!
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Although I love all architecture,
I love the final product best.
The colors are bright and you don’t lose any focus on the depot
Beautiful what photoshop can do!
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But if I was voting and I can’t because I’m not allowed I would vote for the one you worked so hard at!
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HAHAHA you so sneaky!
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I do a lot of this cleaning up too – time consuming! but I usually like the result better.
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Great work, I would never have known.
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When I was at the Camera Club last week, I took an impromptu poll of people who replace skies in their pictures. Every single person raised a hand. Many of the members are professional photographers who pay their daily bills with their photography. I decided then that replacing skies is definitely okay.
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It certainly makes for a better picture so why not.
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