i've always had trouble getting good landscape type pics on sunny days cuz it ends up washed out looking.

here's an example.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b158/bagwellfive/DSCN8776.jpg

how would i make that more crisp or better yet - what would you guys do to this pic?

i've also attached a full size version (~1.1MB)

btw - it was taken w/ a P&S Nikon. POS is more like it.

don't really want a full size SLR but I'd love to take better pictures

here's another that's resulted in the same washed-out look

(full size attached)

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b158/bagwellfive/DSCN8778.jpg

Haze can be a bugger no matter the camera, but heres my take on it:

http://forums.clubrsx.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=288039&stc=1&d=1192563177

Saturation +5
Levels
Curves
Shadow/Highlight
A little USM for good measure

whoa nice. I'm assuming those settings you listed is Photoshop?

Haze can be a bugger no matter the camera, but heres my take on it:

http://forums.clubrsx.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=288039&stc=1&d=1192563177

Saturation +5
Levels
Curves
Shadow/Highlight
A little USM for good measure

Wow, that's really good, considering what the original was. I need to start messing with PS more...

whoa nice. I'm assuming those settings you listed is Photoshop?

Yes.

What I listed is what I did and in that order.
- Saturation +5 like I said
- I can't recall the numbers on the levels adjustment,
- curves I just used the black eye-dropper on what I deemed to be as close to black in the original (I believe I used a shadow area near the bottom)
- Shadow/Highlight at 15 each, can't recall the other 2 values, but I leave them low
- USM at 25-30, 2, 0

http://www.maj.com/gallery/Sirsid/Random-F/tstt.jpg

You layered it didn't you...

I had something like that at first, but its a little much for my taste.

guilty :o

my action palette doesn't fit in my 22"

oh damn. what is it that you did there?

didnt put alot of time into this, didnt want to go through and actually paint lol Im a big fan of that color sky :-)

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a270/Nick2730/DSCN8776copy.jpg

so what is it that you did there?

so what is it that you did there?

played until i liked it lol. Firs duplicated the layer, set it to overlay. Then started messing with color balance, curves and highlight/shadows

oh damn. what is it that you did there?

like nick i played around with it until i liked it. i personally like saturated colors (in moderation)

consider playing with:

-levels
-curves
-shadow/highlight (don't get carried away with this one, and only use it if you don't have any noise visible)

on my example i had to cut parts of the image so i wouldn't blow up certain parts or get it pixelated. the best way to do this is to use the polygonal lasso and feather about ~50%, then copy and paste it on top and play with the settings there.

i know it takes time but you'll get it eventually. there's many ways of doing the same thing with ps. i work with it at work everyday and you can always learn something new.

btw - it was taken w/ a P&S Nikon. POS is more like it.

don't really want a full size SLR but I'd love to take better pictures

Nikon doesn't make POS cameras, all of them are superior to any other brand. You just happen to buy an inexpensive Nikon, you get what you pay for, lol.