Can Photoshop CS5 Help Me Enhance a Shadowgraph?

[Saladsamurai]

I mean, I am sure that it can, but maybe someone could just tell me how to do it? I have never used PS before. My school has Photoshop CS5 that I can access. Here is what I want to do.

The following image is a shadowgraph. You can see 2 "pointy things" (electrodes) and a circle (which is a flame). You can also see a bunch of defects all about the image. What I want to do is somehow "smooth out" everything and tweak the contrast so that all you really see are the important features: the electrodes and the flame. It would not hurt to make the shadows a little more pronounced (i.e. make them pop out more) by brightening the background.

Does anyone have the patience to walk me through this? Or at least get me started? Even if you can tell me what they would call the "smoothing" function.

I'll trade you a flounder.

 

[Andy Resnick]

What you want to do is not difficult- I'm not a Photoshop expert, but I use ImageJ (a free program) and there are a variety of tools that can be used. A small amount of blur can do wonders, for example.

However, this appears to be a scientific image (as opposed to a photograph)- you should know that doing what you are asking to do can be considered scientific fraud- there are explicit rules about what sort of image manipulations are permissible.

http://swehsc.pharmacy.arizona.edu/exppath/micro/digimage_ethics.php
http://www.uab.edu/ethicscenter/educational-materials/rcr-materials/image-manipulation/image-manipulation-bibliography

That said, if you email me the image (PM me for the address) I can try to help you.

 

[Borek]

If you need just sketch of the important features, it will be probably easier and faster to draw them in some vector graphic program (like Inkscape).

 

[JaredJames]

An expert can do so.

Anyone can who has become familiar with Photoshop.

 

[LudusRex]

I can assure you that Photoshop CS5 has a variety of tools and features that can help enhance a shadowgraph image. The first step would be to open the image in Photoshop and familiarize yourself with the interface and tools.

To start with, you can use the "Levels" tool under the "Image" menu to adjust the contrast and brightness of the image. This will help make the important features such as the electrodes and flame stand out more. You can also use the "Curves" tool to fine-tune the contrast and brightness.

To smooth out the image and remove any defects, you can use the "Blur" tool or the "Smudge" tool. These tools allow you to selectively blur or smudge areas of the image to achieve a smoother appearance. You can also experiment with the "Noise" filter under the "Filter" menu to reduce any noise or graininess in the image.

To make the shadows more pronounced, you can use the "Dodge" tool to selectively brighten areas of the image. This tool allows you to paint over specific areas to increase the brightness and make them stand out more.

I would also recommend exploring other tools and filters in Photoshop to see what works best for your specific image. You can also refer to online tutorials or forums for more specific guidance on using Photoshop CS5.

I hope this helps get you started in enhancing your shadowgraph image. And thank you for offering to trade a flounder, but as a scientist, I prefer to stick to exchanging knowledge and information. Good luck with your project!