huma

Hey everyone!

My wife just got a client for her web design business. However, the client wants her to clean up a very large number of video capture jpgs. The number of jpgs is so large that time consuming techniques such as cloning are out. Does anyone know of a basic series of steps (that could be possibly used as an action) that cleans up video captures to an acceptable level? The client is knowledgable enough to not expect perfection but would like the pictures to look as good as possible. Also resizing the jpgs is out too. The client insists on leaving the image size as is. An example is provided below.

Thank you,

Moth

Doc

moth,

The only thing that comes to my mind offhand is to use a video converter program such as TMPGEnc 3.0 XPress. You could add all the individual jpg images as a new video project, run the color correction/sharpen/noise reduction filters that would make the same adjustments to all the images. Then encode in .avi format which Image Ready can read. Of course, then you would have to split up each frame to their individual, seperate image again and save as .jpg again.

Here's the web address for TMPGEnc 3.0 XPress and a quick sample I did on the image you posted as an example. Hope this helps.

huma

Thank you Doc

RLDWV2003

moth are you looking to make stills from the movie file or are you wanting to edit and correct the movie? what i read and what Doc posted were 2 diff things.

leenapink

"..a very large number of video capture jpgs"
This would mean to me that there single jpg's images taken from a video. The issue becomes what's wrong with them, and if the same solution can be applied to all of them thru an action..
If they were taken all at the same time on the same video the actions shouldn't be a problem but if they are images taken from a zillion videos you'll probably need to correct them one by one.
Its not as hard as you think as long as you don't obsess with it... clean it up and NEXT.
If you have a CS2 it comes with at jpeg cleaner, if not you can use plugins like Alien skin image doctor/Jpeg repair, or grain surgery or noiseware etc...if not you simply use the regular PS, Gaussian blur or dust and scratch..

What ever you do, keep it simple. Most people wouldn't know the diff. between 2 minute correction and a hour manipulation. Believe me I just finished a 247 picture correction / cleaning...it started as a 25 picture project and ended up a 247 project...needless to say I did not go crazy on cleaning them to my satisfaction. They ended up acceptable... could they have been better yes but they would not have appreciated them,... fast and acceptable can many time be better then slow and unbelievable..
Remeber most people will not look at a picture the way you look at that picture...they zip thru them..

good luck,

Lasa

Doc

My suggestion was just an off-the-wall idea to 'batch' correct multiple images. Of course, all corrections are applied equally to all images so that needs to be taken into consideration. Most video editing software accepts .jpg, tga, png, psd images and even animated gifs that can be run through filters to enhance the images.

Just trying to 'think outside the box'.

leenapink

Doc...I think your idea is great...I never learned how to batch so I wouldn't know how to do it even if I wanted to....
Got about a million PS books and I've managed to avoid the batch chapters unscathed to date...lol

Throwing out ideas myself.

Lasa

leenapink

I like Doc's more but here an idea on how to do it..
I used my default settling when first trying a picture..start out calm and work my way into a frenzy!

The calm guys was...
1)I use the adjustment / curves the line by default at a 45 degree angle.
I pick a point about 1/4 of the way up the line and pull it a very little to the right, then I go to the top 1/4 and pull the line a little to the left.
Making a slight "S" shape. I find it It brings out the color.

2) go to Filters and use Gaussian Blur like .05,
then Unsharpen 80%, .5 raduius and 1 threshold.

These settings are almost always my first shot. works for me a good chunk of the time.
The curve brightens the picture the slight blur mellows the noise, and the slight unsharpen defines the lines.

It helps almost any picture...give it a try worse that can happen is you hate it..lol.

Good luck

After seeing it posted I think it could use a little more "S" curve to brighten it a little more.

Lasa

huma

Thanks everyone for your replies. My wife and I are trying out the suggestions.

Bacardi

Take a look at Colorwasher ( http://www.thepluginsite.com/ ). I can tell you from experience that its algorythms are so good that in some 80% of the cases its automatic enhancement is better than what you get after an hour of tweaking. And believe me: I really tried to be better than a "stupid" automatic feature.