How to create these picture enhancements in Paint.NET?

[Ishi]

I've recently seen this page and I think its interesting what techniques in Photoshop were used to enhance these images to be posted online.

 

http://www.boredpanda.com/how-photographers-photoshop-their-images-landscape-photography-peter-stewart/

 

 

They seem to make the details look real good. Instresting tweaks to the highlights, midtones, saturation and so on. I think its very tricky to achieve with conventional levels and curves tools.

 

 

Is there a way we can emulate those techniques in Paint.NET?

 

 

 

 

[Ego Eram Reputo]

Laplacian Pyramid filter: http://forums.getpaint.net/index.php?/topic/24563-laplacian-pyramid-filter-effect-plugin/page-2

Michaels's demo photo of the bridge gave me a "Wow!" moment.

Older, but still a great filter: http://forums.getpaint.net/index.php?/topic/8169-local-contrast-enhancement-v12-2008-12-24/

also http://forums.getpaint.net/index.php?/topic/5578-shadow-highlight-recovery-v22-2008-12-24/

and http://forums.getpaint.net/index.php?/topic/25286-make-your-photo-vibrant/ - simple tut using Levels, Local contrast and @BoltBait's Combined Photo Adjustments

There was another tutorial I really liked - but can't think what it was called. I'll have a reference at home somewhere.

[BoltBait]

I use two plugins to improve my landscape photos:

http://forums.getpaint.net/index.php?/topic/5578-

and

http://forums.getpaint.net/index.php?/topic/16736-

[Ego Eram Reputo]

Found it: http://forums.getpaint.net/index.php?/topic/25221-how-to-make-the-colors-more-intense/

[Ishi]

Thanks for the quick reply EER and Boltbait.

 

I did not even know of these plugins except for Combined Photo Adjustments and Sharpen Landspace which is one of my favorites by the way to create an artificial sky.

 

New stuff to try but yet to see if the older plugins still work with PDN 4.09.

 

By the way, the last link you posted EER features this technique that was incredibly simple and effective. Kudos to the guy who posted it.

[null54]

Many of those images used the Nik Color Efex Pro filter for post-production.

Google recently released it and the rest of the Nik Collection as freeware and it runs fine under PSFilterPdn.

[Ishi]

Thanks for the tip Null54 but I have to update to your latest release of PSFilterPDN. I'm still on an older build.

 

Thanks for the heads up.

[skullbonz]

Another easy way to change the looks of a photo without plugins in paint.net is to duplicate it  and play with the blending modes on the top layer. 

[dipstick]

You must remember that those images were shot in RAW and were worked on in a 16-bit, 32-bit or 64-bit environment. PDN works in 8-bit per channel which results in much detail loss. You can still get good results if you are careful and know what you are doing, but you're starting at a disadvantage.

[Ishi]

Yes, I play with blending modes and the most common that I used are multiply and overlay.

 

I always duplicate a layer before doing modifications so I could either start over or have a base comparison.