If you haven't worked in "Lab Color" mode then you won't understand. Take an ugly washed out image, open it in LAB mode, tighten up your levels some and then start experimenting with curves. Just a gentle nudge somewhere along the A or B curve can bring many photos to life, especially nature scenes. LAB also kicks ass for image sharpening. In RGB you can only sharpen an image a certain amount before the colors "pop" and the image becomes ugly. To sharpen in LAB select the Lightness Channel only (while viewing in LAB) & work on that with the Unsharp Mask. You can sharpen to your hearts content without popping colors this way. After sharpening the L channel you may want to blur the other two slightly. There, doesn't that look nice now?
Granted the GIMP is a wonderful thing, but It needs LAB capabilities before it will make me leave Photoshop.
Slashdot Mirror
Been there, done that, ain't going back no more.
If you haven't worked in "Lab Color" mode then you won't understand. Take an ugly washed out image, open it in LAB mode, tighten up your levels some and then start experimenting with curves. Just a gentle nudge somewhere along the A or B curve can bring many photos to life, especially nature scenes.
LAB also kicks ass for image sharpening. In RGB you can only sharpen an image a certain amount before the colors "pop" and the image becomes ugly. To sharpen in LAB select the Lightness Channel only (while viewing in LAB) & work on that with the Unsharp Mask. You can sharpen to your hearts content without popping colors this way. After sharpening the L channel you may want to blur the other two slightly. There, doesn't that look nice now?
Granted the GIMP is a wonderful thing, but It needs LAB capabilities before it will make me leave Photoshop.
No, it's perfectly safe as C4 cannot be exploded through heat alone. The mercury switch sounds kinda dicey though.
If you want to see a good movie made inexpensively, rent El Mariachi. BWP just plain sucked.