Dust Spot Detection Help

[conman]

Had a photo rejected for dust spots. Thats fine I though, I'll just open it in photoshop, equalize and see what I missed the first time. After doing that I couldnt see anything so I emailed the screeners to ask where the dust spots where, and they told me there were two near the wingtip. So I open it in photoshop again and equalize, still nothing even though I know where to look this time, and they don't become apparent until I play around with brightness/contrast, and even then they are only faint and the only reason I see em is cause I know where to look.

Equalizing and checking for dust spots is the first thing I do, after the crop and resize, when editing a photo and I have never had any problems up until now.

So my question is, what better way is there of checking for dust spots, I know the screeners dont use the equalize method, can I get what they use.


Rejected Photo

Edit: Just realized I probably posted this in the wrong place, can someone please move it to the Digital Photo Processing Forums.

[Mark Ralph]

I can see 2 large spots without equalizing it. One to the left of the winglet and further left on the edge of the image. Equalize is really the best method, as a quick check if you open the image full size, click & hold the scroll bar on the right of the open window & move the scroll bar up & down quickly effectively shaking the image. The later method was how I saw yours

[Alex - Spot-This !]

If you can't see the big spot near the winglet I would suggest that you check your screen . Are you sure the contrast and colours are ok ?
'cause it's really obvious here and it doesn't need to be equalize to actually see them.

Cheers
Alex

[Greg Wilson]

If you can't see the big spot near the winglet I would suggest that you check your screen................. Cheers
Alex

Hang on fair go. I don't deny the spots are there and probably warrants a rejection, but they are not that obvious even when equalized.I have looked at the photo on CRC, LCD and a laptop and like I say they are there but..........
Con,



Did you use shadow/highlights??

[Alex - Spot-This !]

Did you use shadow/highlights??

No, not at all. I'm just standing on a good old eMac here at work. Not even opened PS.

Sure we have seen worst dust spots than these but they are obvious enough to get a rejection...

Alex

[Greg Wilson]

Alex....I think Con has used shadow/highlights in his edit.............

[Alex - Spot-This !]

You're probably right yes Greg...

Shadow/highlight is WAY overused by many photographers which results in bad looking halos around planes... I've personnaly totally stopped using it about 2 years ago. Way better to play with the curves and level.

Cheers

[Christobal65]

They are very minor dust spots I had to look at the image 2-3 times before i saw them and finally bounced the scroll wheel on my mouse several times to see them.

I have rarely if ever used the shadow highlight tool as i feel that by the time a noticeable difference is made with that tool the image looks very fake, and flat.

[conman]

Firstly im not at all complaining about the rejection. I was after peoples methods for detecting the dust spots, I know equalise is the most common method but I was hoping for other fool proof ideas, cause equalise obviously missed these dust spots.

.....as a quick check if you open the image full size, click & hold the scroll bar on the right of the open window & move the scroll bar up & down quickly effectively shaking the image.....

Thank you mrk25, they became much more apparent when I tried this.

If you can't see the big spot near the winglet I would suggest that you check your screen . Are you sure the contrast and colours are ok ?
'cause it's really obvious here and it doesn't need to be equalize to actually see them.

Im looking at the pic on 2 different computers and its still hard to see em. I dont know maybe its my eye sight thats going.

...Con, Did you use shadow/highlights??....

I only use levels and occasionally curves for photos to be uploaded. I do use shadow/highlights on my personal shots, but I was under the impression its a big no no on here.

I did shoot this with a polarizer (something I dont usually do) and maybe that had something to do with it. If fact looking at the original unedited shot, it hardly needed any brightness/contrast adjusment, and the dust spots on it are also hard to find.

[gusty987]

The plane also looks like its too low in the frame...

[Greg Wilson]

............................ I do use shadow/highlights on my personal shots, but I was under the impression its a big no no on here........

Not at all, but like noise reduction are the main ones being done incorrectly.
I only thought you had used this function because of the "halo" effect on part of your photo. Probably the result of perhaps the post processing needed after using the filter.

[Billsville]

I don't use equalize for Dust spots, I use the levels layer method.

In PS create a Levels adjustment layer. On the levels dialogue that comes up, pull the middle slider all the way to the right. Then grab the far right slider and start to pull it to the left. as you do you will find the right place where you can now see all the dust spots. It's sort of like equailze but a bit more extreme, plus you have the control now to adjust the view so you see spots in the darker and lighter areas.

Grab the clone/heal tool, click on the bottom original layer in the layer stack and then fix the spots. When finished delete the adjustment layer and the spots should be gooorrrnnneee.

[conman]

I only thought you had used this function because of the "halo" effect on part of your photo. Probably the result of perhaps the post processing needed after using the filter.

Could be from sharpening. For shots like these I usually select the sky, then inverse selection and then do my sharpening. To be honest I didnt even notice the halo effect until you mentioned it.

In PS create a Levels adjustment layer. On the levels dialogue that comes up, pull the middle slider all the way to the right. Then grab the far right slider and start to pull it to the left. as you do you will find the right place where you can now see all the dust spots. It's sort of like equailze but a bit more extreme, plus you have the control now to adjust the view so you see spots in the darker and lighter areas.

Grab the clone/heal tool, click on the bottom original layer in the layer stack and then fix the spots. When finished delete the adjustment layer and the spots should be gooorrrnnneee.

Thanks Stephen, thats sounds like it might work better. I'll give it a go and see how it goes.

[philh]

Funniest thing is even when they have been circled I still cant see 'em!

Good job I never submit anything at work on this monitor!

[Moose135]

...as a quick check if you open the image full size, click & hold the scroll bar on the right of the open window & move the scroll bar up & down quickly effectively shaking the image.

I've had that suggested before, and all that does is get me dizzy and give me a headache! I've looked at the photo in question on two different monitors and don't see the dust spots, but I haven't tried equalizing it.