Enhance Rainbow?

[SSBTexas]

This is simply an iPhone photo, but I wanted to understand if there is a way to enhance the rainbow while not enhancing the surrounding clouds?   I tried a few quick mask, levels adjustments and wasnt satisfied at all. 

Thanks in advance! 

[Damien Symonds]

This is something I've always struggled with, I must admit.  They're hard to enhance, aren't they?

This is the best I can manage.  Better than nothing?

[SSBTexas]

Yes, it's at least a bit more noticeable!   what did you do?   I tried multiply on a another layer for the rainbow and kinda got there.... is that similar to what you did? 

 

[SSBTexas]

And can I download the psd of what you did for this so that I can see how you enhanced?    It's really got me stumped!   

[Damien Symonds]

Ok, so I started by adding a Levels layer, and on the Red channel, moving the middle slider to 1.50.

Then inverted the mask, then gently painted over the rainbow, along the red area, slowly building up a bit of red glow.

My mask looked like this:

Then I duplicated that Levels layer, and on that new layer, I put the Red channel back to normal, and instead moved the middle slider on the Green channel to 1.50.

Then I chose the Move Tool, and nudged the layer across to the right a bit, to create the green part of the rainbow.

Then I repeated that process one more time - duplicated the layer, put the Green back to normal, and put the Blue middle slider on 1.50, then nudged it across some more.

Here's what the layers panel looked like at the end:

[SSBTexas]

wow... good gawd, wouldnt have come up with that on my own.  since this was just an iphone snap and I was only sharing to FB, I just decided to add in a fake rainbow.   

So in general - is this how you would go about enhancing a rainbow though?   I've taken a few with my good camera, but never knew how to enhance it.

 

 

[Damien Symonds]

Yeah, your fake one looks fine.

I don't know, to be honest.  I wing it every time this question comes up.