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09/15/2005 03:50:30 PM · #1 |
Crop first and then levels/curves, or do levels/curves first and then crop?
I was just looking at a PS tutorial site where they did levels->crop. But I was thinking about this, and I think doing crop as the first step in the workflow is better as you could be cropping out light/dark pixels which will affect how the histogram looks.
If you do levels first, you're adjusting for pixels that you might end up cropping out later on.
Or am I getting too fussy now? :-) |
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09/15/2005 03:55:08 PM · #2 |
I agree with you, I crop first. Not only for the histogram, but you get a better idea of what you're actually changing without being distracted by the effects outside of your future crop.
Unless, perhaps you are trying to adjust for things in a particular area and then will crop around it depending on how the Curves affect the rest of the photo? I've never done that, but imagine that somebody might.
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09/15/2005 03:56:17 PM · #3 |
I always crop first. I try to get the composition first, the work on the shot I've cropped.
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09/15/2005 03:57:06 PM · #4 |
i also correct distortion with the perspective option on the crop tool, so usually crop first.
though, if the photo is going to be placed in a layout program, i don't crop it in photoshop. I'll crop it in indesign/illustrator. Gives more flexibility.
if you are going to print and frame/matte something keep that in mind as well. You can crop with the matte. Otherwise to show the full shot you will have to top-mount it.
Message edited by author 2005-09-15 16:00:04.
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09/15/2005 03:57:28 PM · #5 |
I agree also. I began doing levels first, but then I felt the need to do it againafter cropping because the composition have changed.
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09/15/2005 04:02:07 PM · #6 |
I wait to crop for the second to last step (just before USM) because I might use a picture for many different aspect ratios. 8x10 is different than 4x6 and such. That little bit extra gets used sometimes.
drake |
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09/15/2005 04:02:20 PM · #7 |
Crop first.
reasons:
1) It's faster when you to go levels (less data left)
2) It's more accurate because you're leveling the data you have remaining, not stuff that's gone.
3) Composition could be determinative of what kind of levels I want (high key, low key, dramatic contrast, etc) but levels is rarely indicative of what composition I want.
M
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09/15/2005 04:19:00 PM · #8 |
Assuming you are using photoshop, you can put a rectangle around the area that you want considered in your levels histogram. This allows you to limit the histogram selection area, as you suggested, without having to crop first.
I have learned not to do a final crop early in the workflow because sometimes more space is needed to support a different aspect ratio, such as 8X10. There nothing worse than starting over because you cropped too narrow for an 8X10!
Message edited by author 2005-09-15 16:52:29.
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09/15/2005 07:02:01 PM · #9 |
I couldn't tell you how many times my adjustment of levels and hue/saturation has affected my poerception of how the image should be cropped. I always do my work on a full-frame image and then crop afterwards.
R.
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09/15/2005 08:29:14 PM · #10 |
Cropping is an essential tool to tweek an image to the best compositional presentation, and is related to personal style. Working in a larger size provides the opportunity to be creative. But I think essential cropping should be done while looking through the viewfinder, before the image is set to silver or pixels. That would be the optimum place to crop. Once in photoshop I usually crop as little as possible, near the end of the edit process, but have done it either way. What I find much more interesting, is the workflow question, for purposes in dpc, is when does one resize during the editing process, and what essential editing procedures are done prior to resize and what procedures are done after resize. Probably a question for another thread.
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