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02/12/2004 11:23:43 PM · #1 |
Hello everyone, i'm writing an article for my little site on "enhancing digital negatives."
What standard tricks do you all typically use to bring your image to life.
I plan to mention, color balance, levels, contrast, sharpening and brightness. What else should i mention, without getting too techinical?
Also do any of you have any before and after enhancement images that you care to share?
Thanks,
Adam
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02/12/2004 11:30:56 PM · #2 |
It's always a good practice to expose the image correctly :)
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02/13/2004 12:42:00 AM · #3 |
I virtually always use Curves rather than levels. This also has the added advantage of giving a headstart on Duotones.
You might talk about the various ways of converting color to B+W.
Cropping (or not!).
Masking to make selective adjustments.
Dodge/Burn/Clone tools ("appropriate use of") |
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02/13/2004 01:21:21 AM · #4 |
the one thing i have recently picked up that seems to help a lot in making an image 'pop' is to use (properly!) UnSharp Mask. It can also reduce noise a bit.
The next best one thing i have found is //www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/expose-right.shtml
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02/13/2004 02:10:03 AM · #5 |
Well you can right an article on using external flash with digital camera that have no hot shoe and PC socket, this topic is hardly discussed any where.As person start clicking more and more snap they realise camera's in built flash is useless and very harsh.
You can write series of article on printing digital images, starting from monitor calibration to color management |
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02/13/2004 02:26:56 AM · #6 |
My first two steps are almost always rotating (to get it level, not necessarily the 90 degree turn) and cropping. Then I can go to work on making it look it's best. These are not unique to digital. But sharpening is, and nearly all digital images need it; and sharpening sometimes needs to be adjusted a second time after resizing. |
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02/13/2004 09:25:44 AM · #7 |
If we are throwing around workflows, here is my rough outline that I follow. I've put concepts or topics to consider , if I was going to write up a step by step guide, in brackets:
Get it right in camera to the best of my ability (camera control, exposure, metering, composition, design, communicative impact, light, lens choice, other basics like that)
RAW convert (rotate, white balance, contrast, levels, curves, saturation, no sharpening)
(all 16 bit) (advantages to 16 bit workflows, variable bit precision concepts)
Levels adjustment layer to set white/black point (white /black point, if an image needs one that kind of thing, the intent of adjustments in photoshop, value of adjustment layers)
Curves adjustment layer to tweak contrast (curve types - S-curves for contrasts, double tap lock downs for local contrast adjustments, channel specific curve adjustments, contrast masks for localised effects)
Hue/sat adjustment layer to tweak saturation (never using the 'brightness slider', saturation and not going over the top, in ability to print if you go to far)
Any spot edits/adjustments on a duplicate layer (clone tool/ healing brush/ contrast masks, alpha channels, paths, selections, wand tools, lasso, quick masking, painting masks, brush tools, history brushes, application modes for clone tool )
Save for later (save types, PSD for layer info, general file management concepts, always preserving the original 'negative')
Crop to specific target ratio (output formats, ratios)
Flatten
Resize to target size (10% increments, bicubic softer, other resizing approaches, genuine fractals, whole thing in one step, why resize)
Edge sharpen with a custom action (why sharpen at all, why the default sharpen and sharpen more are useless, basic USM settings, contrast masks, find edges, gaussian blur for masks, masked USM for localised sharpening, history brush for painting in additional sharpness)
Proof for target output profile (colour profiling, colour management, proofing images, impact of rendering intents, black point comp, paper simulation and adjustment, impact of different paper, ink and printer choices, ICC profiles and sourcing, gamuts)
add additional adjustment layers for particular proof as needed (adjustment layers, getting accurate prints)
flatten, convert to target output profile (convert to profile options)
convert to 8 bit
Save and/or print (attach ICC or not, JPEG options)
Message edited by author 2004-02-13 09:26:05. |
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02/13/2004 10:53:57 AM · #8 |
Originally posted by Gordon: If we are throwing around workflows, here is my rough outline that I follow. I've put concepts or topics to consider , if I was going to write up a step by step guide, in brackets:
Get it right in camera to the best of my ability (camera control, exposure, metering, composition, design, communicative impact, light, lens choice, other basics like that)
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Wow Gordon, just Wow, can I watch over your shoulder while you do all that? |
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02/13/2004 11:45:09 AM · #9 |
For post processing (assuming that you've done your work in your camera ... there is no substitute for camera work of course), I use contrast masking in Photoshop. It does wonders for over 90% of my shots. The technique is simple enough. The tutorial is located here:
//www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/contrast_masking.shtml
One of the best kept secrets of Photoshop, I think.
Message edited by author 2004-02-13 12:02:50. |
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