Some Tips for the New Blood - DPChallenge Forums

Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di for Canon

08/21/2004 01:52:10 PM · #1

Since the digital camera is pixel driven, then the most important next step, after learning to take pictures, is their processing. Without argument Adobe has no competition. My suggestion for those that can not afford PS is to go with elements. Once you learn elements you can get a copy of the "Hidden Power of Photoshop Elements," by Richard Lynch. Ah, great news. This book will turbo charge you elements: It will give you channels, curves and much more. Also, a scholarly lesson in image processing.

Now my strong advise is that you learn how to apply levels, color correction, hue saturation, unsharp mask and gaussean blur.

Until you master the above, consider the rest playing around. The tools mentioned will become your true friends because without this knowledge your pictures will suffer from color maladies, contrast problem and a host of other problems which wull hamper your progress and which others will identify as your weakness.

Never try to use the unsharp mask to sharpen a blurry image. Best to retake the shot or store it as a "b" effort. As you advance you will have to learn selections and here is where the going gets tough. No matter what anybody tells you, using Magic Wand, extract or whatever, it is only the starting point. It will need manual intervention. The use of the mask is invaluable because you can rework it until you are satisfied..yet you will have to examine and forever tweak the close boundaries for strayed pexels. These tools work great with many subjects, but fail miserably with animals and the human beings. You see a strange phenomena occurs at the junction where the background meets the very perimeter of the subject. If this integrity is not kept, the end result will look sloppy. There are tools upon tools to correct this. There is a very little known tool call matting which helps close the strayed pixels...but at the very end, manual attention is a must and to use it you must learn the clone tool.

My advise is to first master the essentials mentioned earlier and then slowly begin to learn selection. There is the untimate selection tool call the pen, bit this requires practice with a slight mathematical incline. However, all this is there when you are ready.

If you concentrate on the essentials you will be able to present your work in its best light. Make learning a trip.

strangeghost

Canon EOS-7D

08/21/2004 02:02:24 PM · #2

Thanks for the voice of experience Dan. Do you have any recommendations for good books on using PS (or elements) or web tutorials?

My personal favorite book is Scott Kelby's "Photoshop for Digital Photographers." He's got the same title specifically for PS Elements too.

I like this book because it's task specific. Need to compensate for less-than-ideal lighting? Got a chapter. Need to color correct a photo? Got a chapter. His directions are very well written and geared toward the serious photographer.

This book has little or no camera advice. He assumes you know your way around the shutter and aperture stuff. This is a book for Photoshop processing to make your images all they can be.

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 II

08/21/2004 02:22:09 PM · #3

Originally posted by strangeghost:

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Kelby's books are all winners. He gets right to the point. However, the above book by Lynch is a must for those that want to learn the basic ideas behind channels, curves etc. It is an in depth anlysis and once you finish, you will have a better understanding of the tools and their use. There is another excellent book "Photoshop 7 Artistry," by haynes/ Crumpler. If you manage to get Lynch's book you will have cahannels and curves to do 90 percent of the execises. The rest of this book deals with making prints, but the lessons will advance your craft rapidly.

ggbudge

Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT

08/21/2004 02:37:23 PM · #4

Thanks for the info graphicfunk. :) I've started working with the unsharp mask on some of my photos. In some areas of my photos, it hardly seems to make a difference while in other areas it's very evident.

I've seen alot of photographs on this site with comments concerning the need for more sharpness. Many times, I can's see it. What am I missing? Is it a technical issue or personal preference?

geewhy

Canon EOS-1D Mark III

Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM

08/21/2004 03:13:33 PM · #5

Dan, I need you to come over the water and give me a grounding in postprocessing.
I`ve had to improvise and make do since joining the site in November as I`m too lazy to learn any more than the basics.

I use PSP8 and find it very user friendly..haven`t a clue about using layers..very seldom, if ever touch levels (always curves and a little filter called "Clarify").
I tried the trial versions of Photoshop,Elements & PSP8 and found the latter to be the easiest to use.

Have you tried PSP8 and if so, how do you rate it ?

Gordon

sharvey

Canon EOS-300D Rebel

08/21/2004 03:16:30 PM · #6

Originally posted by strangeghost:

I have found Photoshop Elements 2 for Dummies to be a great starting point. I'm ready for a text that takes it further; thanks for the suggested readings.
stevie

08/21/2004 09:20:12 PM · #7

Originally posted by geewhy:

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Hey Gordon: your work looks pretty good and the key is to have an idea of you want a piece of software to do. No, being stuck in a commercial advertising, I only looked at Jasc's paint Shop Pro and a few other minor players. Using ps from image processing to actual press runs, leaves the competition far behind, but all you need to do your pictures justice is simply a means to control the tonal values. Levels is much easier to use and remember, you can use levels in each of the channels. Curves offer the ultimate control. PSP8 I have not used.

It is interesting you are using curves before levels. Good for you, curves are harder to master than levels. As a matter of fact, whenever I do a b/w I convert it to grayscale and then back to rgb. I then use curves on the channels to produce b/w and sepias.

Outside of the main tools, these programs have filters that I would never consider using. I make my own smoke and so never use plug- ins. It is very easy to ruin a good image or wind up with a frankenstein. lol

About layers: they are very important because they allow you to do the following: If you want to make work that will alter the image, you do it on the layer. Some use layers for many tasks. When not happy or change of mind, simply discard the layer. Of course, in advance image manipulations layers are indispensible.

suemack

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

08/21/2004 09:33:56 PM · #8

Thanks Dan, an excellent intro to ps. I'm going to work my way through it again cos I really don't know what I'm doing most of the time! Got ps7 and elements.

sue

SandyP

Canon EOS-5D Mark IV

Canon EF 200mm f/2.8 USM

08/21/2004 09:41:39 PM · #9

THANK YOU so much for the advice. I just joined the site in July when I got my first digital camera (a Canon EOS D300 Rebel). I got Photoshop Elements with the camera, and have been trying to teach myself. I'm kind of finding my way around now with the basics you talked about, but REALLY want to get the book to teach me about layering & about the other things I can do. I don't want to pay the money for Photoshop until I have mastered Elements. This is such great information! I'm going to get the book right away. Thank you again!

08/21/2004 09:44:45 PM · #10

Originally posted by ggbudge:

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The subject of sharpness is very camera dependent. The lower end cameras simply have a fixed output of software sharpness. Higher end cameras give you a choice. However, take the Canon 10D, raw unprocessed images are very soft and very hard to pass as is. It is best to do the sharpening outside the camera where there is more control. You can actually ruin the end result of an image with the um. You need to know where to stop. Sharper is not always better. If you make a selection and then apply um, you better be prepared to work around the perimeter, no matter if you allowed for feathering.

The UM is possibly the most over used and over abused tool. Always do your sharpening at 200 percent magnification and the moment the halos begin to take a life of their own...back down because you are doing damage to the overall integrity of the image. There is a harmless way to sharpen an image, but it is not allowed in basic editing:
Use the high pass filter as strong as you seem fit then use overlay. Now you begin to decrease the opacity and select just where you want to stay. You can reduce it all the way down and somewhere, going up, you will find the happy medium.

suemack

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

08/21/2004 09:47:01 PM · #11

This has just gone onto my watched threads so I don't lose it! Too much valuable info coming through.....thanks again Dan

sue

Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM

08/21/2004 09:59:46 PM · #12

Another little known technique whenever you have an under-exposed image is make a copy of the backgtround (ps lingo for the actual image) and then apply this layer in multiply mode and blend the two layer. Now begin your levels or curves adjustments..there is more meat to work with.

geewhy

Canon EOS-1D Mark III

08/22/2004 06:15:25 AM · #13

Originally posted by graphicfunk:

Originally posted by geewhy:
Dan, I need you to come over the water and give me a grounding in postprocessing.
I`ve had to improvise and make do since joining the site in November as I`m too lazy to learn any more than the basics.

I use PSP8 and find it very user friendly..haven`t a clue about using layers..very seldom, if ever touch levels (always curves and a little filter called "Clarify").
I tried the trial versions of Photoshop,Elements & PSP8 and found the latter to be the easiest to use.

Have you tried PSP8 and if so, how do you rate it ?

Gordon

***********************************************************************

Hey Gordon: your work looks pretty good and the key is to have an idea of you want a piece of software to do. No, being stuck in a commercial advertising, I only looked at Jasc's paint Shop Pro and a few other minor players. Using ps from image processing to actual press runs, leaves the competition far behind, but all you need to do your pictures justice is simply a means to control the tonal values. Levels is much easier to use and remember, you can use levels in each of the channels. Curves offer the ultimate control. PSP8 I have not used.

It is interesting you are using curves before levels. Good for you, curves are harder to master than levels. As a matter of fact, whenever I do a b/w I convert it to grayscale and then back to rgb. I then use curves on the channels to produce b/w and sepias.

Outside of the main tools, these programs have filters that I would never consider using. I make my own smoke and so never use plug- ins. It is very easy to ruin a good image or wind up with a frankenstein. lol

About layers: they are very important because they allow you to do the following: If you want to make work that will alter the image, you do it on the layer. Some use layers for many tasks. When not happy or change of mind, simply discard the layer. Of course, in advance image manipulations layers are indispensible.