What is your Workflow?

Cyberspider · Post by **Cyberspider** » Sat Jan 10, 2009 3:32 pm

Hi @ all,

i'm interested in how is your workflow in image editing?

-program
-corrections (Tonekurve, noise reduction,...)

do you crop your images or do you show your image as shot?

AndrewC · Post by **AndrewC** » Tue Jan 20, 2009 12:54 pm

RAW conversion with Raw Shooter Premium (my newest camera is a D200 so it still works

). Usually do some levels adjust during import

Import to CS3 and use Photokit Sharpener for import sharpening
Basic curves and B&W point adjustment (often try the auto adjust for levels contrast and colour

Crop to suit - I can't understand why people get all bent out of shape about cropping. I start "cropping" the moment I visualise an image, selecting a lens length, framing it and pressing th ebutton .

Reduce to size depending on destination and final sharpen with Photokit again.

For HDR I use Photomatix
For panoramas I use Autopano Pro or Panotools Assembler
For stacking Helicon Focus

Cyclops · Post by **Cyclops** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 3:53 am

Shoot in jpeg high(never bothered with RAW)
Open in Photoshop Elements 1
Crop if needed
Spot check for dust
Adjust levels
Add unsharp mask
Resize
Save as
Upload to photobucket.com
Imbed here!

Cyberspider · Post by **Cyberspider** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 4:49 am

thank you for insight...

Now i would like to show my workflow

- open Jpeg in PS (RAW only for rescue!)

- new adjustment layer: threshold to get the white and the black point in the image by sliding the controller to the left or the right. (holding shift with the pipette to mark this points) - OK

- new empty layer between threshold and the image level. The blending mode is set to difference and i fill the layer (shift + F5) with 50% grey. Now threshold again to mark the greypoint in the image (controller to the left and very slowly to the right until the first black point appear...)

- now i delete the threshold and the grey layer and make a new adjustment layer: curves

- in the curves i choose the different pipettes (black, white and grey) and klick on the marked spots...works with 90% of the images...

- now i'm holding Ctrl+Shift+Alt+E to get the image layer and the curves into one new layer and make a copy of that layer.

- now i'm using the menue filter high pass with a very small amount (0,4 to 4,0) to bring the shapes out - OK - and than i choose the blending mode soft light to sharpen the image...advantage to this method is, that you can sharpen the image selective by using a layer mask or you can soften the sharpness by reducing the opacity

- than my editing is finished...

i hope my english is not so bad and you know what i mean...

This are all the layers i am using...

mgoodm3 · Post by **mgoodm3** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 9:22 am

1. I shoot in RAW (it really is a huge step up on JPG)
2. open image in Pshop ACR - make the image look nice with all of the convenient adjsutments.
3. open as a 16 bit image into Pshop.
4. resize the image as needed.
5. sharpen
6. Save as a jpg

elf · Post by **elf** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 2:07 pm

Cyberspider wrote:thank you for insight...

Now i would like to show my workflow

- open Jpeg in PS (RAW only for rescue!)

- new adjustment layer: threshold to get the white and the black point in the image by sliding the controller to the left or the right. (holding shift with the pipette to mark this points) - OK

- new empty layer between threshold and the image level. The blending mode is set to difference and i fill the layer (shift + F5) with 50% grey. Now threshold again to mark the greypoint in the image (controller to the left and very slowly to the right until the first black point appear...)

- now i delete the threshold and the grey layer and make a new adjustment layer: curves

- in the curves i choose the different pipettes (black, white and grey) and klick on the marked spots...works with 90% of the images...

- now i'm holding Ctrl+Shift+Alt+E to get the image layer and the curves into one new layer and make a copy of that layer.

- now i'm using the menue filter high pass with a very small amount (0,4 to 4,0) to bring the shapes out - OK - and than i choose the blending mode soft light to sharpen the image...advantage to this method is, that you can sharpen the image selective by using a layer mask or you can soften the sharpness by reducing the opacity

- than my editing is finished...

i hope my english is not so bad and you know what i mean...

This are all the layers i am using...

This is a very nice technique for correcting color casts and also for sharpening. Thanks for sharing.

Charles Krebs · Post by **Charles Krebs** » Mon Jan 26, 2009 12:02 pm

This could be a very useful thread.

A similar result to the first part of Markus' procedure can be done with a "levels" adjustment in PS. It can be quicker if you are dealing with many images that need correction.

Open the levels adjustment control window ("directly" or as an adjustment layer)

1) Hold down "Alt" while moving the black "Input Levels" slider to the right. This will allow you to find the darkest point in the image. Note this point, select the black eyedropper ("pipette"), and click on that point.

2) Then hold down "Alt" while moving the white "Input Levels" slider to the left. This will allow you to find the lightest point in the image. Note this point, select the white eyedropper ("pipette"), and click on that point.

3) Now choose the central, "gray" eyedropper and click on a mid-tone neutral color... you may try a few different points until you get a result you like.

The results are the same as the lengthier procedure (as can be verified looking at the resulting R, G, and B histograms).

No matter what method you use, remember that the "default" settings for the eyedroppers is:

0,0,0 for the black "eyedropper"
128, 128, 128 for the gray "eyedropper"
255, 255, 255 for the white "eyedropper"

In order to better preserve shadow and highlight detail, some would find it better to set the black to a slightly higher value... perhaps 8,8,8. The highlight dropper likewise might be better set for a slightly lower value... say 245, 245, 245. This can be done by double clicking the eyedropper, and entering the desired values in the R, G, B fields. When you leave whatever adjustment you are in ("levels" or "curves") you will be asked if you wish to save the entered values as the new "defaults". With some experience you can set these values to suit your personal judgment and taste.

Cyclops · Post by **Cyclops** » Tue Jan 27, 2009 7:39 am

mgoodm3 wrote:1. I shoot in RAW (it really is a huge step up on JPG)
2. open image in Pshop ACR - make the image look nice with all of the convenient adjsutments.
3. open as a 16 bit image into Pshop.
4. resize the image as needed.
5. sharpen
6. Save as a jpg

I can't load RAW files,photoshop elements doesn't recognise the CRW file type(and yet IrfanView does!)

mgoodm3 · Post by **mgoodm3** » Tue Jan 27, 2009 9:22 am

Cyclops: ever try Adobe DNG converter?

That is a free utility that converts RAW files into Adobe DNG raw format which should work on Elements. It's a nice little program. I use it to move the files from the card to the computer and it converts at the same time.

AndrewC · Post by **AndrewC** » Tue Jan 27, 2009 9:59 am

The accepted "quality" workflow is to shoot in RAW. You then have more control over how the image gets converted to a working file, usually TIF or PSD format, and it is with the working file that most people do their fine tuning and sharpening before resizing and converting to a file format you want the file to be presented in.

The computer in your camera is pretty impressive compared to a coffee machine but is not in the same league as a computer with a dedicated conversion program which allows you to drive how the demosaiced (sp ?) raw sensor data is converted.

Andrew

Cyclops · Post by **Cyclops** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 8:15 am

The thing is,so far jpeg is good enough for me! I don't see a need for it,especially as I don't print my photos yet