UPSTATE Photography Group - Meetupfiles.meetup.com/1627927/PhotoClub_Post Processing Advanced.pdf · UPSTATE Photography Group Post Processing Basics of Image Editing Raster Images:

UPSTATE Photography Group

UPSTATE Photography Group

Post Processing

UPSTATE Photography GroupPost Processing

Basics of Image EditingRaster Images:

Stored in a computer as a grid of “picture elements” or “Pixels” (Bitmap)

Pixel = Pix (picture) + el (element) Individual Pixels store color and brightness

information Pixels can be modified individually or as groups by

an image editing Algorithm Resolution dependent. More Pixels, better image.


Basics of Image EditingRaster Image Editors :

Picasa (Google) Painter ADOBE: Elements,

Photoshop, Lightroom Paint.NET MS Paint GIMP


Overview: 10 Post Processing Steps1. White Balance Temperature and tint adjustment sliders

2. Exposure Exposure compensation, highlight/shadow recovery

3. Noise Reduction During RAW development or using external software

4. Lens Correction Distortion, vignetting, chromatic aberrations

5. Detail Capture sharpening and local contrast enhancement

6. Contrast Black point, levels and curves tools

7. Framing Straighten and crop

8. Refinement Color adjustments and selective enhancements

9. Resizing Enlarge for a print or downsize for the web or email

10. Output Sharpening Depends on subject matter and print/screen size


1. White Balance May make the single

most important image improvement

Adjust “Temperature” first (warmth), then “Tint” (Magenta/Green Shift)

Learn to use the neutral grey “Dropper” tool to help set WB


2.Exposure: Compensation & Recovery Use the Histogram as

an objective guide When viewing, use a

small view to judge exposure

There is no right answer…it’s personal

Recover blown highlights and shadow detail with “fill light”, “recovery” and “black point” tools

Too much exposure = visible noise in the shadows.

Too little exposure = blown highlights


3.Noise Reduction Most effective when

applied before any other image editing, right after 1 and 2 above

High ISO Noise is the easiest to address

Some noise is OK and to be expected

There is dedicated software just for Noise.

Noise Reduction goes hand in hand with Sharpening; always x‐check for impact


4.Lens Corrections Vignetting: Usually

product of low f‐Stops. Super‐zoom lenses can produce Noise near the corners. Used creatively to draw attention to the center of interest.

Distortion: Prevalent in Wide Angle and Telephoto work. Found Acceptable in Landscapes but not Architectural work.

Chromatic Aberrations: Also know as “Fringing”. Use a high contrast edge near the image’s corner as a guide.


5. Details: Sharpening, Clarity Most effective when

applied more than once during image editing

Capture Sharpening can be controlled in‐camera (JPGS) or in RAW processing (optimal)

Creative Sharpening is very time consuming, and endless options exist; adjustment brushes, masks, etc.

Negative Clarity is used profusely in Portraiture.

Output Sharpening is required to address the specifics of the printed image; the paper to be used, the print size, the viewing distance, as well as the fact that viewing on a monitor will not adequately represent the final image.


6. Contrast: Levels & Curves Tools Most Level Tools will move

and stretch brightness levels in a Histogram using three components: Black Point, White Point and Mid‐tones Slider.

It is often best to adjust levels such that the histogram extends all the way from black (0) to white (255).

NOTE: Images taken in fog, haze or very soft light, however, often never have fully black or white regions.


6. Contrast: Levels & Curves Tools The key concept with curves is that you can never

add contrast in one tonal region without also decreasing it in another. In other words, the curves tool only redistributes contrast.

The curves tool can take input tones and selectively stretch or compress them.

DARK

LIGHT

S‐Curve = High Contrast

Inverted S‐Curve = Low Contrast


7. Framing: Straighten & Crop Get familiar and

experiment with the Rule of Thirds

Break the Rule of Thirds as required to achieve a specific effect or communicate a story…

Educate your eye…once you feel comfortable with a specific geometry, you start “framing” the shots…

There is no “right” size….or cropping ratio


8. Refinements: Colors and Enhancements Saturation, Vibrance &

other Color Enhancements: Should be minimal if WB and Exposure/Contrast are correct. Can be used creatively to enhance the impact of the image…

Spot Removal/Creative Sharpening (Eyes!) and selective Noise Reduction (Skin/Sky)

Save a copy of your Image: By now the Image editing should be complete and the remaining steps are for the purposes of Printing or Sharing.

Sensor Dust


9. Resizing: Upsize for Print, downsize for Web It is key to have the final product in

mind when you set your file sizes and chose either a JPEG or RAW storage format.

Digital Image Interpolation allows you to resize a file to support its final viewing requirements once printed.

Enlarging for Print should ideally be done by you in software, not by the Printer (to avoid Pixelation)

If you do not shoot RAW, disable or decrease in‐camera sharpening to a minimum, save at highest compression, otherwise JPEG artifacts will be magnified significantly.


9. Resizing: Upsize for Print, downsize for Web Moire (More‐ay) is a type of aliasing

artifact, which often occurs when downsizing an Image. It shows up in textures which are near the resolution limit. Images with fine geometric patters are at the highest risk; these include roof tiles, distant brick and woodwork, wire mesh fences, and others.

A downsized image can become significantly less Sharp.

It may be advised to apply a follow‐up unsharp mask after resizing an image, or apply a “blur” before downsizing.


10. Output Sharpening Output sharpening is generally the very last

image editing step applied to an image. It’s settings are therefore customized for a

particular output device, which may include special considerations based on the size, type and viewing distance of a print.

There are many competing solutions for output sharpening; it can be automated in Lightroom or automated in Photoshop with plug‐ins like Nik Sharpener Pro or PixelGenius PhotoKit Sharpener or your own Actions.

Lightroom Print ModuleFinal Print Dialog Box


WhichPost ProcessingProgram to use?

UPSTATE Photography GroupPost ProcessingPost Processing Software Poll: 2009



Poll sampling =+/‐ 27,000 votes




LightroomWorkflow


Creative Cloud — Photoshop Photography Program

Special single app pricing on Photoshop CC. Latest version Photoshop CC, plus Photoshop Lightroom and Bridge CC•20GB of cloud storage and a Behance ProSite•Requires annual commitment; billed monthly

US $9.99per month

Lightroom 5 — full version

• Full new version of Lightroom 5• Perpetual license

US $149


ReferencesMuch of the discussion material can be found at:

digital‐photography‐school.comwww.cambridgeincolour.com

Documents

UPSTATE Photography Group - Meetupfiles.meetup.com/1627927/PhotoClub_Post Processing Advanced.pdf · UPSTATE Photography Group Post Processing Basics of Image Editing Raster Images: