When you photograph something, do you really want your camera or computer to have a say as to the final look and feel of your image?

I have said this before, and I am sure I’ll say it again – post processing your digital images is not something you should think of doing.  It is something you should do.

You see, some people process their images.  Other people do not process their images.  Some do and say that they don’t.  In whichever group you fall the reality is that is something you should do.  It is a natural part of the digital photographic process and is the final step in your creative journey.

So…

You know how to use your camera.  You know how changing the aperture and shutter speed will influence your image and you cannot wait to show the world your amazing photographs.  But then, after all the shutter clicking and the frenzied Lightroom and Photoshop activity…

It just does not quite feel right.

Something is wrong.

The images you are showing everybody does not quite reflect the beauty you saw and (tried to) photograph.

The reality is that your camera and computer will make adjustments to your images.  You have control over all the settings up until the moment you click the shutter but after then things happen.  Your camera and computer influence the way you see your images and most of the time you will start processing your images with a number of changes already applied to the image.

Yeah, if you are shooting RAW format you keep more control, which you can play with during post processing, but when was the last time you really started with a digital negative?  A digital negative which reflects how you took the photograph and without any adjustments, however small, made by your processing software.

If you are working in Lightroom, and you should be, it is very simple to start from zero.  To start from a true digital negative without any adjustments by either your camera or your computer.

Be warned though, when you see your real digital negatives you might be a bit disappointed.  The images will look flat and lifeless but this will leave you in the perfect position to process your images to reflect your own visual goal for the scene.  Your own vision.

Hey, in days of old we had to go into a darkroom, work with chemicals in a room with dim red lights so spending five minutes to get the most of your digital negatives is a small price to pay.

So here goes…

In Lightroom, after selecting your digital negative (RAW), go to the Develop module and in the lefthand working panel scroll down the available presets and click on ‘General – Zeroed’.  This will remove any and all adjustments made by the software and show you your image as you captured it.  RAW, all the information and ready to be processed.

In the above image you can see how all the various adjustments, such as Blacks, Contrast and Brightness has been set to zero.  Now you are ready to start working.

For this exercise I selected an image of a rhino I recently photographed in the Pilanesberg Game Reserve.  He was feeding quite close to the road and my goal was to get in close with the focus of my image being the large animals horns.

This is my zeroed RAW file.

Pretty flat but a great starting point for me to work from.

Remember that my goal, from the beginning, was to draw attention to the rhino’s horn so all the adjustments I am going to make is specifically aimed to draw attention to that part of the image.

The first thing I needed to do was to add some contract to the entire image.  I did this by moving the Contrast slider to +51.  (The number is pretty irrelative as the best way to judge your image is visually.)

Already an improvement.

The next thing I wanted to do was to add some more contrast and details to the mid-tones of the image.  To do this I moved the Clarity slider to +50.

Not as dramatic as the first step but you can see a little more detail starting to some through on the rhino’s face.

My next feeling was that the dark areas in the image needs to be darker.  In other words, the blacks needs to be blacker and to do this I moved the Blacks slider to +8.  Small change but adds quite a bit of punch to the image.

As you can see the front horn is a bit darker and the shadow behind and on the sides of the rhino, being darker, makes the face pop out a bit more.  Still on track with my original goal.

Now even though there is not too much color in the image I decided to push the Vibrance up to +50.  This pushed the orange tones up just a touch which makes for a slightly warmer image that closer looks like the scene I saw and photographer.

So far so good.

All the adjustments so far has been made in the Basic panel and are allowed as a part of the digital darkroom process.  I make these adjustments, in varying agrees to all my images.  You should to.

But for this image I felt I needed to draw more attention to the centre of the image so I decided to add a slight vignette around  rhino’s face in order to make my focal area stand out even more.  But PLEASE do not overdo your vignettes.  It is a great way to help lead your viewer’s eyes to a certain area of your image but it is SO easy to overdo it.  In this instance, less is more!

Makes a huge difference and just darkens the outside of the image enough to not distract from the rhino’s face. I added the Vignette by moving the slider to -25 and, to make for a smooth vignette transition, I moved the Feather slider to 70.

That is pretty much what I was hoping to achieve but before I saved the image I sharpened it ever so slightly using the sliders in the Detail panel.  Viewing the image at 1:1 I moved the Amount slider to +29 and the Radius slider to 0.8.

Done.  This is what I wanted to achieve.  This is what I saw.  This is what I photographed and the whole process took no more than about 4 minutes.

Sure, simply having the computer software decide how to proces smy image would have saved me about 3 minutes and 55 seconds, but personally I don’t think the results are worth it.  You took the time to click the shutter so take a few minutes to realize your vision.  Make your image come to life.

Here is a quick rundown of the sliders I used to take my digitial negative from beginning to end.

The sliders on the left shows my final adjustemnts (as mentioned above).  Compare it to the zeroed version of the slider on the right.

In the Effects panel, the above image shows the sliders I used to add the vignette around my image.  PLEASE remember not to overdo it!

The last step, and it should always be your last step, was to sharpen the image.  The above image shows my sharpening sliders.

You still with me?

After all of that I suppose the results will speak for themselves.  The following image shows my zeroed RAW file and then the final, processed image.

Considering the time it takes to get the results that YOU want, it is definitely worth zeroing your digital negatives and process them from there.  Your images will only benefit from it.

Perhaps a post for a different day but another great thing about approaching your post processing like this is that you can check out the histogram while you are working, recover any lost or clipped information, and make sure that you use as much of the digital information as possible.  Push the blacks, recover the highlights, check the exposure.  Basically, complete control.

Oh, and in case anybody wanted to start a discussion as to whether it is allowed to process wildlife images please fire away.

I still feel that up until I added the vignette to the image I was still true to the original scene I saw and photographed out in the field.  And to be technically correct even adding a vignette could be considered creative dodging and burning so it could be argued that it is also part of what is ‘allowed’.

I did not add anything.

I did not take anything away.

I simply chose not to let my camera or computer make any adjustments to my image.  Don’t you want the same?

It is a real wildlife photograph and…  I like my version better.

When you have a chance try it.  Zero one of your digital negatives and take control of the entire photographic process.  It will make a difference!

See you tomorrow!

Gerry

Being Thursday it would normally be guest blogger day on Photo-Africa but today is slightly different.

This has been a long time coming and is part of a much larger picture which is slowly but surely coming in to focus.  Exciting, all be it very busy, times.  ’Regular programming’ will continue from tomorrow and next Thursday will see another great guest blogger taking the stage at Photo-Africa but for now please indulge me as I share some exciting news.

I am very pleased to present ‘Digital Photography – What?  How?  Why?’, the first in a series of fun and interactive photography workshops that will help you to not only understand the basics of digital photography but also explore the creative side of the craft.

Aimed at beginner and intermediate photographers and users of both compact and DSLR cameras, this full day workshop will help you to dramatically improve your images in one day.  The workshop has been designed around the most common questions people ask about digital photography.  What is aperture?  How can I improve my images?  Why is the rule of thirds important?   Why not?   What do I do once my image is in on my computer?

Through a combination of theory, practical exercises and visual presentations we will work through the technical, artistic and post processing elements of digital photography.

By the end of the day you will understand the basic technical terms and how aspects like shutter speed, aperture and ISO can easily be used to create memorable images.  Along with this we will share tips, ideas and various other creative principles and approaches to photography which will assist you in creating better images, with more visual impact, whether you are shooting people, wildlife, landscapes or just snapping away on holiday.

Digital photography should be fun and the goal of this workshop is to simplify all the terms and technical ‘stuff’ so that you can focus on taking better pictures!

During the workshops we will work through the following and more:

The Technical ‘Stuff’

• What is aperture / shutter speed / ISO?
• What is exposure?
• What is metering?
• What is a histogram?

The Artistic ‘Stuff’

• Light and how to use it
• Composition and Creative Cropping
• Lines and Shapes
• Color
• Negative space
• Seeing images

Processing Your Images in Lightroom

• What is Lightroom?
• The basics if post processing
• What does this slider do?
• Special Adjustments
• Live walkthrough

In between all the above theory we will work though various practical exercises, group discussions, photo recipes and a live walkthrough of the complete picture taking and post processing process with the goal always being to simplify all the various technical terms and principles and make them practical for you to use when you head out with your camera.

The Inanda Country Club lends itself perfectly to the practical exercises in the workshop and the lush landscapes and surroundings offers participants many opportunities to practice and try various photographic techniques.

Included

• Full day digital photography workshop
• Comprehensive printed lecture notes
• CD with notes and other useful resources
• Tea, coffee and pastries on arrival
• Tea, coffee during mid morning break
• Lunch
• Tea, coffee and biscuits during mid afternoon break

Cost

R 900

To Bring

• DLSR  Camera (preferred) or Digital Compact Camera with full manual control
• Laptop (Not necessary but helpful if you want to follow along with the post processing walkthrough)

Venue

Inanda Country Club, 1 Forrest Road, Inanda, Sandton

Date

Saturday 22 May 2010

Duration

09h00 to 16h00

Bookings or Questions

To request a booking form or for any questions please do not hesitate to email me or simply fill in the below contact form and I will get back to you.

[contact-form]

At this stage the first workshop will take place on Saturday 22 May but depending on demand, the possibility exists that another workshop will be scheduled for Saturday 15 May.

Also note that the workshop can be arranged as a private event which is then tailored to your specific needs, something that works very well for a group of friends, small company team building or activity to offer guests at your lodge or hotel so please don’t hesitate to contact me for further info.

Later this year we will also be taking this workshop on the road to various cities and towns around South Africa so make sure to keep an eye on the  workshops and photographic safaris website, which will be launched in the next few weeks, for further details.

I look forward to welcoming you to one of our workshops!

Gerry

The processing of wildlife images remain a highly debated subject.  Yes or no?  If yes, how much?

Recently I was asked how a specific wildlife photograph could be processed in Photoshop or Lightroom in order to improve it.  Wait!!  Before we all get excited and start arguing the rights and wrongs of processing wildlife images stick with me for just a little while.  You might recall a post I did a while ago called “Should you Manipulate or Alter Your Digital Images”.  You can read the post here but the bottom line was this.  The Photographic Society of South Africa released, with regards to the whole processing debate, the following statement.  (I reckon this is pretty universal?)

Digital manipulation is an accepted part of photography. The original image must have been made by the exhibitor on a recognized camera and all modification of that original must be made by the exhibitor or under his personal directions. For the purpose of telling a true story (not manipulated), images of Nature, Photojournalism and Photo-Travel may not be manipulated.

The following will not be considered as digital manipulation:

• Removal of dust and scratch marks.
• Adjustment of exposure and contrast.
• Adjustment / correction of the color balance.
• Application of color saturation.
• Reduction of digital noise.
• Sharpening of the image.
• Cropping and resizing is permissible.

Right, so now while keeping that in mind back to the question as to how an image can be improved by altering / processing / editing / photoshopping it.  Obviously the idea is to improve and not change the content of the image.  So here goes with the first example I was asked to look at.

This is the original image I received from Quintin.  Great close up shot of an African Scops Owl. Now apart from the square crop I have no idea what digital adjustments has already been made to this image.  I created a copy of the file and made a few basic adjustements in Photoshop CS4.  Here is the resulting image.

No major changes but it pops just a little bit more.  The image content has not changed but has just been and all the adjustments made to the image fall within the boundaries of what is allowed and accepted as a part of the digital photographic process.  Here is another example.  Bar the cropping on this next image the adjustments was almost exactly the same as in the above example.

Again, great spot to actually see this secretive little fellow in the day and decent image.  After more or less the same adjustments as in the previous example, here is a new version of this image.

Same image, same content and still ‘natural’ looking.  With just a little bit more ‘pop’.  In my opinion, processing wildlife images in this manner is completely acceptable.  Actually, it is necessary.  Before I get chastised for that comment, here is what I did to these images.

• Crop – The first image was very slightly cropped.  I did this to remove the branch in the bottom left corner, which was slightly distracting, and also to pull the owl little more to the right of the frame.
• Contrast – The contrast on both images was very slightly increased to create more depth and highlight the textures in the image.
• Dodge & Burn - To pull the eye subtly to the focal area, the owl, I slightly burned (darkened) the outside of the frame and dodged (lightened) the centre.  Our eyes are naturally drawn to lighter areas in a dark images and this helps the viewer to focus on the owl.
• Saturation – The saturation was increased by 7% in the above image and by 11% in the first example.
• Sharpen – I sharpened both images, specifically for web use, using a high pass filter.  This is one of the ‘safer’ ways in which to sharpen your images as it does not, like many other methods, infleucnce the colour in your image.

The adjustments on each image could not have taken more than about two minutes and all falls within the normal photographic process.  It is actually very subtle and if your screen is not properly calibrated you might not even see all the adjustments.  If you look at all these adjustments, except perhaps for the dodging and burning, none of them are considered digital manipulation.  Even dodging and burning could be accepted if we look at it as selective contrast and exposure adjustments –  naturally!  The steps I followed was purely following through the digital photographic process in order to end up with the best possible, natural looking image.

I have no doubt that there are varying, and quite passionate, opinions on this matter but I still believe it is a necessary part of the digital photographic workflow.  Our cameras cannot see what our eyes see and as you control the camera and the resulting images should you not keep this control throughout the entire process.  Why go through the process of chasing your vision and capturing the beauty of nature and then just stop before having the image reach it’s intended look and potential.

To clarify, when you process your wildlife images:

• Keep the adjustments subtle and natural looking
• Don’t remove or add any elements (apart from cropping)
• Be subtle with your adjustments
• If you do apply any adjustments not included in the ‘accepted’ list, be honest about it.
• Be subtle!
• Get the idea!

The way in which I process my wildlife images is obviously very different to the way I process my commercial images where the client determines the kind of look you are aiming for.  Unless I am purposefully trying to create ‘wildlife art’ or black and white images I will always lean towards a conservative approach when processing wildlife images.  But I do process my wildlife images. Do you?  

I look forward to hearing your comments on this one.  Also, if you have any examples you would like us to look at on the blog email them to me and we can discuss from there.

Gerry

Having spent quite a bit of time browsing through magazines and various web sites the last while, this question keeps on popping up and there does not seem to be any ‘civilised’ agreement about the answer. 
Should you ‘Photoshop’ or ‘alter’ your digital images?

Why should this be such a contentious issue? Whether for a crop or a full edit it is the final process of a digital shoot just a film was processed in the darkroom when we were all still using film cameras. 
Do I edit my images? Absolutely! I believe that if you want your work to stand out you need to not only have an eye for light and composition but also be able to take the process further by editing and processing your own images in a professional manner.

The Photographic Society of South Africa (PSSA) recently published the following:

* * *

Digital manipulation is an accepted part of photography. The original image must have been made by the exhibitor on a recognized camera and all modification of that original must be made by the exhibitor or under his personal directions. For the purpose of telling a true story (not manipulated), images of Nature, Photojournalism and Photo-Travel may not be manipulated.

• The following will not be considered as digital manipulation:
• Removal of dust and scratch marks.
• Adjustment of exposure and contrast.
• Adjustment / correction of the color balance.
• Application of color saturation.
• Reduction of digital noise.
• Sharpening of the image.
• Cropping and resizing is permissible.

* * *

I feel that editing and post-processing is a part of the larger art form that is photography. I do feel that by sticking to the above ‘guidelines’ you will be able to not be altering your image but refining it and completing the entire artistic process.

I am currently using Adobe Bridge CS4 to sort and edit my RAW files. Sometimes I mights use FastStone Image Viewer to quickly look through images but not for editing. (Great little program and it’s free!)

After that I might, depending on the desired result and use of the image, run the files through Photoshop CS4.I have added various filters which I find extremely useful. These includes Viveza, Color Efex Pro 3 and Sharpener Pro all from Nik Software. Really easy to use and great results!

So there you go. My thoughts on this ,apparently, very touchy subject. It is a part of the entire process and something that can only, if done correctly, lift your images to that next level!

As always I look forward to hearing from you!

Until next time.

Gerry