UPSTATE Photography Group
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.
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Basics of Image EditingRaster Image Editors :
Picasa (Google) Painter ADOBE: Elements,
Photoshop, Lightroom Paint.NET MS Paint GIMP
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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
UPSTATE Photography GroupPost Processing
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
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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
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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
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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.
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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.
UPSTATE Photography GroupPost Processing
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.
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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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.
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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
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WhichPost ProcessingProgram to use?
UPSTATE Photography GroupPost ProcessingPost Processing Software Poll: 2009
UPSTATE Photography GroupPost ProcessingPost Processing Software Poll: 2011
UPSTATE Photography GroupPost ProcessingPost Processing Software Poll: 2013
Poll sampling =+/‐ 27,000 votes
Poll sampling =+/‐ 27,000 votes
Poll sampling =+/‐ 27,000 votes
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LightroomWorkflow
UPSTATE Photography GroupPost Processing
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
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ReferencesMuch of the discussion material can be found at:
digital‐photography‐school.comwww.cambridgeincolour.com