View Full Version : What are your standard Photoshop tweaks?
Matholwch
23-09-2005, 10:10
I'm just wondering what are people's standard tweaks they make in photoshop for each image.
i.e. USM settings most favoured, colour tweaks - noticed that some people have a characteristic colour casts to their photographs e.g. I think Tinder has a very distinctive colour cast to his photos (well those which aren't B&W ;) ).
sideshowbob
23-09-2005, 10:27
I've been reverting back to Paint Shop Pro 9 to test out some new frames - I'm getting the hang of it and getting some interesting effects.
In Photoshop:
I always use USM - usually about 60% - 100% / 0.6 / 4 levels
Other than that it's normally a by eye adjustment of levels in the PS raw converter (which I don't like BTW)
I try to do as much of my post processing as possible in Raw Shooter. So that when it goes into Photoshop I only have to do what is required to fiddle with the image, eg, clone tools etc.
So, once the RSE bit has converted the image, to a 16 bit TIFF in PS, then hopefully it's visually acceptable (ie exposure etc)
I immediately save the PSD file.
I crop and rotate and sort out the cockups I made while shooting :D (skewiff tripod etc)
I usually then open up the levels, drag the ends in (while holding down the alt key to make sure I dont clip any pixels), then I usually drag the middle slider to the left to lighten the image slightly (When shooting I underexpose by 1/3rd stop).
If it's to be shown on the web, i'll do a final save on the PSD, then resize, sharpen, frame and name and upload, just saving the 700px jpeg. (The bordered, sharpened and named image never gets saved elsewhere, just the smaller web version).
Brozyniak
23-09-2005, 10:43
Most adjustments are made in bridge raw in PS CS2 as I only shoot in RAW. Check the white balance, adjust exposure, brightness and shadows (really good flexibility in bridge). Add some sharpening and maybe a saturation boost if required. Adjust horizon.
I then move out of bridge and muck around with cloning and healing if I want to tidy up some bits, create borders, crop, sometimes play with perspective and horizon and save to jpeg.
Matholwch
23-09-2005, 10:50
...and healing...
Not familiar with that tool, or is that simply a term about removing smudges, etc?
I quite like CS2 RAW processor, loads of options available.
(while holding down the alt key to make sure I dont clip any pixels)
What do you mean about not clipping any pixels?
I tend to process the RAW images (have now resolved to shoot RAW, especially if shooting with my 17-40L), then manually adjust the levels, and try some variation adjustments. Not too certain what level of sharpening to do, since if I shoot at high ISO, I'd run the image through Neat Image to remove the noise, whilst sharpening tends to add it back in...
GreyJackal
23-09-2005, 11:24
Exposure, white balance, contrast, saturation and sharpening all done at the RAW conversion stage with Capture One. If it's needed that is, I don't do it as a matter of course.
Photoshop's only used for cropping and minor fiddling (like dust bunny removal :brickwall ) although I have been playing around with Lab colour adjustments lately.
Brozyniak
23-09-2005, 11:30
Not familiar with that tool, or is that simply a term about removing smudges, etc?
Healing works as an alternative to cloning where you want to remove blemishes or marks where cloning may produce and artificial edge. healing uses some sort of algorithm to smooth out the section in relation to the nearby areas. Useful for small touchups on portraits.
sworrall
23-09-2005, 12:15
Ive been using RawShooter to adjust WB, exposure and contrast. Outputting to jpeg and then opening in CS2 to adjust levels.
Ive been fiddling with the unsharpen mask this week but im not getting results that look good to me. Might be the kit lens im using but hopefully my sigma 18-50 f/2.8 is aariving today so Ill be able to check that. Ive been using USM settings from scott kelbys book so I think ill have to experiment. (I have been using a tripod so it shouldnt be from shake)
I start reading up about curves last night and found it made a great difference to the photo I had in the round 6 comp. Hopefully my B&W photos will be better after ive got the hang of curves.
I read up on it here under Bascis --> curves - hopefully its alright to post this, if not let me know and ill remove it.
http://epaperpress.com/psphoto/
stu
What do you mean about not clipping any pixels?
Well when you're adujsting your levels, you have 3 sliders.
The one on the left points to where the darkest dark is (black), and the one on the right, points to where the lightest light (white) is.
Looking at the arrow on the left (the marker pointing out the darks/shadows), if there are any pixels to the LEFT of this, then when you click OK, they will be lost (ie 'clipped').
The same goes for the arrow on the right (the highlights), if there are any pixels to the right of it, they will be clipped.
The more you move these two pointers 'inwards' IE away from their very edges, then the more pixels you pass, the more pixels you will 'clip'
Now the reason you move these two is to move the edges of the histogram. Kinda like moving the boundaries in wards.
So if your image is represented by a mountain in the middle, then the leftmost and rightmost thirds in the histogram are empty, then you can move either 'end' in 1/3rd. You then click OK, and the little mountain that was bunched in the middle, has now been spread out, giving you a greater control over the adjustment. (If that makes sense).
If you hold down alt, then drag either of these two markers, then the screen will go one colour, you keep sliding slowly and when you've gona too far and clipped some of the pixels, then they will show up on the image.
So you move either end marker inwards while holding down alt, each time doing it just far enough for a clipped pixel to show.
Am I making sense? Not sure I am :D
Keiron99
23-09-2005, 15:48
Nothing. Life's too short. Tweaking is cheating. :)
Photographers have been cheating for decades ;)
Matholwch
23-09-2005, 18:00
Photographers have been cheating for decades ;)
:lol:
Thanks for sharing your techniques and tips guys (learned a thing or two :) )
GreyJackal
23-09-2005, 18:35
So did I - didn't know about the alt key functionality within levels :thumbs:
So did I - didn't know about the alt key functionality within levels :thumbs:
Neither did I mate, until I read it somewhere..it's one of those very handy little tips that only gets spread through word of mouth...lol
busterboy
23-09-2005, 19:19
So did I - didn't know about the alt key functionality within levels :thumbs:
Neither did I mate, Another lesson learnt.. :)
johndavis0
23-09-2005, 19:42
Well when you're adujsting your levels, you have 3 sliders.
The one on the left points to where the darkest dark is (black), and the one on the right, points to where the lightest light (white) is.
Looking at the arrow on the left (the marker pointing out the darks/shadows), if there are any pixels to the LEFT of this, then when you click OK, they will be lost (ie 'clipped').
The same goes for the arrow on the right (the highlights), if there are any pixels to the right of it, they will be clipped.
The more you move these two pointers 'inwards' IE away from their very edges, then the more pixels you pass, the more pixels you will 'clip'
Now the reason you move these two is to move the edges of the histogram. Kinda like moving the boundaries in wards.
So if your image is represented by a mountain in the middle, then the leftmost and rightmost thirds in the histogram are empty, then you can move either 'end' in 1/3rd. You then click OK, and the little mountain that was bunched in the middle, has now been spread out, giving you a greater control over the adjustment. (If that makes sense).
If you hold down alt, then drag either of these two markers, then the screen will go one colour, you keep sliding slowly and when you've gona too far and clipped some of the pixels, then they will show up on the image.
So you move either end marker inwards while holding down alt, each time doing it just far enough for a clipped pixel to show.
Am I making sense? Not sure I am :D
There are a few links in the canon/nikon FAQ reqarding histergrams (see below)
Matholwch, good idea. I pretty much perform the same as peeps above, USM, levels etc... also get the white balance/colour temperature up to give a slightly warm feel, usually around the 6k mark for scenes that are appropriate.
Nick_J007
26-09-2005, 17:40
[QUOTE=GreyJackal]Exposure, white balance, contrast, saturation and sharpening all done at the RAW conversion stage with Capture One. If it's needed that is, I don't do it as a matter of course.
Hi, getting into Capture Oner more and more...like it very much.
What sharpening settings do you tend to use please?
I read that using 50, 3 is good for portraits, and upping it to 100, 3 for 'regular' shots is a good start. They both look a little soft for my liking.
Interested to see others thoughts.
Thanks.
GreyJackal
26-09-2005, 17:52
Depends on the lens and the picture :) Although I tend to hover around the 110 mark (3 stays as the threshold)
Matholwch
27-09-2005, 11:12
Recent technique I've been trying out is selective levels adjustment - create a duplicate layer of the image I'm adjusting, make a selection of part of the image to be adjusted (say if the backdrop is slightly washed out), then add a reveal all layer mask (this will only reveal the selected portion of the image). Then do the levels adjustment, contrast, etc. Then finally, to get it to blend in with the rest, put a gaussian blur on the layer mask - how much depends on how big the selection is (if pretty big then about 200).
Seems an appropriate time to remind anyone interested in Capture One that http://www.phaseone.com/ will send you a free CD with Capture One tutorials on - just click on "Support" and then "Tutorials".
GreyJackal
27-09-2005, 17:19
They erm..might cross reference with registered owners...:suspect:
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