CS5 Camera Raw
PSE 8 - 9 -Camera Raw Basic Panel
Camera Raw Notes
Photo-Analysis (Interpreting the Histogram)
Histogram Channel Clipping Indicators
Highlight Clipping Warning in the histogram
- if white on the right: All three channels are clipping
- If colored one or two channels are clipping
- implies there is useable information (Picture data contains detail in one or two channels)
Shadow Clipping Warning in the histogram
- If Black All 3 channels are clipping
- If colored one or two channels are clipping
- implies there is useable information (Picture detail in one or two channels)
The Histogram
- Red, Green Blue show the R, G, and B channels
- Yellow, cyan and magenta show intermediate channels
- Green + Blue --->Cyan
- Red + Green --->Yellow
- Blue + Red --->Magenta
- White is luminance in all 3 RGB channels...
Camera Raw -- The Basic Panel
The Image Preview Clipping Warnings
Red
- Pixels clipped in the highlights
Blue
- Pixels Clipped in the blacks/shadows
Goal
Eliminate the clipping so that details print as shades of white and shades of gray.
- If the clipping is generated by non-reflective highlights
- Caveat: If the clipping is generated by reflection (specular) it probably contains no detail.
The Tone Adjustment sliders
White Balance
To set White Balance
- --always try to sample an area that is R-245, G-245, B-245
- Objectively: use the White Balance Tool
- Subjectively: use the slider...
Exposure
Note: In the Raw File (1/2 the captured data is in the brightest stop)
- Helps set white point clipping
- Recovery of highlights in 1 or more clipped channels
- An increase of 3/4 an f-stop WILL introduce noise in the shadows...
- Hold down the Option (Mac) or the Alt (PC) while adjusting exposure shows a live preview of areas in the photo that are being clipped
- If exposure is off by a stop or more set Exposure first, then set the white balance
Recovery (Highlight Recovery)
- Unlike other RAW image processors, recovery will "pull" data from a clipped highlight if there is information in 1 or 2 of the 3 channels
Fill Light (Shadow Detail)
- Almost magical... a crucial tool
- Processor intensive as CR makes a mask to adjust shadow detail
Blacks
- Like the black input slider in Photoshops Levels. Darkens shadows to set the black level.
- Zoom into deep shadow areas and hold down the Option (Mac) Alt
(PC) to see what's clipping
- Black = clipped, color = one or two channels clipping
Brightness (Mid-tone adjustment)
- Works like the mid-gray input in Photoshop's Levels Control
- Let's you adjust mid-tones without clipping highlights or shadows.
- Fine Tune with Tone Curve Adjustments
Contrast
- Does NOT function the same as in Photoshop.
- applies an s-curve to the data centered around the mid-point set by Brightness.
Brightness + Contrast are crude Tone Curve Tools. Tone Curve adjustments fine tune CR's Brightness and Contrast
The Presence Controls
Clarity -- Mid-tone Contrast (The lens cleaning filter)
- Related to Photoshop's Unsharp Mask Filter...
- Almost every image can be improved with this control...
Vibrance
- Increases saturation of unsaturated colors except for skin tones.
Saturation
- A less brutal version of Photoshop's Hue/Saturation Adjustment. Boosts over all saturation, but can cause colors to clip.
- Fine tune saturation, hue, and luminance with the HSL/Grayscale Panel
The Tone Curves
Not available in Photoshop Elements (PSE)
Fine Tuning for Contrast and Brightness
Use the Targeted Adjustment Tool For:
- Parametric Curve
The Point Curve
- Command key Mac or Control Key PC, turns pointer into eyedropper. Stamp color sample on the curve with a mouse click.
- Can add points to the curve
- Camera Raw curves modify tones. In Photoshop you can also modify colors in each color channel (R,G,B)
- Point curves do not affect the Parametric curves
Details Tab
- Sharpening (Can’t see results unless at 100% magnification
- Alt key show RESULTS...
- Noise Reduction
- Works way better than Photoshop's (Use it!)
Alt key lets you see the effect of the adjustment
HSL
Use the Targeted Adjustment Tool For:
- Hue
- Saturation
- Luminance
Grayscale
Use the Targeted Adjustment Tool For:
- Grayscale Mix
This is the place to make your black and whites
Ansel Adams settings???
- Red/Magenta Set high +100
- Greens set lower -20
- Blue Real low at -75
- Suggested RBG values:
R=+200, G=-20, B=-75
Split Toning
Experiment! not just for dark room chemical use
Lens Correction
Profiles *New in CS5
Make your own Lense profiles: Down load Adobe's lense Profiler
Some day RSN, there will be an online archive of lense profiles
Manual
- Chromatic aberration
- Alt key lets you see the effect of the adjustment
Camera Profile
If you load a "Raw" image Camera Raw automatically loads a Camera profile Adobe determined for YOUR SLR.
If you made your own profile for your camera, enter the data here.
You'll need a Munsell color chart
And the following software from Chromoholics, AcrCalibrator
You can read an excellent article at the Luminous Landscape web site Digital Camera Calibration and Profiling
Presets
You can find a boat-load of presets on the internet
OnOne Software 140 FREE presetsAny adjustment you make can be saved as a preset
Snapshots
Save a history of the changes you make as you edit your photos