DPR Forum

Welcome to the Friendly Aisles!
DPRF is a photography forum with people from all over the world freely sharing their knowledge and love of photography. Everybody is welcome, from beginners to the experienced professional. Whether it is Medium Format, fullframe, APS-C, MFT or smaller formats. Digital or film. DPRF is a forum for everybody and for every format.
Enjoy this modern, easy to use software. Look also at our Reviews & Gallery!

Image Processing Workflow with Photoshop

G

Guest

This is another article from the website of Michael Reichmann. Again this is just a great site (I am not at all affiliated with it).

In this article the whole workflow process is described. To say it in his words:

"One of the most frequent requests by both beginners, and even experienced digital darkroom workers, is for detailed step-by-step instructions on how to perform various basic tasks in Photoshop. Many also want to have a complete workflow, from digital camera or scan right through to print.

This tutorial provides both. It is neither gospel nor the only way to accomplish the various tasks. Some approaches will be found to be overkill for many users, while experienced users may prefer alternate techniques. Take from it what you need. Don't follow it slavishly. However, it does an excellent job of providing a roadmap for developing your own personal workflow."

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/workflow1.htm

I hope you will all still come back to my site and show your photoshop learning curve in this Forum and/or in the Contax Photo Gallery
happy.gif


Dirk
 
Here is my frustration with digital photography.

''For landscaps, the digital workflow is easier.

The digital workflow of portraits could be more difficult. I find the colour balance of the skin could be tricky. I had experience of adjusting the colour for two hours in one shoot, in the end I was still not as happy as if I were shooting film. There is still in many occasion that I find the digital image of portraits less natural or having an artificial look. Digital processing still fails to normalize this problem, or at least no matter how hard I tried.''

The way I do this is by using Photoshop elements. I first adjust the brightness and contrast. This part is easy and I have no problem.

Then I will go to colour variation where I can add or subtract red, blue or green. It has also three area where I can choose, midtones,highlights or shadows. This bit is the area I find most tricky and most demanding. I have to decide where to add or subtract red, blue or green.

While I am doing this change of red, blue or green. I first look at the computer monitor for change I made on the image and I print it out. I discovered that the colour on the monitor very often do not agree with the colour of the print image. I find out it is actually more accurate if I print the image and look at the printed image for changes rather than the image of the monitor. Sometimes I have to make more than 10 prints in order to get the colour right.

I do find the colour balance of the human face very tricky. There is still plenty of room for me to improve or for the technology to improve.

I am happy to stay with film, part of the reason because I have not get hold of the technique to get the colour balance right.

Is there an easier way to do this other than my way ?
 
For the reasons you quote many people find it beneficial to calibrate their monitor and also their printer for a specific ink / paper combination, the theory then is that WYSIWYG. Generic printer profiles do not account for the tolerances and variations of the printer on your own desk so each should be calibrated as it stands.
 
Back
Top