Processing
With Peter McCabe (www.photoimagery.net)
If you are reading this article then I am taking it for granted that you also have been bitten by the photography bug and in doing so have put a rather large hole in your bank account. Buying the camera, the tripod, memory cards and a few filters all adds up.
I am also taking it for granted that you are a dedicated and enthusiastic photographer, abandoning your warm bed on many a cold morning to stand at hideous hours freezing your ass off without a Starbucks in sight. Hopefully as a result of your efforts you have managed to capture some wonderful images. Now what?
There is only one answer, processing!
Unlike now, years ago photographers typically had two options when it came to processing. You either left your film into the local photo store and waited for the results. Or if you were like me, you locked yourself into the bathroom-come-darkroom, developed the film and then printed the images yourself, all the while hoping the rest of the family had strong bladders. Not easy when you are from a family of nine!
Processing in the modern age means using software to manipulate the data stored in the digital RAW file, to output a final image that you are proud to call your own. The good news is, it’s so much easier than the way it use to be.
Modern processing
In essence, the modern RAW file is a digital negative that contains mountains of information. When it comes to getting the most out that information, there is a significant learning curve but thankfully there are a number of programs on the market to help us.
Of course most camera manufacturers supply their own software and there are a number of free programs available to download. The most popular professional grade programmes include Adobe Lightroom, Aperture, Capture One and Adobe Photoshop. Sadly they are not free and range in price from €200 to €800 euro.
I use Adobe Lightroom as I like the way it allows me to manage my catalogue of images and how it compliments my own digital workflow.
At its most basic Lightroom allows the photographer to adjust exposure, brightness, contrast, saturation, colour and tone. Its more advance features include localised adjustment brushes and gradients. In addition it lets the user output slideshows and web galleries. Anyway enough of the Adobe advertising (I promise I don’t work for them). Instead, let’s show an example of what it can do.
For this example I am going to use a coastal seascape taken in Skerries, Co Dublin. The image was taken on a Canon 5DMK11 using a 17-40F4lens. An exposure of 20 seconds at F13 was used. Mounted to the front of the lens were two graduated neutral density filters from Singh Ray.
In panel 1, you see the untouched RAW file in the develop module of Lightroom. The basic settings are all the default for this camera model.
Personal taste
When it comes to processing it all comes down to personal taste. You could give the file to a 100 people and they would all do something unique.
In this instance the image is not too bad and no major adjustments are required. As you can see in panel 1, there is plenty of detail in the shadows and there is detail in the highlights. I just wanted to make a few subtle changes including adjustments to colour temperature as well as the brightness and contrast of the overall image.
So using the global adjustments and the control sliders available I first adjusted the colour temperature, followed by an increase in the brightness and contrast of the image. Then to pull back some of the detail in the lighter sections of the image I used the recovery slider (see panel 2).
With those adjustments made, the last change I made was to the sky. To do that I used Lightroom’s gradient tool to a selected section of the sky and decreased the brightness (see panel 3).
Take a look at the final edited image (see main image) and see what you think!
Adjustment summary:
Temperature (warmed) 4860 – 7670
Recovery – 49 (default 0)
Brightness – 57 (default 50)
Contrast – 27 (default 25)
Clarity – 44 (default 0)
Vibrance – 8 (default 0)
Graduated filter (sky) – brightness (-18)
Win a copy of the image!
Want to own a copy of this print? Simply be the first person to email me at info@photoimagery.net quoting Outsider magazine and you will win a free signed 12×8 inch copy of the image.
