Developing Raw

Fr0dders

Fr0dders

Fr0dders

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So i've just started to get into shooting RAW on my 40D


Untitled by MrLOL_UK, on Flickr


Untitled by MrLOL_UK, on Flickr


Untitled by MrLOL_UK, on Flickr


Untitled by MrLOL_UK, on Flickr

just a couple from the ones i took, but i'm unsure exactly what needs doing. I've read somewhere that if you choose RAW you'll need to add some sharpening in lightroom, but what else, and how much sharpening ?
 
RAW will always come out of the camera looking slightly underexposed, a bit flat and generally dull all over.

this is because RAW tries to preserve all the information the camera can possibly detect.

RAW will usually need about three or four times as much PP as jpeg.
 
If you haven't got Lightroom, then use Digital Photo Professional which should be on the CD that came with your Canon 40D. It will allow you to tweak your RAW images and then save the output as a JPEG.

It isn't as sophisticated as Lightroom 3, but it is a good place to start as you figure out how altering the settings can change the look of a photo.
 
MrLOL said:
just a couple from the ones i took, but i'm unsure exactly what needs doing. I've read somewhere that if you choose RAW you'll need to add some sharpening in lightroom, but what else, and how much sharpening ?
Click to expand...
If you know what you want to achieve and how to achieve it you should need to worry about whether it's a RAW file or a JPEG. If you want it to be sharper, you'll need to sharpen it; if you want the exposure to be correct, you'll need to adjust the levels; etc.

Are you unsure of how to process images full-stop or how to adjust your skills to RAW files?
 
glitch said:
If you know what you want to achieve and how to achieve it you should need to worry about whether it's a RAW file or a JPEG. If you want it to be sharper, you'll need to sharpen it; if you want the exposure to be correct, you'll need to adjust the levels; etc.

Are you unsure of how to process images full-stop or how to adjust your skills to RAW files?
Click to expand...

unsure of how to post process full stop.

As an example, i couldnt look at those photos and tell they were under exposed. I think i might try some of the presets in the lightroom thread and just keep trying different ones until i get something i think looks good.
 
I would have a try with Adobe lightroom (free trail version) if i was you.

Get your photos on lightroom, there are tutorials how to do this.
Once you get your image, work through the modules in the "develop" mode from top to bottom and move the sliders back and forth. You might not know how what each slider does but keep an eye on your image to see the results each time. Work through them each and sooner or later you will understand how each work.

To know what does look good and what doesn't. Check out various galleries such as FlickR or have a look are people's portfolio here or on talkphotography.
 
One thing to have a look at if using Lightroom. When you import a RAW file it uses the camera generated preview in the first instance. As you then view a RAW file in Lightroom it will apply the default develop settings (Adobe Standard). This can make the file look very different, I don't like this so I have set the default develop settings to Camera Neutral which works much better for me as a starting point.
 
MrLOL said:
unsure of how to post process full stop.
Click to expand...
In that case I'm sure there's plenty of advice that people will be able to offer.

But first, have you calibrated your monitor? While you can do a fair bit of processing just from the histogram it'll help immeasurably if you're seeing what you need to be seeing on your screen.

MrLOL said:
I think i might try some of the presets in the lightroom thread and just keep trying different ones until i get something i think looks good.
Click to expand...
I'd liken that to having a kitchen full of ingredients and chucking various things together in the vain hope you'll make something that tastes nice.

Fine for a while, but following a recipe would be a better use of your time.
 
Schizophonic said:
I would have a try with Adobe lightroom (free trail version) if i was you.
Click to expand...
I'm pretty sure he's already got a copy of Lightroom.

Schizophonic said:
Once you get your image, work through the modules in the "develop" mode from top to bottom and move the sliders back and forth. You might not know how what each slider does but keep an eye on your image to see the results each time. Work through them each and sooner or later you will understand how each work.
Click to expand...
I don't think that's particularly good advice in this particular instance. Fine for someone who might have some previous experience but not so for a newcomer.

There's an infinite amount of adjustment that can be made from such an approach and if someone doesn't really know what they are doing it's going to be almost impossible for them to get their head around LR by experimenting.

Schizophonic said:
To know what does look good and what doesn't. Check out various galleries such as FlickR or have a look are people's portfolio here or on talkphotography.
Click to expand...
Again, that's fine for people who know what they are doing, but given the fact that people very rarely document their processing workflow, it's hard to know what's actually been done.

MrLOL might look at someone's work and think it looks amazing, but have absolutely zero idea of how to replicate it. No amount of fiddling with sliders in LR is going to help, unless he's got exactly the same RAW image and a rough idea of how to tackle the processing.
 
Way back when I was getting into music production I learned of a technique for applying compression called 'cracking the safe'. It basically refined the oft-used technique of 'twiddling all the knobs and hoping something nice would happen' into a process where you'd start on one thing and then move on to the other stages in a logical manner in order to produce a consistent result.

As you may expect, eventually you start to realise exactly what you're doing and what effect it's having on the sound and you start to break away from the process and devise your own way of working. And that's how I think people should approach processing images - although I'm not sure how many people would agree with me!

In order to help MrLOL (and others) I think we all need to agree on a good, simple, 'default process' to work with any image. What needs adjusting, why does it need to be adjusted and in what order should things be tackled?

Is it adjusting the WB first and then adjusting the sliders on the histogram? Or do you mess around with the Exposure and Blacks separately, add in some Recovery and Fill Light and then start to tackle the Curves and Contrast?

Anyone want to kick us off with their process?
 
glitch said:
MrLOL might look at someone's work and think it looks amazing, but have absolutely zero idea of how to replicate it. No amount of fiddling with sliders in LR is going to help, unless he's got exactly the same RAW image and a rough idea of how to tackle the processing.
Click to expand...

this sums up exactly how i feel.

Take for example this:


Untitled by MrLOL_UK, on Flickr

I know i need to adjust the white balance, but that never seems to fully rectify the problem. I can drop the WB to its 2nd lowest setting, but theres so much else that changes it, i can't work out how to get the best effect. I think this is about the best i can manage


IMG_9634 by MrLOL_UK, on Flickr
 
MrLOL said:
I know i need to adjust the white balance, but that never seems to fully rectify the problem. I can drop the WB to its 2nd lowest setting, but theres so much else that changes it, i can't work out how to get the best effect. I think this is about the best i can manage
Click to expand...
I'd say that was a pretty decent effort under the circumstances.

Do you have an idea in your head about what you want to change about the image or do you simply want to make it 'better'? Are there aspects of your processed image that you are unhappy with or don't know how to alter?
 
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