| I've been shooting with digital cameras
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| | camera doing any of these important steps
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| in my portrait and wedding photography
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| | for me, since every image requires a
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| studio for about five years now, and in
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| | different amount in order for it to be
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| that time I've taken well over 50,000
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| | optimum. The images that come off the
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| exposures. Our studio has been around for
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| | camera tend to look a little flat, dull
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| about twenty five years, and it is busy,
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| | and sometimes not sharp. But that's good!
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| so creating a digital workflow that made
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| | I get to adjust these myself. The
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| sense was essential to not only our
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| | saturation will add a whole lot of life
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| sanity, but our bottom line as well.
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| | to your images, if done properly. Again,
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| After all, we're in business to turn a
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| | less is more. Here's how: In Photoshop go
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| profit, and time is money.One of the
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| | to Image/Adjustements/HueSaturation and
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| reasons this is so important is because
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| | pull the middle saturation slider over to
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| so many photographers get bogged down and
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| | the right. It helps if you enlarge your
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| stuck in time wasting systems, systems
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| | image so you can really see this effect
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| that are over complicated and too
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| | and not over do it. This works very well
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| "perfect'. In the real world, where real
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| | on scenics and underwater images as well.
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| clients pay the bills, and making them
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| | But be careful not to over process.
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| happy on a consistent daily basis is
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| | Remember, less is more.Burning and
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| critical, getting the job done as fast as
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| | Dodging: Over and over, I see it all the
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| possible is essential.Let give you a
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| | time. Using the right amount of good old
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| "snapshot" overview of our digital
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| | fashioned burning or dodging and you will
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| workflow. You should know that all the
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| | take your images to whole new level. It
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| stratgies we've created in our studio are
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| | isn't easy to master however. Way back
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| not new. They are essentially the same as
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| | when I started out in photography, my
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| when we shot film. Nothing has changed,
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| | mentors and early instructors were well
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| except the media, the turnaround times
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| | versed and skilled in the ways of this
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| (faster, much faster!), and, of course,
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| | traditional application. They knew and
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| the huge learning curve. Which we've
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| | valued the importance of an image that
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| over-complicated beyond anything that
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| | was properly worked. The rookie mistake I
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| makes sense.Funny thing is, I've come to
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| | see over and over is either not using
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| realize that the learning curve is quite
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| | enough (or none at all), or using too
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| small when you do only the things
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| | much. It takes some doing but this skill
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| required and when you use only the
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| | is worth mastering. Here's how: On the
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| essential tools.Here are the seven steps
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| | toolbar in Photoshop, click on the dodge
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| to digital photography workflow:Good
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| | burn tool. It has both. Burning is by far
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| capture: This is the starting point.
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| | the one you will use the most. When you
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| Without a properly exposed file and good
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| | select burn, the control bar accross the
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| color balance, you are in the "taking
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| | top will allow you to set the brush
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| corrective measures" mode. You don't want
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| | options. These settings are vital to your
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| to be there. In time you would go crazy
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| | success. First, select a soft brush. The
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| if you had to "fix" every file, so you
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| | size will depend on the area you are
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| need to master these two basics. Good
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| | burning. When I am burning all around an
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| photography and fast, painless workflow
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| | image, I generally choose a larger than
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| starts with good exposure and good white
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| | the image area size. Next, choose
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| balance. A good exposure means you have
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| | Highlights in the range options. Next,
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| as many of the tones, from the blacks all
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| | bring your exposure down, way down to
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| the way to the whites, in the image. The
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| | about 20. Now you are are ready to do the
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| middle tones are exactly where you want
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| | first step. Burn all around a few times,
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| them to be, in the middle. How can you
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| | and stop after you notice a very slight
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| check this? Shoot a grey card, and check
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| | darkening. Next, switch the Range to
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| your histogram of that grey card image in
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| | midtones. The first step, in highlight
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| Photoshop. The levels should show you
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| | mode in the Range bar, gives your image
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| most of the data in the middle, or very
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| | some teeth for the next step. Now burn
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| close. If you are off, you are either
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| | around again, careful not to over do it.
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| over or under exposing your files and you
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| | The success of proper burning will depend
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| are asking for trouble. Your white
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| | on how well you can achieve an almost
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| balance should be neutral, with no color
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| | imperceptable dark vignette look to the
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| cast. How can you verify? You should
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| | image. If it's too obvious, then you've
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| first of all should be creating a custom
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| | over done it. I should point out that
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| white balance for each lighting scenario.
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| | this is not recommended for white or very
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| In our studio I created a custom white
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| | light images.Sizing: Almost done. We size
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| balance and never change it. It works all
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| | two ways. For prints smaller than
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| the time because the lights and the
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| | 11"x14", we use the crop tool and simply
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| studio setting is consistent. On location
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| | crop and save as required. For larger
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| each scenario requires a custom white
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| | prints we use a technique that will
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| balance. It's very easy when you get the
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| | magically increase your images to just
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| hang of it. To check that you are getting
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| | about any size without any virtual
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| a fairly neutral image from you custom
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| | deteriotion. Here's how. In Photoshop go
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| white balance, again, shoot a grey card,
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| | to Image/Image Size. In Document Size,
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| in Photoshop use the color picker, and
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| | switch the option in the drop down menu
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| the RGB numbers should all be very close
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| | from inches to percentage. Only do this
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| together. This means your image is
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| | on the top "witdh" option: replace 100%
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| neutral. If any of the RGB numbers are
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| | with 110% and click okay. Make sure
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| way off, you have a color cast in that
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| | Constrain Proportions and Resample Image
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| direction. Master this and you are 90% of
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| | options on the lower left are clicked on.
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| the way to success.Adjust contrast: For
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| | The image will increase in size by 10%.
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| many images we hardly do much contrast
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| | Do this until you have reached the size
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| adjusting. Sometimes we slightly "tweak"
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| | you want. It's amazing! Virtually no
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| the file in levels, but you can easily
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| | deteriotion at sizes up to and beyond 40
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| get carried away here and 'over process'
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| | inches. Try it.Sharpening: This is the
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| the image. When you do that, there's no
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| | last step, well, almost. My sharpening
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| turning back. It's like over-cooking a
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| | approach is not something you will hear
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| steak. Too late, once it's cooked. So be
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| | about in any course or book. Again, I
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| careful here. My rule of thumb? Less is
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| | figured out what works, and what works
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| more. If you have to ask yourself "Does
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| | best. I was able to get tack sharp images
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| this need more contrast?," then you're
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| | from file sizes as small as 3.4 MP.
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| done. STOP! But I do a step before
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| | Here's how: Go to Filter/Sharpen/Unsharp
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| anything else, and it does adjust the
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| | and start with these settings: Amount
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| contrast as a side effect. You will never
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| | 500%, Radius .2, and Threshold 0. Click
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| hear about this in any digital
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| | on preview. Highlight the Radius number
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| photography course or book. As a matter
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| | and start to increase that number (I use
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| of fact, they will ("they", being the
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| | the "up" arrow on my keyboard) one step
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| "experts") likely frown upon this step.
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| | at a time until the image slightly
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| Try it anyhow. We do, on every sinlgle
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| | "pops". That's when it's done. If it pops
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| image we work on. And that's a lot of
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| | too much, bring it back one number in the
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| images. Here it is: In Photoshop go to
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| | radius. I don't even touch the other two
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| Filter/Sharpen/Unsharp mask. Apply the
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| | settings. They will not recommend this
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| following settings: Amount 60 Radius 20
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| | technique in any course or book, but it
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| Threshold 0. See how it removes the haze?
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| | works in the trenches. I'm sure it breaks
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| Cool uh? And it just beefs the image up a
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| | all sorts of rules. The final step for
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| bit. Now this filter is also used to
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| | all images is by to Filter/Noise/Add
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| sharpen image, but this step is not a
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| | Noise, and set the amount at 1. Why do I
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| sharpening step. We call it the de-fog
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| | do this? It gives the image a slight
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| step.Enhance the skin tones: For all you
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| | texture, a little bit of "love".That's
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| nature and scenic photographers this step
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| | it! In a nutshell. From the trenches.
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| may not apply. But try it anyhow, it may
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| | There are more technical and highly
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| help. The idea behind it is to bring out
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| | advanced ways of getting these steps
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| the reds in our skin tones, for all skin
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| | done, but frankly, in the end, you won't
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| types. In the good old days of retouching
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| | see the difference. I know, I tried em
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| by hand, we used to finish the print off
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| | all! Fact is the only expert in the game
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| with a layer of red. This always brought
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| | of portrait photography is the client.
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| the final steps of those long tedious
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| | All she cares about is great looking
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| retouching by hand steps together just
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| | images. She doesn't care if I shot using
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| nicely. How do we do this? Simple. In
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| | RAW mode (which I don't by the way,
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| Photoshop go to Image/Adjustements
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| | always JPEG). She doesn't care how many
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| Selective Color. You will notice that the
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| | megapixels I use. She doesn't care what
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| red channel is the default chanel. This
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| | kind of lights I use, how I workflowed my
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| is the one we want so don't switch. Pull
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| | images, whether I did them on a MAC or a
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| the top slider, Cyan, over to the left,
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| | PC (PC by the way). She ultimately is the
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| and watch the colors, especially in the
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| | final judge and jury.Robert Provencher
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| skin, warm up. Adjust it to your taste.
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| | has been a professional portrait and
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| We find that most images are within the
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| | wedding photographer for over 25 years.
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| -20 to- 40 range. That's it! Assuming you
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| | He has trained hundreds of professional
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| have a good exposure and good white
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| | photographers throughout North America in
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| balance, this is the only color
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| | live workshops and through his online
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| "enhancing" you will need to do.Adjust
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| | forum. Robert has authored several
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| the saturation: When I shoot I turn the
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| | manuals on digital photography and
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| cameras' sharpening, contrast and
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| | photogaphy marketing.
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| saturation features off. I don't want the
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