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