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