photo:image_workflow
RAW image processing workflow
Introduction
the first step to great image quality is getting it as right as possible in the camera:
-
minimal camera shake and subject blur by choosing an appropriate shutter speed, image stabilisation and/or a tripod
minimal image noise by using as close to the camera's base ISO as the above will allow
correct white balance as this will impact your camera's exposure metering
correct exposure for your desired needs
and of course you need to shoot in RAW mode for best results in post-processing as these are 12bit or 14 bit tones per color channel not just 8 bit (256 values) as are jpegs
now how you actually decide to take the photo may be informed by your knowledge of what you can do in post-processing so this is an iterative life long learning process - for instance you may decide to take multiple photos to reduce noise, or create a HDR, or to remove moving subjects, or to create greater DOF by focus stacking
ideally, your computer should be colour calibrated so you see what you get properly
once you decide on which image to use, it must be imported into an image editor that supports the RAW file you are using (newer cameras have newer RAW file versions and may not be able to be used in older image editors - in this case you either need to update the image editor or use another image editor to convert the RAW file into either a universal RAW file format such as DNG or into a 16 bit TIFF file)
RAW development
a RAW file needs to be “developed” into a color space (eg. sRGB, AdobeRGB, or ProPhotoRGB) and rendered and it is here that you can set the base image qualities by altering various components (see below)
Image editing and adding effects
further tonal adjustments to the whole image such as applying a LUTs color scheme, split toning, conversion to monochrome, etc
you now tweak your image by performing tonal adjustments to areas, local sharpening/clarity/etc and remove annoying blemishes.
one may consider cropping the image and rotating it to straighten horizons, etc
Finalisation of image
exporting the file
you need to decide on what file format to use, and the final image size and quality.
if printing, you may decide upon a 16 bit TIFF file in AdobeRGB
if web display you should be using sRGB and possibly a jpeg file or PNG file to reduce file size
Exporting as jpeg
photo/image_workflow.txt · Last modified: 2019/07/18 00:54 by gary1