Adobe Camera Raw for Digital Photographers Only E-Book

Rob Sheppard

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Wissenschaft und neue Technologien
• Serie: For Only
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 468

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2011

Beschreibung

Expert photographer Rob Sheppard explains the details of Camera Raw, the steps for using it, the workflow process, and certain best practices that demonstrates how Camera Raw can empower the digital photographer. Encouraging you to use it as you see fit, he explores the enhancements in the newest generation and helps you deal with RAW's limitations, manage white balance and exposure, reduce noise (especially in night shots,) and learn to use camera settings that make the most of RAW capabilities.

Leseprobe

Adobe® Camera Raw For Digital Photographers Only

Table of Contents

Introduction

Part I: Capture Workflow

Chapter 1: What are Raw Files Really About?

A RAW Start

Why use RAW?

Understanding RAW

RAW Capabilities

Do not Shortchange RAW

What is 16-Bit all About?

Proprietary Formats

The Value of DNG

Does JPEG have a Place?

Chapter 2: Shoot Raw Right from the Start

The Digital Darkroom

Understanding the Sensor

Dealing with Limitations

Exposure – More than Getting Brightness Correct

Reading the Histogram without Being an Engineer

Interpreting the Histogram

Looking at Histograms: Examples of Good and Bad Exposures

Filters are Still Necessary

Noise Raises its Ugly Head

Variations among Cameras

Chapter 3: Color and Raw

Good Raw is Good Color

Adobe RGB versus sRGB

Color Space for the Purpose Needed

White Balance: A Raw Workflow Issue

Chapter 4: What’s New in Adobe Camera Raw?

Making RAW Processing More Photographic

Some Changes to the Interface

How Lightroom Affects Camera Raw

Part II: Camera Raw Workflow

Chapter 5: A Quick Look at Camera Raw Tools and Workflow

Finding Your RAW Photos

Bridge Capabilities

Opening Camera Raw

The Importance of Reset and Undo

Camera Raw in Six-Part Harmony

Camera Raw Toolbar

Preview Options

The Ideal Workflow

Base Settings

How to Approach Camera Raw

Monitor Calibration

Chapter 6: Workflow Applied

What is Your Photo About?

Auto Settings

Workflow Options

Tonal Adjustments

Color Adjustments

Detail Adjustments – Sharpening

Detail Adjustments – Noise Reduction

Save Your Work

Setting Up Camera Raw for Your Camera

Chapter 7: Advanced Tonal Control

Evaluate the Image

First Adjustments – Blacks and Highlights

Tone Curve Adjustments

Back to Basic and Clarity

Back to Color

Refining Color

Sharpening with the Detail Tab

Evaluate, and then Open or Save

Chapter 8: White Balance Decisions

A Neutral Subject is Rarely Neutral

Dusk Light

Aquarium Greenery

Evaluating Color

Chapter 9: The Noise Problems No One Talks About

When Noise Becomes a Problem

Watching for Noise

Reducing Noise in Camera Raw

Working to Control the Noise

Readjusting the Image

Chapter 10: Special Features of Camera Raw

Special Tabs of Camera Raw

Fixing Lens Problems

Using the Retouch Tool

Using the Red Eye Removal Tool

Influencing Color Changes

Batch Processing

Duplicating Processing: Saving Settings and Presets

Part III: Making Camera Raw Work Harder for You

Chapter 11: Tough Decisions

Soft Colors

Backlit Contrast

Color enhancement

Not the Normal Light

Chapter 12: Black-and-White Processing

Camera Raw or Photoshop for Black-and-White

Camera Raw does Black-and-White Right

How to Think Black-and-White

Shooting for Black-and-White

Converting to Grayscale

Optimum use of Color Sliders

Using Split Toning

Chapter 13: Double Processing for Exposure

One Size May Not Fit All

Processing the Bright Areas

Processing the Dark Areas

The Merging Process

Process for the Main Photo

Double Processing for Color and Tonal Range Techniques

Two-Shot Processing

Into Camera Raw

Making the Photo Work

Chapter 14: Post Camera Raw Processing

Ansel Adams and Image Processing

Interpreting an Image

Sharpening

Appendix A: Alternatives to Camera Raw

Why Use Other Programs?

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom or Apple Aperture versus Camera Raw

Camera-Specific RAW Converters

Independent RAW Converters

Pro Glossary

Adobe® Camera Raw For Digital Photographers Only

Rob Sheppard

Published byWiley Publishing, Inc.10475 Crosspoint BoulevardIndianapolis, IN 46256www.wiley.com

Copyright © 2008 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

Published simultaneously in Canada

ISBN: 978-1-118-07936-2

Manufactured in the United States of America

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About the Author

Rob Sheppard has been a long-time photographer working in publications and for businesses for over 30 years. He is also the author/photographer of over 20 books, an internationally known speaker and workshop leader, and was the editor of the prestigious Outdoor Photographer magazine for twelve years (he is now editor-at-large).

Sheppard has had a long-time and nationally recognized commitment to helping photographers connect with digital imaging technology. He was one of the small group of people who started PCPhoto magazine 10 years ago to bring the digital world to photographers on their terms. He was the first editor of PCPhoto while also editing Outdoor Photographer.

As author/photographer, Sheppard wrote and photographed some of the first books for photographers to understand digital photography, including the Computer Photography Handbook in 1998. He has written hundreds of articles about photography and nature, plus a wide range of books, from guides to photography such as the PCPhoto Digital SLR Handbook and the National Geographic Field Guide to Digital Photography to books about Photoshop including Outdoor Photographer Landscape and Nature Photography with Photoshop CS2 and Adobe Photoshop Lightroom for Digital Photographers Only.

As a photographer, Sheppard worked for many years in Minnesota (before moving to Los Angeles), including doing work for the Minnesota Department of Transportation, Norwest Banks (now Wells Fargo), Pillsbury, 3M, General Mills, Lutheran Brotherhood, Ciba-Geigy, Andersen Windows, and others. His photography has been published in many magazines, ranging from National Geographic to The Farmer to, of course, Outdoor Photographer and PCPhoto.

He also writes a digital photography column in Outdoor Photographer called Digital Horizons, has consulted for a number of publications regarding digital photography (including National Geographic) and teaches around the country, such as workshops for the Palm Beach Photographic Centre, Santa Fe Workshops, and the Great American Photography Workshop group. His Web site for photo tips, plus workshop and book information, is at www.robshepppardphoto.com.

Credits

Senior Acquisitions Editor

Kim Spilker

Senior Project Editor

Cricket Krengel

Technical Editor

Mark Comon

Copy Editor

Lauren Kennedy

Editorial Manager

Robyn Siesky

Business Manager

Amy Knies

Vice President & Executive Group Publisher

Richard Swadley

Vice President & Publisher

Barry Pruett

Senior Marketing Manager

Sandy Smith

Book Designer

LeAndra Hosier

Project Coordinator

Lynsey Stanford

Graphics and Production Specialists

Andrea HornbergerJennifer MayberryRonald Terry

Quality Control Technicians

John GreenoughDwight Ramsey

Proofreading

Broccoli Information Management

Indexing

Becky Hornyak

This book is dedicated to my really terrific workshop students who have taught me much about how to communicate all things digital to photographers; and I must include my very supportive wife and two kids who have really made my work possible.

Foreword

As pilgrim photographers, we see a lot of beautiful locations and meet many people. Meeting some people is like finding a precious gem; Rob Sheppard has been that kind of discovery for me.

Rob is a talented writer, technician and photographer as you will soon discover in this book! He truly cares about photographers learning and applying his teaching to real world application. His genuine concern for his students is what makes him such a gifted photo educator.

What you won’t learn from this book is what a terrific person he is. I’ve had the pleasure of working with Rob on a number of occasions, and he is always a joy to spend time with in the field and in classroom.

Take the time to slowly and carefully work through this text and his teaching examples, and you will discover exciting information about both Adobe Photoshop Camera Raw and about taking pictures that will take you beyond simply understanding software. He will help you to become a better photographer than ever before. If you ever have the opportunity to take a class or workshop with Rob, you, too, can get to know the man behind the books and images!

I hope you enjoy this book as much as I’ve enjoyed counting Rob a friend!

~ Bill Fortney Photographer/author of America from 500 Feet I and IICEO of the Great American Photography Workshops

Acknowledgments

Any book takes a lot of work to complete. The writing and photography go through multiple editors and technical people. I owe them all much thanks. I especially thank editor Cricket Krengel who has really been a huge help throughout the editing process and keeps my words in line. I also thank Kim Spilker and Barry Pruett at Wiley for their support.

That’s the production side. I have to thank my long-time collaborators who worked with me at Werner Publishing, including Steve Werner, Chris Robinson, Wes Pitts, and George Lepp. They always challenged me to do my best and to work hard to communicate well with all photographers (and still do while I work independently). I also have to thank my good friend, Rick Sammon, who is always incredibly supportive and a very giving photographer. I thank Bill Fortney for all of his support over the years, which has helped me gain some respect for my books. There are many, many others who have done much for me, and I thank you all, even though I can’t list everyone.

Finally, I have to acknowledge my wife of 27 years — she is always terrific and supportive, and my kids, who challenge me to do my best. And of course, I thank God for the beauty of this world that we photographers are blessed to have as subject matter.

Introduction

There are a lot of books on Camera Raw or about Photoshop that include reference to Camera Raw. When I did the original version of this book, I really had to ask myself why another? Sure, I could add another text to my resume, but why would any reader care? I want readers to care because my passion is helping photographers learn and use digital technologies. So much of what I have seen is geared toward a very specific type of work (the author’s) or is very strongly computer-tech oriented (and you don’t see many photos from the author because he or she is not a photographer). These are important books and valuable for their audiences, but what I always have wanted to do is to talk directly to my fellow photographers and share the wonderful tools of the digital darkroom.

When Adobe came out with Photoshop CS3, they also introduced a Camera Raw with whole new features. So now I have updated my book for photographers on Camera Raw to version 4 and beyond. There are more technical books; I felt little need to duplicate them. There are more basic books; there was no point in making another book like them. I work to try to give you a unique perspective on how photographers can really benefit from RAW files and using Camera Raw. I have worked as a professional photographer, but more important, I have seen how photographers have adapted to and adopted digital technologies as I have worked on OutdoorPhotographer and PCPhoto magazines.

So I wanted to update this book to continue to address photographers’ needs and concerns, a book that made photography as important as the technology. I have put together a series of ideas from the actual photography to the completion of working on an image in Photoshop that reflect what I have learned about how photographers can respond to and benefit from this technology. I truly want photographers to say, “I can!” and believe it. I do — I believe that every photographer who wants to master digital photography, to tame Photoshop, to benefit from RAW files can do it. As Henry Ford is quoted as saying, “If you think you can or you think you can’t, you are probably right.” I think you can!

One caution I do want to make. Photography is a creative endeavor. It cannot be controlled by formulas and recipes, whether written in this book or any other. The master of your images has to be you. Even if I say it is best to have a strong black in your photo, for example, and you don’t like what that does to a particular image, don’t do it! The idea of good or bad for your photos has to start with you. Anything written on these pages can only be a guideline because I cannot see your pictures. I will say that everything here is tested and does work, but I can never say whether something will work 100% of the time in your particular situation. Art and craft are just too subjective to allow that.

Many of the photos that are demonstrated in this book are available for download at www.robsheppardphoto.com. These are full-size, RAW files, so you’re going to need a broadband, high-speed connection to the Internet or else a lot of patience.

I hope you find these pages fun and informative. Don’t be afraid to play with your photos to see how Camera Raw will work for you. It can work very well, indeed, but you’ll get the most out of it and this book by trying lots of photos in Camera Raw.

Part I: Capture Workflow

Chapter 1 What are RAW Files Really About?

Chapter 2 Shoot RAW Right from the Start

Chapter 3 Color and RAW

Chapter 4 What’s New in Adobe Camera Raw?

Chapter 1: What are Raw Files Really About?

The RAW format has become the format of choice for most photographers today. JPEG still has its place, but the flexibility and power of RAW makes it extremely valuable for the photographer who wants the most from an image file. Yet, it is also critical to understand that RAW is no magic bullet that can correct any problem with the original photography. The photo must be shot right from the start to get images like figure 1-1.

The old debate of JPEG versus RAW still has a lot of misinformation in it, but it seems to be less of an issue for most photographers today. In fact, the newest version of Adobe Camera Raw lets you process JPEG files in it. Raw offers the thoughtful photographer a good deal of control, but also demands more in the workflow. JPEG can be used quickly and easily for those situations that require speed over adaptability and advanced control.

1-1

A RAW Start

This is a tremendous time to be photographing. Cameras are better than ever and the whole digital transition has brought a new excitement to the craft. Digital capture of images offers so many great advantages, in everything from nature to people photography as shown in figure 1-2, that film is rapidly becoming only a specialized way of shooting.

One terrific innovation that came with digital photography is the RAW format, although technically, it is really the RAW formats. Every camera manufacturer has its own RAW format unique to its products, and each company keeps tweaking it with every new camera. Confusing, true, but it only has to be if you want to know all the formats. Really, all you need to know is the one specific to your camera model.

Adobe’s DNG (digital negative) format was introduced to potentially become a universal RAW format. However, that has not happened, and given the camera manufacturers’ penchant for keeping their files proprietary, this seems unlikely. For now, DNG is mostly used as an archiving RAW format.

This book covers RAW as if it were one format. That’s easy to do in a book specifically about Adobe’s Camera Raw program that comes with Photoshop CS3 because Camera Raw treats all RAW formats equally well. It also deals with them seamlessly, without any need to think about format variations.