by Kevin L.Moss
Gain Full Control Over Your Raw Images with This FULL COLOR Guide!
 |
| Camera Raw with Photoshop for Dummies |
Kevin Moss is a photographer, author, and expert in digital photography, personal
computing, and the World Wide Web. An early adopter and long-time
user of Photoshop, Kevin has specialized in combining traditional photography
with the latest in computer and digital technologies. Kevin is also the author
of Photoshop CS2 and Digital Photography For Dummies, and 50 Fast Digital
Camera Techniques, 2nd Edition.
Kevin specializes in fine-art landscape, abstract, and portrait photography.
For more information about Kevin’s photographic work, or to contact him
regarding this book, visit his Web site at www.kevinmossphotography.com.
Author’s Acknowledgments
Putting a book together is a large effort, and the author isn’t the only one who
spends a lot of time and dedication moving it toward completion. I have many
people to thank for their hard work and dedication to this project. I especially
want to thank Laura Lewin from Studio B and Bob Woerner at Wiley for giving
me this opportunity. You are both a pleasure to work with, and I especially
appreciate your professionalism.
I would like to personally acknowledge my Project Editor Nicole Sholly, who
gave me tremendous support on a daily basis to help me through all the intricacies
of writing a technical manuscript, plus helping me keep on schedule
and always being available at any time when I needed some help.
I would like to acknowledge the copyediting work of Barry Childs-Helton.
Barry’s eloquent suggestions for tweaks to my otherwise-plain language have
helped me take my writing to a new level. Barry worked extremely hard making
sure words weren’t a tangled mess, explanations were understandable, and
humor was on--target. I think Barry worked as hard on this book as I did, and
I am very grateful for the effort.
Any technical book, especially one written about complex software
like Photoshop, needs a great technical editor. My special thanks to Ron
Rockwell — whom I rely on to advise me about technical issues, offer great
alternatives, and help keep my techniques correct. It’s professionals like
Nicole, Barry, and Ron that make the editing process fun and productive.
I would also like to acknowledge the rest of the team at Wiley who get things
done behind the scenes, including Kevin Kirschner and Amanda Foxworth.
Thank you all for your efforts to make sure my writing, images, and figures
are all formatted, arranged correctly, and understandable.
Introduction
Digital photography has come a long way in the last few years. When digital
cameras broke the 3-megapixel barrier, I strongly considered jumping
in and retiring my film gear. By the time 5-megapixel digital cameras hit the
street, I was hooked. Then, just a few years ago, the raw file format started
being offered, and Adobe Camera Raw was born. To me, this was digital
heaven — to have full control over how digital images are processed, from
camera all the way to print.
If you’re shooting raw now, you’ve probably figured out the advantages of
working in that format. Being able to correct image exposure and white balance
is enough to sell me, but you can also make overall adjustments in color
and tone without the danger of destroying valuable image data — and that’s
the biggest gift the format gives us. Camera Raw ties the process together, letting
photographers bypass using third-party software so we can process raw
files within the same software we use to edit our photos.
This book gives you a detailed explanation of the entire end-to-end process —
from capturing raw images with your digital camera to organizing your files in
Bridge, converting your images in Adobe Camera Raw, and then processing
them in Photoshop. I explain each individual procedure as a workflow — a set
of useful habits to develop in sequence. Okay, sure, the term has been a buzzword
in photography trade rags over the past few years, but truly this concept
is the path toward more consistent processes for getting your images from
camera to print — resulting in more consistent quality. Your photography will
improve just by following the steps provided in this book as you develop your workflows.
About This Book
I’ve spent the past few years perfecting my processes with Photoshop —
which can be a very intimidating software program. The last few versions
offered even more capability to master — the File Browser, the new Bridge program,
and Camera Raw, now in its third or fourth version. This book gives me
the opportunity to share that knowledge with photographers who shoot in raw
format and want to get up to speed with these new Photoshop capabilities.
I’ve selected the content of this book based on what’s most important to us
as photographers. The chapters are also organized in a manner in which we
use parts of Photoshop according to order, or in an overall workflow.
Some of these topics include
The importance of and implementing color management.
The importance of and implementing workflows.
Using Bridge and managing digital images.
Understanding color.
Using Camera Raw.
Making overall color and tonal corrections in Photoshop.
Making edits in Photoshop.
Mastering the skills in these areas of Photoshop and digital photography will
help you organize and streamline your digital photography processes,
making digital photography even more fun and gratifying.
Foolish Assumptions
This book is intended as a Camera Raw and Photoshop CS2 reference for
those digital photographers who want to develop efficient workflows for processing
raw images, organizing files, and making corrections and edits in
Photoshop. If you have an advanced digital camera or digital SLR that can capture
images in raw format, a computer (with a lot of memory and storage
space!), Photoshop CS2, and even a photo-quality printer, you probably have
all you need to get started!
Here is a list of things I assume you already have (or will be adding to your collection shortly):
Digital SLR or advanced compact digital camera: For digital photographers
who want to shoot in raw format, having a digital camera that can
produce raw files is a pretty good idea. Most of the newer (and more
advanced) compact digital cameras — and to my knowledge, all recentmodel
digital SLRs — offer the raw format. If your digital camera is a
brand-spanking-new model (if so, congratulations!), it may take Adobe a
few months to come out with an update to Camera Raw that includes
your new model. One thing is certain: You’re going to need some bighonkin’
memory cards for your digital camera. Raw files can get pretty
big — from 5 megabytes each on up — depending on how many megapixels
your digital camera can handle. So I’d also suggest a dedicated
card reader to transfer those big files to your computer. Transferring
files to your computer by attaching a USB cable from your camera can
be a slow and tedious process; getting a card reader is a great investment,
and they don’t cost much (especially when you consider that your time is valuable).
Computer: To work with Photoshop, you need a computer with enough
memory and a decent monitor. Photoshop CS2 requires that your computer
have at least 384 megabytes of memory. (And remember: As a rule,
minimum requirements barely get the job done; try to exceed those
specs whenever possible.) If you are shooting and processing raw files,
I’d recommend at least 1 gigabyte of memory for your computer. Digital
photo files, especially raw, gobble up disk space (I’d recommend at least
100 gigabytes for starters). You’ll be surprised at how fast disk space gets used up.
Colorimeter: Color management is a super-important part of your overall
workflow. If you’re not using color-management tools, I strongly suggest
you look into purchasing a colorimeter and a software package that
will allow you to calibrate your monitor. If you can ensure that what you
see on your computer is what prints on your printer, you’re better off;
calibration makes it possible.
Photoshop CS2: Photoshop CS2 is the central part of your digital darkroom.
Just as Windows or Mac OS functions as your computer’s operating
system, Photoshop CS2 is your digital-photography operating system.
New features in CS2 include Adobe Bridge for image management — and Camera Raw is included.
If you’re still using Photoshop CS, don’t fret! For the most part, the workflows
in this book apply to you as well; the version of Camera Raw is
very similar, and the File Browser concept of managing files is the same.
Photo-quality printer: I’m assuming you’re using Photoshop to process
files for printing, but lots of folks use it for publishing in different media
as well. Still, it’s nice to have one of those superior new photo printers
our manufactures have blessed us with. These days, for under $100, you
can find a printer that will more than meet your needs. If you’re making
photos primarily for use on the Web, having a printer on hand helps if
you want an actual photo you can hold, frame, or keep in your wallet.
How This Book Is Organized
This book is divided into parts that address general areas such as organizing
photos, converting raw files, or working with Photoshop. I even include some
fun chapters in The Part of Tens. Feel free to skip around, and if you have the
time, read the book from beginning to end!
Part I: Getting Your Feet Wet
Okay, not all of us plunge right into digital photography (underwater or otherwise).
So Part I offers an overview for the Photoshop and Camera Raw concepts
covered in the rest of the book. It’s a quick-start for shooting in raw
format and getting your images into your computer. Chapter 1 briefly introduces
shooting raw, using Bridge, and then using Camera Raw and Photoshop
to process your images. Chapter 2 goes into more detail about the benefits of
raw format, and takes a look at Adobe’s new DNG file format. Chapter 3 speaks
to a topic near and dear to my heart — color management. Chapter 4 explains
the workflows covered throughout the book, and why they can improve your
overall photography and your Photoshop skills.
Part II: Image-Management Workflow with Adobe Bridge
Adobe Bridge is what ties together all the Photoshop processes, your habits
of image management, and the tweaks you make in Camera Raw and
Photoshop. Image management, in essence, is keeping your digital files organized
and backed up for safekeeping. After all, before you can use ’em, you
have to be able to find ’em, and they have to be where you put ’em. So
Chapter 5 shows you how to get around Bridge and take advantage of its filemanagement
functions. Chapter 6 shows you how to add information to digital
images to organize and reference them even better for future usage.
Part III: Working with Raw Images
Camera Raw is the program you’ll use to process all your raw images, and
Part III shows you how to do just that, in a smooth raw-image–processing
workflow. Chapter 7 starts you out with understanding color, the basis of processing
raw images. Chapter 8 gives you a tour of Camera Raw, while Chapter
9 shows you how to use all the tools and controls Camera Raw has to offer.
Part IV: Photoshop CS2 Image-Processing Workflows
All aspects of processing images in this book are presented in separate workflows
that make up your overall image-processing activities. This part explains
the workflows needed to process images in Photoshop after you’ve converted
them in Camera Raw. Chapter 10 shows you workflows for correcting color
and tone in Photoshop. Chapter 11 explains image editing as a workflow —
you know, removing red eye, blemishes, and miscellaneous unwanted parts
of your image (use your imagination). Chapter 12 is dedicated toward preparing
images for output by correctly sizing them, applying color profiles, and
routing them through an efficient printing workflow.
Part V: The Part of Tens
Always the favorite part of any For Dummies book, The Part of Tens provides
you with a few chapters that add to your growing technical knowledge (and
might enhance your reputation as a guru). Chapter 13 provides you with 10
cool things to do with your photos — such as creating abstracts, creating a
photo Web site, and stitching panoramas. Chapter 14 shows you 10 cool
Photoshop filters to use when you want to add special effects to your images.
You know. The fun stuff. (Always my favorite subjects to show!)
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Product details
Price
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|---|---|
File Size
| 34,046 KB |
Pages
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324 p |
File Type
|
PDF format |
ISBN-13
ISBN-10 | 978-0-471-77482-2 0-471-77482-0 |
Copyright
| 2006 by Wiley Publishing, Inc |
Table of Contents
Introduction......
About This Book............
Foolish Assumptions ............
How This Book Is Organized.......
Part I: Getting Your Feet Wet...........
Part II: Image-Management Workflow with Adobe Bridge...
Part III: Working with Raw Images.............................
Part IV: Photoshop CS2 Image-Processing Workflows......
Part V: The Part of Tens........................................
Icons Used in This Book...............................
Where to Go from Here...................
Part I: Getting Your Feet Wet .........................................7
Chapter 1: Getting to Know Bridge, Camera Raw, and Photoshop . . . .9
Shooting in the Raw .......................................................................................10
Why raw? ...............................................................................................10
Not all raw files are the same..............................................................11
Transferring Image Files To Your Computer...............................................12
Working with Images in Bridge.....................................................................14
Starting Bridge ......................................................................................14
Browsing folders and opening images...............................................15
Using Camera Raw .........................................................................................17
Becoming familiar with Camera Raw .................................................19
Adjusting images in Camera Raw .......................................................19
Hello Photoshop CS2! ....................................................................................22
What’s new? ..........................................................................................22
Getting around Photoshop CS2 ..........................................................25
Making adjustments.............................................................................26
Chapter 2: Enlightened by Raw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
What’s Raw?....................................................................................................32
Raw versus Other Formats ...........................................................................34
Advantages and Disadvantages to Raw.......................................................36
Taking advantage of raw format .........................................................37
A few potential drawbacks..................................................................39
Introducing the Digital Negative (DNG) ......................................................40
Adding Information to Images’ Metadata..................................................108
Applying Labels and Ratings ......................................................................110
Applying color labels .........................................................................110
Applying ratings to images................................................................112
Sorting and searching photos...........................................................112
Loading Photos to Camera Raw and Photoshop .....................................113
Part III: Working with Raw Images ............................115
Chapter 7: Understanding Exposure and Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117
Getting to Know Color and Tonality ..........................................................117
Color is everything.............................................................................118
Understanding tone ...........................................................................120
Evaluating Color and Tonality ....................................................................122
Doing the evaluation ..........................................................................123
The breakfast-by-the-lake example ..................................................124
Chapter 8: Getting Acquainted with Camera Raw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .127
Looking at Camera Raw...............................................................................127
Working with the Toolbar controls ............................................................128
Reading the Histogram and RGB Values....................................................130
Image Settings...............................................................................................130
Camera Raw menu .......................................................................................131
Camera Raw Workflow Settings..................................................................134
Camera Raw Controls ..................................................................................134
Control Buttons ............................................................................................136
Chapter 9: Processing Raw Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .137
Using a Step-by-Step Raw Process .............................................................138
Evaluating Images ........................................................................................141
Adjusting the Image with the Adjust Tab..................................................143
Adjusting white balance ....................................................................144
Correcting indecent exposure ..........................................................146
Using the histogram...........................................................................150
Lurking in the shadows .....................................................................151
Adjusting brightness..........................................................................153
Increasing and decreasing contrast .................................................154
Adding color with the Saturation control .......................................154
Its All in the Details ......................................................................................156
Sharpening things up .........................................................................157
Getting smooth with Luminance Smoothing ..................................157
Reducing color noise .........................................................................159
Chapter 3: Applying Color Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
Coloring Your World ......................................................................................44
Making Photoshop Color Settings................................................................46
Exploring (color and working) space ................................................46
Applying Photoshop color settings ...................................................47
Assigning color profiles .......................................................................50
Getting Calibrated ..........................................................................................52
Calibrating with Adobe Gamma..........................................................52
Calibrating with a colorimeter............................................................60
Proofing ...........................................................................................................61
Chapter 4: Using Workflows to Process Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
Image Management as a Workflow...............................................................64
Organizing images ................................................................................64
Backing up images................................................................................67
Managing images with Bridge.............................................................68
Managing images with a workflow .....................................................69
Raw Conversion as a Workflow ....................................................................71
Correcting Images in Photoshop as a Workflow ........................................74
Editing Images as a Workflow .......................................................................77
Reviewing Workflows.....................................................................................79
Part II: Image-Management Workflow with Adobe Bridge..........81
Chapter 5: Getting Around, Across,
Under, and Over Adobe Bridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83
Introducing Bridge .........................................................................................84
Getting Acquainted with Bridge ...................................................................86
Getting the lay of the land ...................................................................87
Would you like to see a menu? ...........................................................89
Using Bridge panels .............................................................................94
Customizing Bridge........................................................................................96
Changing workspaces and views........................................................96
Changing Bridge preferences..............................................................98
Chapter 6: Managing Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103
Managing Images with Bridge.....................................................................103
Navigating and creating image folders ............................................104
Creating folders ..................................................................................105
Organizing images in folders.............................................................107
Working with the Lens Tab .........................................................................159
Those chromatic aberrations ...........................................................160
Reducing vignetting ...........................................................................161
Love Them Curves .......................................................................................163
Caught Calibrating Again!............................................................................164
Part IV: Photoshop CS2 Image-Processing Workflows...167
Chapter 10: Adjusting Color and Tone in Photoshop . . . . . . . . . . . . . .169
Overall Adjustments as a Workflow...........................................................170
Implementing color management first.............................................171
Developing an Overall Corrections workflow.................................173
Just Layering Around...................................................................................175
Getting around the Layers palette ...................................................176
Creating adjustment and fill layers ..................................................178
Making Overall Adjustments ......................................................................180
Evaluating images using Variations..................................................180
Adjusting levels ..................................................................................181
How ’bout them curves?....................................................................184
Adding color with the Hue/Saturation adjustment layer ..............186
Chapter 11: Editing Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .189
Using an Image-Editing Workflow...............................................................189
Getting to Know Your Tools........................................................................193
Using the Marquee tool .....................................................................194
The Lasso tool ....................................................................................195
Snip-snipping with the Crop tool......................................................195
Editing with the Healing Brush.........................................................196
Cloning around with the Clone Stamp tool .....................................196
Removing pixels with the Eraser tool..............................................196
Sharpen or blur with the Blur tool ...................................................197
Drawing shapes with the Pen tool....................................................197
Making selections with the Magic Wand tool .................................198
Painting with the Brush tool .............................................................198
Dodging and burning using Dodge and Burn tools ........................199
Writing text with the Type tools.......................................................200
Shaping things up with the Shape tools ..........................................201
Zooming in and out ............................................................................202
Using tool presets...............................................................................202
Making Selections ........................................................................................204
Making selections with the Magic Wand tool .................................205
Lasso this!............................................................................................208
Selection options................................................................................209
Editing Techniques ......................................................................................210
Getting the red (eye) out ...................................................................210
Removing spots ..................................................................................212
Dodging and burning to make your images pop ............................215
Using Layer Masks .......................................................................................217
Chapter 12: Preparing Photos for Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .221
Using an Output Workflow ..........................................................................222
A Little Color-Management Reminder .......................................................223
Sizing Images ................................................................................................225
Resolution of sorts .............................................................................226
Understanding interpolation ............................................................227
Resizing using the Crop tool .............................................................229
Resize using Image Size .....................................................................231
Sharpen Up!...................................................................................................232
Printing, the Final Stop ................................................................................236
Choosing papers.................................................................................236
Letting Photoshop do the printing...................................................237
Letting your printer do the printing ................................................242
Understanding Image Permanence............................................................246
Part V: The Part of Tens .............................................249
Chapter 13: Ten Ways to Improve Your Photos
and Show Off Your Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .251
Creating Black and White from Color........................................................251
Quickie B&W from color....................................................................252
Using the Channel Mixer to convert to B&W..................................253
Desaturating color using Hue/Saturation........................................255
Selective Color..............................................................................................256
Creating a Cool Blurring Effect ...................................................................258
Creating Abstracts with Extreme Cropping ..............................................261
Stitching Panoramas....................................................................................263
Shooting panoramas ..........................................................................264
Using Photomerge ..............................................................................265
Creating a Thin Black Line ..........................................................................268
Creating a Photo Web site...........................................................................269
Creating a Fine Art Poster...........................................................................273
Creating Slideshows.....................................................................................275
Mount and Frame Your Photos...................................................................278
Chapter 14: Ten Great Photoshop Filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .279
A-Morphing We Will Go................................................................................279
Getting Artsy with the Chalk & Charcoal Filter ........................................281
Creating the Look of a Drawing with the Graphic Pen ............................282
Adding Artistic Effects with the Glass Filter.............................................284
Caught Reticulating......................................................................................285
Painting with Brush Stroke Filters .............................................................287
Adding Texture to Photos ...........................................................................288
Bring Out the Artist in You with the Watercolor Filter............................289
Adding Cool Glowing Edges........................................................................290
Using the Lighting Effects Filter .................................................................291
Index........................................................................295
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