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Learn something new every
month from my Monthly Photo Tip, the tips will not only cover the use of
Photoshop, but also include using your camera and photographic
philosophy. Don't forget to check back each month.
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Quickly find previous Monthly Photo
Tips by clicking on the Index below
Index
July 2010
Take Images Not Photographs
I always like to refer
to a photograph as an image. Rather than using the word
“photograph” or “picture”, I feel that image is a better term.
The word image comes
from the word imagine and therefore rather than taking a photograph
which could be described as a record of what was there, an image
describes how the photographer imagined it to be and thus added his or
her interpretation to the scene.
Especially with the
advent of digital photography and the control that is available, it is
much easier to create a style that can be instantly recognizable as your
own and thus stamping your own mark on what you have created.
Index
June 2010
Make More Use Of Your Images
What do you do with your images once they have been taken and edited in
Photoshop – do they end up just sitting in a folder on your computer? If
this is the case, why not look at how they can be used and displayed.
With
modern digital printing methods it is quite easy, and relatively
inexpensive, to have them reproduced as canvas prints on in other styles
for display in your home or office. Other ways your images can be used
are in photo books – the process of choosing the images, deciding on the
running order, layout and perhaps adding a few words will help you
improve your visual awareness and get you thinking about what you are
trying to say with your photography. A simpler alternative would be to
have them reproduced as greeting cards which can be sent to family and
friends.
Why
not give one or some of these ideas a go as, not only will it give your
photography more direction, it will give you the satisfaction of being
able to enjoy the results.
Canvas Prints are available
from CanvasRus
Photo Books are available
from
YoPhoto
Index
May 2010
Give Your Photography Some
Direction
Whether you are just starting out in photography or have some
understanding, it is essential to have a direction. Rather than
just meandering about, a sense of direction will give your photography
more meaning and should help you improve along the way.
If you
are a beginner, why not enroll on a course? If there is not one close by or it is not convenient, then the Open
University offers an online course to teach you the basics
T189
Digital Photography. Once you have mastered these, you
could consider joining your local Camera
Club or becoming a member of the Royal
Photographic Society and going for a distinction.
What
ever path you choose having a direction will make your photography more satisfying and
rewarding.
Index
April 2010
Take
Time To Select
One of the most important stages of the photographic process, and often
the most overlooked, is the process of selection. With the advent
of digital photography it is easy to take hundreds if not thousands of
images. But what thought is given to going through them all to
select the best?
Rather
than selecting a few obvious ones, it is better to have a process where
all the images are looked at and evaluated. This should include
selecting the best version of similar images and, if telling a story or
producing a panel, select the ones that as a group will convey the
message. During this process consideration should also be made to
cropping as this simple procedure can transform an image, for example:
cropping down unnecessary sky and foreground in a landscape to turning
it into a striking panoramic.
Once
this selection process has been done, the images can be processed in
Photoshop with the knowledge that the best ones are being worked on.
Index
March 2010
Photoshop Soft-Proofing
Introduction
Soft-Proofing is a facility in the full version of Photoshop which allows the simulation on screen
of what the printed version
of the image is likely to look like. It should therefore be part the
Colour Management workflow.
To get
the best out of the Soft-Proofing it is important to have a calibrated
monitor and the ICC Profile for the printer, ink and paper that is going
to be used to produce the print. If the print is going to be produced by
a photographic laboratory they will be able to supply the ICC Profile
they use to enable you to Soft-Proof the image before it is sent away
for printing.
Even
with a calibrated monitor the image will always look different to the
printed version because the monitor image is produced by transmitted
light and the print viewed by reflected light. What Soft Proofing will
do is to try and address this difference.
Soft-Proofing In Practice
The
time to Soft Proof is when the image has been processed in Photoshop,
but before it is printed.
To set
up Photoshop to Soft-Proof go to View > Proof Setup > Custom
And
fill in the dialogue box as follows:
Under
Device to Simulate select the ICC Profile that will be used for printing
- Preserve RGB
Numbers must be unticked
- Rendering Intent
should be set to Perceptual – also see note below
- Black Point
Compensation should be unticked – also see note below
- Simulate Paper
colour should be ticked. Note that when this box is ticked the
Simulate Black Ink box will become greyed out and can be ignored
If Gamut Warning is
ticked from the View Menu a warning will be displayed for the colours
that are out of range for the printer. These colours will be corrected
by the chosen Rendering Intent – also see note below.
Once OK is clicked the
image displayed on the monitor will take on the appearance of the
printed version. If the image is acceptable then the image can go to
print, otherwise further adjustments in Photoshop are needed.
If comparing the printed
image to the monitor, it is important that the light source to view the
print is either true daylight, a daylight bulb or daylight corrected
light source. If the print is viewed under an uncorrected tungsten light
or fluorescent light source the colour balance of the print will be
affected and a direct compassion cannot be made.
A Note on
Rendering Intent
The Rendering Intent
will tell the printer, via Photoshop, how to reproduce the out of gamut
colours. These are certain colours the monitor can display but beyond
the range that can be reproduced by the printer.
There are four rendering
intents to choose from but only Perceptual and Relative Colorimetric are
suitable for photographic use. The recommended one to use for most
situations is Perceptual – unless following any manufacturer’s
instructions on using their profiles, in which case, use the Rendering
Intent advised.
A Note on
Black Point Compensation
Black Point Compensation
will tell Photoshop how to re-align the blacks between different colour
spaces and profiles. There are no set rules on its use but, it is
generally accepted, is best to leave it unticked unless following any
specific instructions, or if converting from RGB to CMYK colour spaces.
You
can download the PDF version below
Photoshop Soft-Proofing (232kb)
Download
Index
February 2010
Using A Digital Compact Camera
Introduction
Whether you are using a Digital Compact Camera to record family, friends
and holidays or you are an experienced photographer wanting a small
camera for convenience. It is worth following a few guide lines to help
you get the best from it.
Advantages
Digital Compact Cameras are convenient and easy to carry and have some
advantages over a Digital SLR (DSLR):
- Very little
photographic knowledge required to use it
- It is possible to
take pictures without attracting attention
- Images have a large
depth of field
Limitations
To get the best from this
type of camera it is important to work within the camera’s limitations
which are:
- Because of the
small sensor size, image quality can be poor at high ISO settings
and therefore are best avoided unless absolutely necessary in low
light conditions
- Although most have
a telephoto lens, it is not usually long enough or of the quality
for types of photography where long lenses are the norm as with
sport or wildlife photography
- Digital Compact
Cameras have the facility to shoot continually, normally referred to
as burst speed, however they cannot compete with the frame rate of a
DSLR
Therefore as long as you do not need to take pictures in low light, of
distant subjects or fast moving subjects then a Digital Compact Camera
is capable of producing excellent results.
Because a Digital Compact Camera has a smaller sensor than a DSLR the
image quality will not be as good. However this does not mean they
cannot produce good photographs as, good photographs are about visual
effect rather than image quality.
Getting
the Best Results
If
your photographic knowledge is limited it will be better to avoid the
more advanced settings and let the camera do the work; because in most
situations the camera will be able interpret the situation. However in
certain situations having a little knowledge can enable you to take good
images in situations where the camera can be fooled.
You
can download the PDF version below which also includes a six step guide to
better photography with a compact
Using A Digital Compact Camera (140kb)
Download
Index
January 2010
Photoshop - Keep It Simple
Photoshop is a complex application and there are often several ways to
achieve the same process. This can make it difficult for the beginner
as after a while it all starts to become confusing. Therefore when
starting out it is better to learn a few simple steps that are likely to
be used repeatedly – this repetition will also help to reinforce the
understanding. And once confidence is gained, then go on to learn a few
more advanced techniques which might not be used as often.
Some of
the essential processes to have an understanding of:
In
reality if you do not want to carry out a lot of manipulation to an
image, and I have found that a lot of people don’t, then the above
processes should cover most of what is needed.
Index
December
2009
Photoshop - What It Cannot Do
It is
possible to do just about everything in Photoshop: if you can imagine it
– chances are it's possible to do it! However there are two things
Photoshop cannot do:
Make an
unsharp image sharp
Even
using Unsharp Mask, or any of the other sharpening filters, it is
impossible to make an unsharp image sharp. What the filters will
do is improve the definition of an already sharp image - to give it an
extra edge. Therefore take care in capturing an image to ensure it
is going to be sharp. Not only can incorrect focusing cause
blurred images, so can subject movement and camera shake.
See my
Worksheets for more
details on Unsharp Mask
Recover
highlight details
Once
the highlight details have been lost it is impossible to get them back.
Therefore if the scene contains very bright areas or has a wide contrast
it will be necessary to underexpose. See my
May 2008 Monthly Photo Tip.
Index
November 2009
Prime
Standard
There was a time
when all 35mm SLRs came with a 50mm prime standard lens, now a zoom is
the norm.
Although a zoom can
be versatile and convenient, it can make you lazy as it is all too easy
to take a picture from the spot where the subject is first seen and then
use the zoom so it fills the frame.
With a prime
standard lens you have to move about to frame the subject, which
encourages you to explore the situation – to get the very best
composition. Added to this these lenses are more compact, have a
faster aperture and can produce sharper images.
Why not give one a
try!
Index
October 2009
Curves in Photoshop Elements
Curves
are a useful feature in the full version of Photoshop which is seemingly
missing from Photoshop Elements. However, from Elements 5 onwards, there
is a version of curves if you know where to look:
Enhance >
Adjust Colour > Colour Curves
Don’t
be confused by the word colour as the Curves have the same effect as the
Photoshop version. The main difference is: rather than being able to pull
on the Curve’s line in the graph directly, the Curves are adjusted by a
series of sliders. Although the adjustment is not as intuitive, is soon
becomes easy with practice.
For
advice on how to use Curves you can download the Worksheet below:
Photoshop
Curves Adjustment (360kb)
Download
Index
September 2009
Bit Depth
Confused by the term Bit Depth? An image file can have a bit
depth of either 8 or 16. If you are capturing your images as a
JPEG, then you are limited to just 8 bit. However, if using RAW,
the 16 bit option becomes available.
What is the advantage? A 16 bit file contains a greater amount
of colour and tonal information - 32,769 colours compared to 256 of an 8
bit file. In reality though, most of this advantage will be
restricted because of the limitation of the colour gamut and therefore a
16 bit file cannot display any more colours than an 8 bit file.
Why
use a 16 bit file then? The big advantage of using a 16 bit file is
if you want to manipulate it. A 16 bit file can be manipulated to
a greater degree without the colours and tones degrading or blocking.
The resulting image will have smother tones and better graduations.
It is possible to tell if tonal and colour information has been lost
during manipulation by looking at the histogram – it will display a comb
effect showing gaps in the information.
To
Summarize – an 8 bit / JPEG file will be fine if you don't intend to
carry out any major manipulation on it. However, the best option
will be to capture in 16 bit / RAW if you intend to carry out a high
degree of manipulation.
Index
August
2009
Digital Camera Colour Space
Most digital cameras
have the option to select a working Colour Space. The choice is
between sRGB, which is normally always the default, and Adobe
RGB.
If you want to get
the best from your camera it is recommended that the Adobe RGB Colour
Space is used. This is because it supports a larger colour range
(gamut) especially in the cyan to green range of the spectrum.
With the camera set
to Adobe RGB, it is also important to use this Colour Space in Photoshop
as well - see my June 2008 Monthly Photo Tip.
Using this Colour
Space will mean that your images will be optimized for printing to give
you the best possible colour range. However, If you intend
to digitally project the image or use it on the web, then it will be
necessary to convert it to the sRGB colour space. This is easily
done in Photoshop by opening up the image and following the path:
Edit > Convert To
Profile choose sRGB from the drop down box as the
Destination Space Profile and click OK
Index
July
2009
My 15 Minute Rule
When I first open up
an image in Photoshop I give myself 15 minutes to check to see if
it is worth taking any further.
I check the
sharpness by examining it at 100% image size. Then, in Levels, I make sure it has
both shadow and highlight detail (see my December 2007 Photo Tip below).
I also adjust the Curves and Colour to confirm I can get them working
how I want.
If the image passes
all of these tests I will spend more time on it - if not it heads for
the Recycle Bin!
Index
June
2009
The Sunny 16 Rule
Even if you
rely on your camera's metering system to work out the exposure for you, it
is still worth remembering the Sunny 16 Rule. This will give an idea of what settings the camera will be using and therefore what ISO to
set.
The
Sunny 16 rule means that on a sunny day when using a shutter speed
approximately to the same value as the ISO setting: i.e. 1/125s for ISO 100 the
aperture to give the correct exposure will be F16. Further on from
this it becomes quite easy to work out the exposure for other conditions:
- F11 - Sunny with
hazy cloud
- F8 - Overcast but
still bright
Therefore, using this rule with
a digital camera, if
it is overcast but still bright and a fast shutter speed is needed to freeze
the action - set the ISO to 400, the shutter speed to 1/500s
and the aperture to give the correct exposure will be F8.
Index
May
2009
Try Different Papers
There is a wide
variety of papers available now including: resin coated inkjet papers,
fiber based papers that have the quality and feel of traditional
darkroom papers and art papers which have the characteristics of an
artists watercolour paper.
Try using a paper
that is suited to the image: resin coated paper for your contemporary
images, fiber based papers for monochrome work and art papers for an
impressionistic feel.
Using a ICC profile,
see my April photo tip, it is possible to use different papers and
still achieve an accurate colour balance between them.
Index
April
2009
Print Using A Profile
Once the screen has been
calibrated (see my February and March tips), do you want your
print to match it? If you do then the next stage in colour management
is to print using an ICC Profile.
Described simply, an ICC
Profile is a code that will enable the correct colours to be printed
with a particular paper, ink and printer combination.
PermaJet are one paper
manufacturer that provides ICC Profiles for all their papers - PermaJet is the
paper I use myself. Their website gives further details on how to use
them. See my Links page for the
PermaJet website.
Index
March
2009
Check Your Screen's
Brightness
If you don't want
the expense of buying a Spyder, there is an easy way to check the
brightness of your screen using a camera. Along with colour
balance and contrast, the brightness plays a major part in how images are displayed on
a screen.
Just follow these
steps:
- In Photoshop create
a new white (R255 G255 B255) A4 document in landscape format and
make it as large as possible on the screen.
- Now using your
camera in aperture priority mode, set it to an ISO of 100 and a
shutter speed of 1/15s. Now point it at the screen so that the
white area fills the frame.
- If the brightness
is correct the aperture should read F8. If it doesn't adjust
the brightness of the screen: if the aperture is higher than F8 the
screen is too bright - if lower too dim.
Remember that the ambient
light in the room will make a big difference to how the screen looks.
Therefore it is always best to keep the ambient light as low as possible
when working at the screen and carrying out this test.
Index
February 2009
Monitor Calibration
A calibrated monitor
is the starting point for reproducing colours and tones accurately (colour
management).
Having a calibrated
monitor will enable you to evaluate how the image will
appear when it is displayed on another device or printed out.
The best way to
calibrate a monitor is to use one of the calibration aids (Spyder) available.
The initial expense will soon be regained in the time and money
saved when prints match what is on the monitor.
If you cannot see all 21
steps in the grey scale above your monitor probably needs calibrating
Index
January 2009
Photoshop Quick Tips
Marquee Tool
When
using the Marquee tool and holding down the "Shift" key with the
Rectangular or Elliptical options will enable a perfect
square or circle to be maintained.
Crop
Tool
By holding down the
"Ctrl" key when using the Crop tool it will be possible to crop close to the edge of
the image without the tool snapping to the document bounds.
Move Tool
When moving
a selection or layer from one image and it needs to be in the centre of
the new one; just hold down the "Shift" key while making the move.
Index
December 2008
Photoshop or Elements?
Do I
need the full Photoshop or will Elements do what I want is a frequently
asked question.
Without
a doubt Photoshop is the best image manipulation package available and
is a
must for anyone working in the industry. It is well supported with
the various plug-ins and how to use guides available.
However, the price
can be too much for the casual user.
Elements is a simplified version available at a fraction of the cost of
the full Photoshop. It is still a very powerful program but lacks
certain features - most of which will only be used by designers.
The main missing features which are useful to the enthusiast are Channels,
Curves and Layer Masks. There is a version of Curves is available
from Elements 5 - see my October 2009 Photo
Tip.
Therefore if you
want the best go for the full Photoshop: although it is a big investment
-
look at it as being the price of the average DSLR.
I you want the best
value for money then Elements is for you.
Index
November 2008
Come Back To An
Image Afresh
After
working on an image in Photoshop, it is often wise to come back to it
another day before deciding that you have made the best of it.
Just
like trying to proof read your own writing after it has been written: it
is normally much harder to spot any errors. But by coming back to it
afresh it is much easier to see any imperfections or change anything
which, on reflection, can be improved on.
The
same goes for images as well and by doing this you will come closer to
making the best of them.
Index
October 2008
Raw
Conversion
If you are using an older
version of Photoshop that does not support the Raw files from your
latest Digital Camera, it is possible to download the Adobe Digital
Negative Converter which will convert them into a .dng file that will be
supported.
Version 5.3 can be downloaded from:
http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/detail.jsp?ftpID=4369
You will also find a full
list of supported cameras and instructions on how to use it.
Index
September 2008
Six Point Check Before
Using Your Digital Camera
Before using your
Digital Camera take time to check the following - this way it will
always be on the correct settings:
Battery
- Fully charged
ISO
- Set for the expected lighting conditions
File
Size & Type - Generally set to the best quality
White
Balance - Adjusted for the expected light type
Mode
- Aperture Priority / Shutter Speed Priority etc
Compensation
- Exposure Compensation set to underexpose*
*To help preserve
the details in the highlight areas - I always underexpose by 0.7 of a
stop
And, if you need an easy way
to remember this, just think of:
Bring
Into
Focus
With
My
Camera
Index
August 2008
Photoshop Simple Workflow
An important factor
of using Photoshop is workflow – having a routine and order for the
various stages of processing: some of which can be personal preference,
some more practical. A set routine will greatly improve your
control and efficiency while working with Photoshop. This is the
Simple Workflow I use to process my images:
You
can download the PDF version below
Photoshop Simple Workflow (75kb)
Download
More
worksheets can be downloaded on my
Worksheet page
Index
July 2008
Avoid
The First Shot You See
Rather than taking the
first shot you see - take time to explore the situation.
It's all too easy to take
the first shot you see when you walk up to a new subject - certainly
take the picture if the situation or light is going to change -
otherwise take time to explore the situation to get the best shot
possible.
Index
June 2008
Photoshop Colour Settings
Are you using the correct
Colour Settings in Photoshop?
The Colour Settings are
important because they determine the range of colours that will be
reproduced in the final output.
Images to be printed should
be produced in the Adobe RGB (1998) Work Space as it will provide a wide
range of colours.
Whereas, images that will
be used on the web or digitally projected should be produced in the sRGB
IEC61966-2.1 Work Space as this reflects the more limited range of
colours which can be produced by a computer monitor or digital projector.
You
will find the Colour Settings by following the path:
Edit >
Colour Settings
Then in Working Spaces Select
the required RGB setting from the drop down menu.
Under
Colour Management Policies, in RGB check that Convert to
Working RGB is selected. If the Profile Mismatches and
Missing Profiles boxes are ticked you will then get a warning if
there is a profile mismatch when opening up an image.
These instructions can be found on
the Worksheet below
Photoshop CS2 Preferences & Colour Settings
(60kb)
Download
More
Worksheets can be found on my Photoshop page
Index
May 2008
Underexpose
With a digital camera, to
help preserve
the details in the highlights, I underexpose by either .3 or .7 of a
stop or sometimes slightly more depending on the contrast of the scene -
the more the contrast the more the degree of underexposure.
The resulting images will be on the
dark side, but the mid-tones and shadows are easily corrected by
adjusting the "levels" in Photoshop. This technique can be used
with any digital camera, because digital cameras are much better at
handling the shadows than they are the highlights, and once the highlight
details have been lost it is impossible to bring them back.
Index
April 2008
Photoshop "Rule of Thirds" Grid
The grid in Photoshop can
be set up to give a useful "Rule of Thirds" Grid to check the
composition of your images.
To
set it up follow the path:
Edit >
Preferences > Guide, Grid & Slices
Enter 33.3 in the
Gridline every box then select percent as the unit of measure
and enter 1 in the subdivisions box
Use
the shortcut Ctrl and ' to turn it on and off
These instructions can be found on
the Worksheet below:
Photoshop CS2 Preferences & Colour Settings
(132kb)
Download
More
Worksheets can be found on my Photoshop page
Index
March 2008
Use a
Monopod
I often use a monopod for
my landscape photography because:
- It enables me
to keep the view framed while waiting for the light to change
- I can use a shutter
speed of at least one stop, if not two stops, lower with the
confidence that I will not get any camera shake
And remember, a monopod is
a lot easier to carry that a tripod and will double as a walking pole
Index
February 2008
Photoshop's Notes Tool
Photoshop has a very useful Notes Tool. By using it you will never
forget how something was done.
It can be found just above the Hand Tool and the Notes can be turned on and
off by: View > Show > Annotations
See the finished version in my Lakeland
Gallery
Index
January 2008
Back-up Your Data
You might think it will not happen to you, but it is always a possibility
that you could loose all your data:
But,
by backing-up the data on your hard drive on to an external hard drive and
keeping it separate from your main computer, preferably in a fire safe, the risk
will be kept to a minimum.
Index
December 2007
Highlights & Shadows
To reveal any burnt out highlight and blocked shadow areas in an image:
Just hold down the "Alt" key while adjusting the highlight and shadow sliders
in Photoshop's levels.
Index
The
Michael Anderson School of Photography has a course to help you get more
from your photography More
Index
Avoid The First Shot You See
Back-up Your Data
Bit Depth
Check Your Screen's Brightness
Come Back To An Image Afresh
Curves in Photoshop Elements
Digital Camera Colour Space
Give Your Photography Some Direction
Make More Use Of Your Images
Monitor Calibration
My 15 Minute Rule
Photoshop "Rule of Thirds" Grid
Photoshop Colour Settings
Photoshop or Elements?
Photoshop Keep it Simple
Photoshop Quick Tips
Photoshop - What It Cannot Do
Photoshop Simple Workflow
Photoshop Soft-Proofing
Photoshop's Notes Tool
Prime Standard
Print Using A Profile
Raw Conversion
Six Point Check
Before Using Your Digital Camera
Take Images Not Photographs
Take Time To Select
The Sunny 16 Rule
Try Different Papers
Underexpose
Use a Monopod
Using A Digital Compact Camera
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