Sharpening with Lightroom 1.1 Video Tip

Here's the Lightroom 1.1 sharpening tutorial I promised. And it includes sound. Excuse the quality of the video, still fine tuning the ideal size of the video. You'll get the idea of how to sharpen an image in Lightroom after viewing.

READ BELOW

I great tool for checking out how your sharpening is coming along is to blow the image up to 1/1 or 100% and then hold down your Alt/Option key as you move any of the four sliders. This will allow Lightroom to give a better view of what is and isn't been sharpened.

Lightroom and Masking in Photoshop

Okay, used a bit of lighting on this one. Have a go at reverse engineering the image and post your ideas on how this was acheived. HINT. I used a tripod and shot two images.

Shooting Raw. Save your files in DNG.

More and more photographers are saving images in DNG. DNG is fundamentally a universal format for RAW. DNG helps ensure that photographers will be able to access their files in the future.

Key benefits for photographers:

The DNG format helps promote archival confidence, since digital-imaging software solutions will be able to open your raw files more easily in the future.

A single raw processing solution enables a more efficient workflow when handling raw files from multiple camera models and manufacturers.

A publicly documented and readily available specification can be easily adopted by camera manufacturers and updated to accommodate future technological changes.

Key benefits for hardware and software manufacturers:

DNG removes a potential barrier to new camera adoption, since raw files from new models will be instantly supported by Photoshop and other applications.

If you are saving your images as the native raw file of your camera, ten years from now you may have problems opening your raw files as the camera manufacturer may change the raw format.

Saving your images as DNG files removes this problem. If you haven't started this process, might be time to start it now.

A bit of Photoshop and a bit of Lightroom and a bit of Something Else

Any ideas on how this image was produced? If you were caught in midday harsh blinding sun where everything looked flat, how would you have shot and processed this image? Just throwing it out there. Any ideas you have, post them here. Don't forget, you can click on the image to blow it up to full size, that may help pull the image apart! Here's a few hints. yes it started out in Lightroom, yes the vibrance was increased in Lightroom, yes Sharpened selectively in Photoshop, but there is a heap of tonal information here? No more clues just yet.

So what's this got to do with Lightroom or Photoshop?... If you see an image you like on your LCD (but it doesn't pop), visualising how it can be processed can help you see your non-processed images in a different light!

Lightroom 1.1 Catalog Feature

Okay this is big, and you should use whatever option you have to imprint this info into your memory.

Lightroom 1.1 has a new feature that allows you to move a catalog from one computer to another. Best I think, to give you an example.

Let's say you have two computers. A main computer at home and a laptop. The main computer has one main calatog where all your images reside.
You decide to head out to the Wintergardens to take a heap of shots of flowers. You take your laptop with you and while you're away you import all of your shoot from your camera to the laptop. Over lunch you decide to delete a few images, maybe rate them, maybe even make a few changes to your images. All this work is not wasted.

You now have the option of exporting the shoot as a catalog, maybe to your desktop on your laptop. Then when you get back home you can now import that catalog from the desktop on your laptop into Lightroom 1.1 on your main computer AND all the ratings and changes can be imported along with your images. THAT'S BIG and can be a big time saver.

New Nikon Professional DSLR, D3... maybe

In the next week we may see Nikon's new D3 DSLR camera. Although the actual model number is still a closely guarded secret, be ready for 2 new features said to put Nikon way above anything its rivals currently offer. Maybe it's a hard drive enabled camera, 60GB would be nice! Full frame sensor is something I understand is NOT on the cards. That's super good news, as I have a number of DX lenses which would be unuseable on a full frame sensor. Maybe we will be looking at 12fps in burst mode at 6MP. I'll update this blog as soon as I have further info!

Lightroom Weekend Course

I will be running a Lightroom course in the next couple of months. It will take place over a weekend. By the time you leave on Sunday afternoon you will be using Lightroom most of the time and occasionally diving into Photoshop for pixel based editing.

If you are interested, please express it here. And spread the word! In the next week you will see an application form on the lucaschaos.net site

The cost will be $100 and will run 9am-4pm with a one hour lunch break.

Until then I will be posting tips on Lightroom and how to use it here.

Back from Hong Kong

We are back! Touched down this morning at 8am and ended up sleeping most of day. Feeling much better now and have six copies of Lightroom to dish out. So make contact with me to arrange a time for the hand over.

Bridesmaid

An image of one of the bridesmaid's. Again Lightroomed. Applied a preset to get the monochrome look, applied a vignetteing under lens correction and sharpened. Sharpening has been stepped up big time to include four sliders giving you almost the control you have in Photoshop.

My Sister's Wedding

I had to include this shot of my sister laughing her nut off! This image was shot in Raw mode, colour corrected, increased vibrance and sharpened in Lightroom. Total time... 2minutes.

Still here in Hong Kong!

Shelley and I got bumped off the flight back to Auckland tonight so we are now staying at the Novotel and they upgraded us due to hotel renovations! We aren't complaining. So WHO WANTS LIGHTROOM?

I've sold four copies and have another two available for $160 NZD sooo get in.

Photoshop CS3 and Lightroom available

I picked up the three copies of Lightroom that people wanted ($160 NZD) and have come into another three copies if anyone else is interested. I can also get genuine copies of Photoshop CS3 for around $400 NZD. This is approximate, but a good indication of the actual price.

If anyone is interested in either Lightroom or Photoshop, please let me know by commenting on this blog or emailing me as we are leaving Hong Kong within the next 24 hours. Be quick and take this opportunity while you can.

Two copies of Lightroom left

Here's an update to the Lightroom offer. I have purchased three genuine versions of Lightroom for approximately $160 NZD. One has gone already and I have two left. If you want one, be quick and respond to this blog by posting a comment.

Hong Kong Lightroom Prices

Twelve hours walking around Hong Kong today, too much. Anyway here are the prices on Lightroom.

Before I go into prices. These are genuine. It looks like I can get the Academic version for around $150. There are three copies in. So first in, first served.

The standard version is, and I need to confirm this around $390.

I need to get back to the sellers before 3pm NZ time (Thurs 12th). So move quickly and let me know if you want the standard or academic version. They are essentially the same.

Just send a comment on this post to make your order, if I can't fill it for whatever reason, I'll let you know. I'll fork the bill and you can pay me back when you see me.

Hong Kong Lightroom 2

We are heading to Hong Kong Island today to check out the shops and the cost of software, namely LIGHTROOM. So I'll post the price soon.

This is our second day in Hong Kong after walking what felt like 37.5 miles yesterday. We canvased the area in Kowloon and got lost in the train system for a couple of hours. We managed to get back to the hotel but were so knacked after all the walking and 31 degree heat that we lounged round the pool for a while.

Tonight we're heading to Victoria Peak. Hope to catch the city by night.

Hong Kong Lightroom

I'm heading to Hong Kong Monday 9th July for a week. I'll be looking at getting a few copies of Lightroom if anyone is interested. I'll send a blog with the price when I get there. Best to put your hand up now to indicate interest!

Lightroom 1.1

Lightroom 1.1 adds improved noise reduction and sharpening and raw file support for a number of new digital cameras from manufacturers including Canon, Nikon, Olympus.

I've had a play with the new sharpening options, which include Amount, Radius, Detail and Masking.

Last Night for First Photoshop Course

Hello everyone, we are now in week ten which brings us to the end of the course. I want to thank everyone for participating and hope you will come along to more courses.

My promise on Monitor Calibration still holds, wish we had 48 hours in everyday! Anyway, anyone on this course is welcome to take my Spyder2Pro home and calibrate your monitors yourselves. Just email me and we can arrange a time for you to use it.

On Thursday we will be covering the following.

1. How to fix up a portrait
2. Panoramic stitching
3. New features in Photoshop CS3 that will blow your minds!

We may also cover a few other things as time permits.

I will email you all images required for fixing a portrait today or tomorrow. Notes will also be emailed.

Any comments or questions you have, please post them on the blog and we will attempt to cover them on Thursday.

See you then.

Week Ten Task Two - Raw Portrait

Shoot a portrait image in Raw mode. Make sure you shoot the image as bright as possible without blowing the highlights. The histogram should favour the right side in camera. If you use AP mode wind the EV up to move the histogram right if required.

We will look at how to make the most of the image. If you can shoot to get a reflection in the eyes, even better. Then we'll look at a way to bring out the detail in the image and still maintain good shadow detail where necessary.

Have a go, you'll learn a heap!

Week Ten Task One - Panoramas

In the final week of this course we will be looking at how to merge numerous photos together. YOUR TASK. Have a go at shooting 3 or 4 images by panning horizontally or vertically. Bring your images along on week ten.

Take note of the following tips.

Panorama Tips:

Tip #1: You want to take steady shots, so use a tripod or some other stabilizing element like your mate's shoulder, or rest your shooting elbow up against a building.

Tip #2: Include an overlapping element in each shot. Maybe 25%. That is, if you're taking a series of three shots, make sure you include a slice from the first shot in the second, and a slice of the second shot in the third. That way you have bits to align with. This will make more sense when we tackle the Photoshop part in week ten.

Tip #3: Try to ensure that the lighting (exposure) is similar. I suggest you shoot in manual mode and have your exposure set the same for each shot. That way you won't have brightness issues when merging your images.

If you need help on how to shoot in manual mode. let me know on Thursday night and we'll cover it.