CS 3 Camera Raw
PSE 8 -Camera Raw
Camera Raw Notes
Photo-Analysis (Interpreting the Histogram)
Channel Clipping indicator
Highlight Clipping Warning
- if white: All three channels are clipping
- If colored one or two channels are clipping
- implies there is useable information (Picture data contains detail in one or two channels)
Shadow Clipping Warning
- If Black All 3 channels are clipping
- If colored one or two channels are clipping
- implies there is useable information (Picture detail in one or two channels)
Histogram
- Red, Green Blue show the R, G, and B channels
- Yellow, cyan and magenta show intermediate channels
- White is luminence in all 3 RGB channels...
- Green + Blue --->Cyan
- Red + Green --->Yellow
- Blue + Red --->Magenta
Camera Raw -- The Basic Panel
The Tone Adjustment sliders
White Blance
To set White Balance
- --always try to sample an area that is R-245, G-245, B-245
Exposure (1/2 the captured data is in the brightest stop)
- Helps sets White point (white point clipping control)
- An increase of 3/4 an f-stop WILL introduce noise in the shadows...
- Hold down the Option (Mac) or the Alt (PC) while adjusting exposure shows a live preview of areas in the photo that are being clipped
- If exposure is off by a stop or more set Exposure first, then set the white balance
Recovery (Highlight Recovery)
- Unlike other RAW image processors, recovery will "pull" data from a clipped hightlight if there is information in 1 or 2 of the 3 channels
Fill Light (Shadow Detail)
- Almost magical... a crucial tool
- Processor intensive as CR makes a mask to adjust shadow detail
Blacks
- Like the black input slider in Photoshops Levels. Darkens shadows to set the black level.
- Zoom into deep shadow areas and hold down the Option (Mac) Alt
(PC) to see what's clipping
- Black = clipped, color = one or two channels clipping
Brightness (Mid-tone adjustment)
- Works like the mid-gray input in Photoshop's Levels Control
- Let's you adjust mid-tones without clipping highlights or shadows.
- Fine Tune with Tone Curve Adjustments
Contrast
- Does NOT function the same as in Photoshop.
- applies an s-curve to the data centered around the mid-point set by Brightness.
Brightness + Contrast are crude Tone Curve Tools. Tone Curve adjustments fine tune CR's Brightness and Contrast
The Presence Controls
Clarity -- Mid-tone Contrast (The lense cleaning filter)
- Related to Photoshop's Unsharp Mask Filter...
- Almost every image can be improved with this control...
Vibrance
- Increases saturation of unsaturated colors except for skin tones.
Saturation
- A less brutal version of Photoshop's Hue/Saturation Adjustment. Boosts over all saturation, but can cause colors to clip.
- Fine tune saturation, hue, and luminence with the HSL/Grayscale Panel
Tone Curve Tab
Not available in Photoshop Elements (PSE)
- Parametric quick crude
- Point - detailed
- (Command key Mac or Control Key PC, turns pointer into eyedropper, can stamp color choice on the curve)
Details Tab
- Sharpening (Can’t see results unless at 100% magnification
- Alt key show RESULTS...
- Noise Reduction
- Works way better than Photoshop's (Use it!)
Alt key lets you see the effect of the adjustment
HSL / Grayscale Tab
4 adjustments
- Hue
- Saturation
- Luminance
- and Convert to Gray Scale
This is the place to make your black and whites
Split Toning
Experiment! not just for dark room chemical use
Lens Correction
- Chromatic aberration
- Alt key lets you see the effect of the adjustment
Camera Profile
If you load a "Raw" image the profiles auto loads the profile for the SLR you used
Presets
You can find a boat-load of presets on the internet
Any adjustment you make can be saved as a preset