Prepare Camera Raw Files: Y Chan~Es, the New Cloud Image the Digital Negative of the Lltehous.Tif Image
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WORKING WITH SELECTION S AND CHANNELS 173 : ba~), choose Edit> Copy to Ich IS a storage area on your o DIGITAL TOOLKIT EXTRA: Prepare Camera Raw Files: y chan~es, the new cloud Image The Digital Negative of the Lltehous.tif image. Most digital images created in moderately priced and professional digital cam \/ing the Litehous file still 0 eras are either set to process the images automatically or to create images as rous selection of the blue sk Camera Raw flies, w hich lets photographers an d designers interpret the image data themselves, rather than letting the camera make adjustments and conver elect Edit > Paste Special> P si ons . Here are some options and information re garding these fi les: Into will paste your new clo • A Camera Raw file contains unprocessed picture data from a digital camera's al blue sky. image sensor. {here you want it. •. Only Camera Raw image files contain the actual data captured by the sensor ttings in your Chapter 4 fold r without any in-camera processing. e will cover in Chapter 5, sel • Working with Camera Raw files still lets you set the white balance that reflects the " notice the original lightho lighting conditions under which the photo was taken, tonal range, contrast, color ayer on top of it that shows saturation, and sharpening, or you can shoot automatically and adjust those aspects , it, black to hide the lighth later. The original RAW file is never adjusted permanently; always a copy is saved er y.ou pas.te or move an image after adjustments. You can easily default back to the original settings and start over. Ique with your own imag • Think of Camera Raw files as your photo negative. You can go back and repro cess the file to achieve the results you want. Camera Raw files always remain pure recordings, like a film negative or transparency. sure the clouds Layer 7 is hi • Your camera saves files in its own raw file format. When you download the files layer will be shaded bl from the camera, they will have file extensions such as .NEF (Nikon), or .CRW We will be using layers in the (Canon) to identify their own raw format. • You can save various versions of these files with special adjustments, the same as you would save different prints or experiment with different exposures. You can save to Adobe's universal digital negative (DNG) version, especially if you are downloading raw files using different cameras on the same computer. You can also save to Photoshop's PSD format, ]pEG, and TIF formats after you have made your adjustments. Camera Raw files always remain pure: you open up your image and save it to a file format after you make changes, and the Camera Raw plug in makes a digital copy of the edited image. You can always default back to the original settings. • Camera Raw is a free Photoshop plug-in that you can download from the Adobe website; follow the simple instructions to place it inside the appropriate folder inside your Photoshop application folder. In current versions, it is automati cally installed for you. If you purchase a new camera, you should check the Adobe website for the newest version of Camera Raw. • When you open a raw file, it will open in the Camera Raw application within Photoshop. Even though it may look flat or off color, it contains all unprocessed information, just like a digital negative. Use this application as your new digital darkroom with no chemicals. You will find in the Camera Raw dialog box, in addition to other controls, White Balance, which sets the color balance for various lighting conditions; the Temperature control, which controls the color temperature; and Tint to compensate for green or magenta tints in photos. Moving the temperature slider to the left, for instance, makes the color a cooler, bluer tone; moving the slider to the right warms the image. You also notice plenty of additional tools and controls you can play with to achieve the best image (Figure 4-25). 174 UN IT 2 • CHAPTER 4 Detail Split Camera White (sharpen) Toning Calibration Effects I Ix Snapshots FI GURE 426 You can always save a copy of the original Camera Cu ~ !o m RAW fil e in many '5 700 different formats. -1 u ~ ~ . 0.35 .... u c:. +l~ --~------=--==~-19 ---:..:--~== . 27 Gt r:;&' _23 L~ VtbTMU: .,. 0 5atut"lon . 11 _,-NI1 <:. Q Save image ". AdOMIQU!!!) .t Ope .., Image I Cancel Done _ . 'bd.;JIl2btiUUll°Qo!.!+ '1. 2<0...' f + Save your new adjusted image File Info Open into Photoshop Apply changes• in a variety of formats without opening image l> FIGURE 4-25 Next, we will open an image and play. Camera Raw 1. Launch Photoshop and open the ABW0099.NEFfile in your Chapter 4 folder. image and dialog box before and 2. When you open the image, you will notice the Camera Raw dialog box open, Q after adjustments: if the plug-in is loaded on your computer; if it does not appear, you wi!! the digital need to download and install it. This is a raw image made on a very overcast negative. day with very flat lighting; it has been saved in a NEF format with a Nikon camera. I1QlJ r eO~<g&L..ea · r . '0 U ' :: ~: , C l:..")g e o~ loeArJllllQ 201 3 WORKING WITH SELECTIONS AND CHANNELS 175 Camera Calibration 3_This dialog box is your digital darkroom, where you can experiment with your digital negative. You will notice the White Balance settings are As Shot, which uses the camera's settings, the same as the auto setting that many people use on their cameras. Select other White Balance options to see some interesting color adjustments, then go back to As Shot. Notice the color temperature changes as you select various White Balance settings. 4. Adjust the Temperature slider to see the effects. Try increasing the saturation and other options, until you have an image representing what the scene might look like to show more vibrant colors. Use the settings in Figure 4-25 as a start ing point. Select the icons above the "Basic" display for more adjustments. 5. You will notice that when you select the icons above the Basic default menu, you'll find various displays for more accurate adjustments. You can try any adjustments here, and the original RAW image is not affected. 6. Save the final image as Flag. tif. When you save your image, choose to Save in New Location and locate your Chapter 4 folder (Figure 4-26). Leave default set tings. Remember, the image is always saved as a copy of the original RAW file. FIGURE 4-26 You(an always \ave a (Opy of the Destination: I Save in New Location or ginal Camera .-- Cancel RAWfile in many Select fT: ,k,",...Oto,hO OICh'Pt<r 41 ....._- '700 I F~ e ~~ different formats. -7 Fi !e Naming -------.~ . ~----- Ex ample . FIO)g .tlf--4- . 0 ]5 Flag JJ + r- ---'::::'===-1 .dng .ONG .jpg 19 = .]PG . 27 Fi le ExtenS ion: .t if ~ D~.I c, .TIF .p.d .PS D Format' ilFF . /J r 01 0 ~ TOOLKIT TIP Along the top of this window, next to the Hand Tool, you will notice Don• the White Balance Tool (I) which you can use if you have a very tinted image. This only works well when you have an image that contains a neutral gray or neutral white changes• color. You will notice it will probably create a cool effect in this particular image. To ening image balance the color, try using pavement, rocks, and other neutral gray tones, if they are in your image. When making edits, keep an eye on your histogram to make sure that both sides for shadows and highlights of the histogram show the bottom or start and end of the peak to avoid what is called clipping of highlight and shadows. Chapter 4 folder. t dialog box open, ~ TOOLKIT TIP The default color of the new CS6 interface is dark grey or black, t appear, you will as opposed to light grey in previous versions. To change the color of the interface, on a very overcast choose Photoshop > Preferences > Interface > Color Theme if you are using a Mac, mat with a Nikon or Edit > Preferences >Interface > Color Theme for Windows users . .- , "' ..... n ?nl"l ._~_______.