Processing RAW images Dec 2011

[Roger Clark]

Simon,

Here is my attempt. Processing went like this (many steps took longer to write down than do):

raw: exposure=0
recovery=0
fill light =0
blacks=0
brightness +50
contrast +25
clarity +7
vibrance +10
saturation +13
save as image a, 16-bit tif.

cs5:
select background with magic wand tool

refine edge: smooth 12, feather 8.2, contrast 9, shift edge +10

darken with curves

select bird

refine edge: smooth 12, feather 13, contrast 9, shift edge -35

curves: increase brightness

select bird again, smaller parts of main body

refine edge: smooth 12, feather 13, contrast 9, shift edge -35

curves: increase brightness

save image (new name) (image b)

ImagesPlus (software package, version 3.0):
Richardson-Lucy image deconvolution: 5x5 12 iterations; save image

open image b again:
Richardson-Lucy image deconvolution: 5x5 25 iterations; save image

back to CS5:
Stack the 3 images in layers: image b (top), 5x5 12 iterations, 5x5 25 iterations (bottom)

erase layers so bird is 5x5 12 iterations, stump is 5x5 25 iterations

select background of top layer: gaussian blur radius=1.8 (noise reduction)

unsharp mask 5x5 25 iteration layer (stump): radius 1.5 pixels, 81%, threshold 6

unsharp mask 5x5 12 iteration layer (bird): radius 1.5 pixels, 81%, threshold 6

save image (d)

flatten image

clean up a few places of ringing (around bill and legs) with blur and clone tools

final tweaks:
select bird body: curves for some contrast
select stump: curves for contrast

convert to sRGB, 8-bit

convert to LAB, sharpen luminance channel radius=0.7, amount 120, thershold 6
convert back the RGB

save a tif

save for web

In the attached image, I pushed the deconvolution steps more than I normally would to illustrate the effect of true sharpening to bring out feather detail on the bird and fine textural detail on the post. The result is a little more noise than I would normally accept in my own images, but I think the idea is illustrated. One can trade noise for detail and where one sets the bar is up to the individual.

In the posted image, there is some residual ringing that I would clean up (e.g. with clone or blur tool), but also would be less with less aggressive processing.

Roger

 

[Simon Wantling]

Dear all,

Firstly, I'd like to say a very big thank you to all that some of there personal time to process this RAW image. It's greatly appreciated. What is very clear is that everyone have a very different interpretation of what an image should look like after processing as you can see from the various examples posted here. It has certainly steered me in the direction I'd like to go with my processing and has also allowed me to answer whether there was anything wrong with my lens. Over recents weeks I have adapted my photography technique along with my RAW processing to produce images which I'm starting to become very happy with. I feel I still have a long way to go in terms of reaching the quality posted on this site, but that's half the fun.

Anyway, here is my posting the the Robin image. I've not concentrated on composition but more final image quality so this probably wouldn't be how I would crop any final image, but it's not far off.

Again, thanks for all the postings. I found it extremely useful.

My processing was carried out in Lightroom 3 and Aperture.

 

[Dennis Bishop]

Well done, Simon. I like the simplicity and the composition. I also like that eye.

 

[Valerio Tarone]

Processing Raw images

Simon I have the same problem as you. But I use only Capture NX2. My reference point is the ebook by J. Odell 'The photographers guide to Nikon CaptureNX2'. The first issue is,certainly, to perceive whether amd where's a problem to be readjusted. Better few than too much. Don Lacy, Roger, and others, would you make the same work, some example with Nikon CaptureNX2? Thanks.

 

[Jerry van Dijk]

Hi all, I found this thread very informative! I like how it shows all of our different interpretations of the same image and also shows the importance of post processing for the looks of the final image.
Of course I also had a go. Here's my 2 cents.

ACR 6.3<o></o>
Temp 5400<o></o>
Tint +21<o></o>
Exp -0.10<o></o>
Fill light 55<o></o>
Clarity +45<o></o>
Vibrance +42<o></o>
Saturation +2<o></o>
Levels<o></o>
Sharpening amout 98, rad 0.6, detail 1, masking 35,<o></o>
NR luminance 13, detail 39, contrast 100<o></o>
<o></o>
CS5<o></o>
Burned fencepost on the right 50% on highlights<o></o>
Selected eye, auto tone, contrast and color<o></o>
Selective USM on the bird rad 0.6, amount 163<o></o>
USM amount 130, rad 0.6<o></o>
NR on BG<o></o>
Crop 16:9<o></o>
Added some contrast (don’t remember how much, did it on sight)<o></o>
Save for web 1000px

 

[Dave Curtis]

Here's my attempt using Photoshop Elements 7.

RAW
Increase exposure +0.3; Fill 6; Black 9
Open copy

Elements
Crop
Adjust layers black to 16 (shows my RAW processing not quite right)
Image - Mode to 8 bits/channel
Clone stamp to remove the fence posts at left and right of crop

When the image looks OK then I sharpen.
Duplicate layer - set Blending Mode to Overlay
Filter - Other - High Pass - Radius 1.0 pixels
Layer - Flatten Image
Image - Resize - 850 pixels
Save As

 

[Roger Clark]

Dave,
As a forum participant, you'll need to supply a link to your image on another web site. If the site allows hot links, you can do a hot link and the image appears here just like it was an attachment.

Roger

 

[Dave Curtis]

Dave,
As a forum participant, you'll need to supply a link to your image on another web site. If the site allows hot links, you can do a hot link and the image appears here just like it was an attachment.

Roger

I tried adding the image to my Flickr account but could not link to it - I did receive a positive comment in the short time between posting and before I deleted it. :S3:

So it's back to lurking for me.

If Simon wants to see the result I would be happy to send it to him.

Dave

My Flikr images are at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/davethebird/

 

[Daniel Cadieux]

That's too bad Dave, we would have loved to see your version...and we would love to have you participate on BPN! If you need any help don't hesitate to ask:S3:

 

[Chris Ober]

Flickr has made it more difficult to post direct links to images stored there and require the link to be to the Flickr page that contains the image instead of the image alone.
Photobucket or Imgur are free alternatives that should still allow it.

 

[Dave Curtis]

Here's my attempt using Photoshop Elements 7.

RAW
Increase exposure +0.3; Fill 6; Black 9
Open copy

Elements
Crop
Adjust layers black to 16 (shows my RAW processing not quite right)
Image - Mode to 8 bits/channel
Clone stamp to remove the fence posts at left and right of crop

When the image looks OK then I sharpen.
Duplicate layer - set Blending Mode to Overlay
Filter - Other - High Pass - Radius 1.0 pixels
Layer - Flatten Image
Image - Resize - 850 pixels
Save As

And now from my shiny new Photobucket account.

[/URL][/IMG]

 

[Daniel Cadieux]

Cool Dave! Thanks for taking the time to post your image:c3: Lots of ways to interpret the image isn't there!

 

[Simon Wantling]

Thanks for posting your image Dave and the workflow. From what I've learnt from this forum, it's best to resize the image before sharpening as I've noticed it's loses some crispness during this process. Image looks great though

Thnaks

 

[Valerio Tarone]

Processing Raw file

Hello. I'm sorry as my Nion Capture doesn't open the raw file. How to do as I would like try?Thanks. Mybest wishes.

 

[Michael Gerald-Yamasaki]

Hello. I'm sorry as my Nion Capture doesn't open the raw file. How to do as I would like try?Thanks. Mybest wishes.

Valerio,

Greetings. The RAW file is a Canon RAW file (CR2). Nikon CaptureNX doesn't work for Canon files. You would need to use another converter... Adobe Camera Raw (ACR), Lightroom, etc.

Cheers,

-Michael-

 

[Valerio Tarone]

Processing Raw file

Yamasaki thanks, I see it impossible.

 

[John Chardine]

I am late on this thread but I wanted to see what I could do with the image.

The image was a bit noisy so I went with a looser crop and cloned out the right hand fence post.

In ACR, cropped, adjusted Tint a little to the greenish side (to +21), increased the exposure (+0.5) added a little fill (5), added some Blacks (5), ran default Capture sharpening (25, 1, 25, 80). In Photoshop, boosted colour contrast a little in LAB, ran some NR with Topaz Denoise (Raw moderate), selectively burned eye a little to lighten, resampled to 1024 wide and selectively sharpened (Smart 99%, 0.3).

I am processing on a calibrated Macbook Air 13" monitor right now and I have noticed that on other monitors, the images I process look a little dark. Anyway we'll see with this one.

 

[Mital Patel]

Late but seem fun to watch and discuss here.

Mine Process

ACR
Temp 5300
Tint +20
Exp +20
Recovery +10
Fill light 15
Blacks +5
Brightness +50
Contrast +25
Clarity +8
Vibrance +8


Level : Midtones 1.10
Crop for Compo 3:2 900x600


Clone the fence picket's on left and right


Burn Perched fence picket


Sharpened USM Amount 180, Radius 0.3, Threshold 0


Saturation boost


Save for web.

====
Missing the Sharpness that Daniel has got. Just that it seem more reddish to me for the plumage we do have.
May be as close crop i lost bit razor sharp details but still would love to discuss the methodology on sharpening.