{"id":429,"date":"2007-04-20T23:38:17","date_gmt":"2007-04-20T14:38:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2007-04-20\/429"},"modified":"2013-08-28T13:58:34","modified_gmt":"2013-08-28T04:58:34","slug":"freaky-raw-processing-from-sunset-to-moonrise-with-adobe-lightroom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2007-04-20\/429","title":{"rendered":"Freaky Raw Processing: From Sunset to Moonrise with Adobe Lightroom"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
<\/a>Nikon D200 +\nNikkor 17<\/span>-55 f\/2.8 @ 19mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>350 sec, f\/13,\nISO 100 — full\nexif & map<\/a><\/span>Another Sunset View<\/span>from our New-Year's trip, from the set shown in the post the other day<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n

When a digital camera produces a standard<\/span> JPG image file, it does\nso after internally processing its sensor's raw data. This processing\nincludes the mathematical application of various settings for exposure,\nwhite balance, sharpness, color saturation, and other algorithms that\nmassage the image data in an attempt to achieve a particular<\/span> look.<\/p>\n\n

Many cameras offer “scene” settings that can impact how this processing\nis done. For example, a “portrait” setting may reduce the amount of\nsharpening applied.<\/p>\n\n

Raw<\/p>\n\n

When shooting in a raw<\/a>\nformat, this processing is taken out of the camera, and left to your\nimage-processing software. I use<\/span> Adobe Lightroom<\/a> to\ncatalog and process all my images, including raw ones. Lightroom offers a\nmyriad<\/span> of settings for adjusting the raw sensor data, many of which are\ncomparable to those done in camera, and others allowing finer control.<\/p>\n\n

Creative Control<\/p>\n\n

Making adjustments to these controls (again, controls such as white\nbalance, exposure, sharpness, etc.) can be done to some extent without\nbreaking the “honesty” of the result. For example, adding a bit<\/span>\nof exposure boost to correct for an underexposed shot, or to adjust the color balance<\/a> so that skin\ntones are realistic.<\/p>\n\n

It's quite acceptable, even, to adjust the white balance to add an\noverall red\/blue tinge to achieve a “warmer” or\n“cooler” look to the result. These effects are well within the\nlimits of what the on-camera settings can do, so they fall under\n“creative adjustment” of the image.<\/p>\n\n

Creative License<\/p>\n\n

However, at some point, making these changes leaves the realm of\n“creative adjustment” and enters the realm of “creative\nlicense,” producing a result<\/span> that can be quite far from reality.\nThere's absolutely nothing wrong with this, so long as one realizes that\nthe result is no longer “honest,” but rather\n“artistic.” (Hah, as it turns out, today's “What\nthe Duck<\/a>” cartoon applies perfectly.)\n\n<\/p>

\n\nFrankly, I'm not happy<\/span> with my choice of “honest” and\n“artistic” here, because one can certainly be both honest and\nartistic at the same time — heck, that's the ultimate goal of many\ntypes of art — but I can't<\/span> think of anything better at the\nmoment.<\/p>\n\n

Playing in Lightroom<\/p>\n\n

Lightroom offers many image-processing settings. The most basic<\/span> set of\ncontrols are in the aptly-named “Basic” group, but there are\nmany other groups, some of which have with names like “Tone\nCurve,” “Lens Corrections,” and “Split\nToning.”<\/p>\n\n

In playing with some of the “Basic” controls, I found<\/span> some really\ninteresting effects when I combined<\/span> them in extreme ways, so I thought<\/span> I'd\nshare a few<\/span> of the results. The version<\/span> above is replicated as the “A”\nversion in the set below.Mouseover the boxed letters to see various\nversions, and Lightroom's Basic group of adjustments used to create\nthem.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
<\/a>Stylized\/Idealized<\/span>\n<\/div>\n
<\/a>Inspirational<\/span>\n<\/div>\n
<\/a>Nuclear Winter<\/span>\n<\/div>\n
<\/a>Closer to Reality<\/span>\n<\/div>\n
<\/a>Martian Sunset?<\/span>\n<\/div>\n
<\/a>“Elvis Velvet Moonrise” Painting<\/span>\n<\/div>\n
<\/a>Vibrantly Golden<\/span>\n<\/div>\n
<\/a>Moonrise<\/span>\n<\/div>\n