Author Topic: Post Processing, How did you learn? (Read 1890 times)

Chokethefirst · « **on:** December 18, 2010, 07:32:07 PM »

I had a small B&W darkroom in my youth and played around with dodging,burning, myriad paper types, chemical temps and times, etc., etc. Trial and error and books I don't recall at the moment.

How do/did you all learn your digital post processing techniques?

This is straight out of the camera RAW:

And this is the result of a happy-go-lucky three minutes in the Hue and Saturation section of Olympus Master 2

I am not putting this forth as anything but "dayum! there is a lot you can do to a photo file" and I probably shouldn't.

So, is it shotgun style like mine, or disciplined sharpshooter?

aloha

Choke

voyager · « **Reply #1 on:** December 18, 2010, 07:32:56 PM »

I found Photoshop. Things were much better before then. My photos used to actually look like photos.

Chokethefirst · « **Reply #2 on:** December 18, 2010, 07:40:16 PM »

Quote from: voyager on December 18, 2010, 07:32:56 PM

I found Photoshop. Things were much better before then. My photos used to actually look like photos.

An Honest Man!

Choke

E-M5 Pete · « **Reply #3 on:** December 18, 2010, 07:46:50 PM »

I too had a darkroom when I was in my teens. My dad was Wedding photographer before he was married, and always had a love for photography.
When Digital came to be more excepted, I learned how to PP the old fashioned way, trial and error with Paint Shop Pro 5. I think is was free back than.. and Jasc owned it, not Corel.
I now use ACDSee Pro 3 for 97% of all post. I have PSP X3 for spotting my film scans, it has a much better clone tool with a ton of options.
Plus Layers and few other "Needed at times" tools, that lacks in ACDsee Pro 3. Let's say more advanced options in the editing tools than ACDSee has in it's editing tools.

Chokethefirst · « **Reply #4 on:** December 18, 2010, 07:56:43 PM »

Quote from: M5-User on December 18, 2010, 07:46:50 PM

I too had a darkroom when I was in my teens. My dad was Wedding photographer before he was married, and always had a love for photography.
When Digital came to be more excepted, I learned how to PP the old fashioned way, trial and error with Paint Shop Pro 5. I think is was free back than.. and Jasc owned it, not Corel.
I now use ACDSee Pro 3 for 97% of all post. I have PSP X3 for spotting my film scans, it has a much better clone tool with a ton of options.
Plus Layers and few other "Needed at times" tools, that lacks in ACDsee Pro 3. Let's say more advanced options in the editing tools than ACDSee has in it's editing tools.

Looks like "trial and error" is running a close.......First! Good to know I am with the winners.

Gotta love that ACDSee sense of humor. I just downloaded a trial version of Aperture 3 because I have a Mac and it is free. I realize it is primarily a database program and secondarily an editing program, but I think I will go slowly into the dark night that is digital editing software.

mahalos for the responses

Choke

E-M5 Pete · « **Reply #5 on:** December 18, 2010, 08:26:46 PM »

Quote from: Chokethefirst on December 18, 2010, 07:56:43 PM

Quote from: M5-User on December 18, 2010, 07:46:50 PM
I too had a darkroom when I was in my teens. My dad was Wedding photographer before he was married, and always had a love for photography.
When Digital came to be more excepted, I learned how to PP the old fashioned way, trial and error with Paint Shop Pro 5. I think is was free back than.. and Jasc owned it, not Corel.
I now use ACDSee Pro 3 for 97% of all post. I have PSP X3 for spotting my film scans, it has a much better clone tool with a ton of options.
Plus Layers and few other "Needed at times" tools, that lacks in ACDsee Pro 3. Let's say more advanced options in the editing tools than ACDSee has in it's editing tools.

Looks like "trial and error" is running a close.......First! Good to know I am with the winners.

Gotta love that ACDSee sense of humor. I just downloaded a trial version of Aperture 3 because I have a Mac and it is free. I realize it is primarily a database program and secondarily an editing program, but I think I will go slowly into the dark night that is digital editing software.

mahalos for the responses

Choke

It wasn't meant to be a full fledged editor like PS or PSP.. More like Lightroom....it handles RAW,JPG,TIF, what ever exactly the same. And doesn't touch the originals. It keeps a data file linked to the original, and when you save it as... it makes a new file from the data file. The big plus is that it does not use libraries made from your files, instead, it can build a database file and store it in each folder. So, if you ever have to swap out HD's, you just open the folder on your new Hard drive and keep working. No need to re-build the database in the new location.

Isn't it all trial and error anyway?, we just get faster at it.

corgifan · « **Reply #6 on:** December 18, 2010, 09:23:04 PM »

I'm another trial and error guy. I did do film and darkroom stuff in the '80s so understood some concepts. The first digital camera I got in '92 or so came with some simple retouching software. It was like magic! No spot toning with a camel hair brush!

I discovered Paint Shop Pro 3.x long ago and worked my way up through X2 until I switched to Nikon Capture NX2 early this year. These days I find the various on-line tutorials to be invaluable in discovering methods and program features I'd have surely missed working all on my own.

Something else I do is grab other people's photos and edit them because the range of issues tends to be somewhat different than I typically have with my own photos. Example: We don't get a lot of overcast skies here in AZ so photos with overcast skies make an interesting editing challenge. Today I downloaded a vintage color slide scan from the Library of Congress and it had a strong color cast to it. I noodled around finding the simplest way to fix the strong color cast (setting a white point).

I suggest that you try as many programs as you can and then settle on one and stick with it. With long time use can you really begin to get everything out of an editing program. The great thing is that there is so many to choose from now that you're bound to find one that "clicks" with how you want to work and what you want to do.

Doug

Chokethefirst · « **Reply #7 on:** December 18, 2010, 10:51:01 PM »

Quote from: M5-User on December 18, 2010, 08:26:46 PM

Quote from: Chokethefirst on December 18, 2010, 07:56:43 PM
Quote from: M5-User on December 18, 2010, 07:46:50 PM
I too had a darkroom when I was in my teens. My dad was Wedding photographer before he was married, and always had a love for photography.
When Digital came to be more excepted, I learned how to PP the old fashioned way, trial and error with Paint Shop Pro 5. I think is was free back than.. and Jasc owned it, not Corel.
I now use ACDSee Pro 3 for 97% of all post. I have PSP X3 for spotting my film scans, it has a much better clone tool with a ton of options.
Plus Layers and few other "Needed at times" tools, that lacks in ACDsee Pro 3. Let's say more advanced options in the editing tools than ACDSee has in it's editing tools.

Looks like "trial and error" is running a close.......First! Good to know I am with the winners.

Gotta love that ACDSee sense of humor. I just downloaded a trial version of Aperture 3 because I have a Mac and it is free. I realize it is primarily a database program and secondarily an editing program, but I think I will go slowly into the dark night that is digital editing software.

mahalos for the responses

Choke

It wasn't meant to be a full fledged editor like PS or PSP.. More like Lightroom....it handles RAW,JPG,TIF, what ever exactly the same. And doesn't touch the originals. It keeps a data file linked to the original, and when you save it as... it makes a new file from the data file. The big plus is that it does not use libraries made from your files, instead, it can build a database file and store it in each folder. So, if you ever have to swap out HD's, you just open the folder on your new Hard drive and keep working. No need to re-build the database in the new location.

Isn't it all trial and error anyway?, we just get faster at it.

Good to know about Aperture. And with luck I will get faster less slowly than usual.

Choke

Chokethefirst · « **Reply #8 on:** December 18, 2010, 10:54:31 PM »

Quote from: corgifan on December 18, 2010, 09:23:04 PM

I'm another trial and error guy. I did do film and darkroom stuff in the '80s so understood some concepts. The first digital camera I got in '92 or so came with some simple retouching software. It was like magic! No spot toning with a camel hair brush!

I discovered Paint Shop Pro 3.x long ago and worked my way up through X2 until I switched to Nikon Capture NX2 early this year. These days I find the various on-line tutorials to be invaluable in discovering methods and program features I'd have surely missed working all on my own.

Something else I do is grab other people's photos and edit them because the range of issues tends to be somewhat different than I typically have with my own photos. Example: We don't get a lot of overcast skies here in AZ so photos with overcast skies make an interesting editing challenge. Today I downloaded a vintage color slide scan from the Library of Congress and it had a strong color cast to it. I noodled around finding the simplest way to fix the strong color cast (setting a white point).

I suggest that you try as many programs as you can and then settle on one and stick with it. With long time use can you really begin to get everything out of an editing program. The great thing is that there is so many to choose from now that you're bound to find one that "clicks" with how you want to work and what you want to do.

Doug

Again, Doug, excellent advice. I hadn't thought of practicing with web images. An infinite number await.

Choke

count_zero · « **Reply #9 on:** December 19, 2010, 01:55:29 AM »

I learned to develop film by etching circuit boards. Part of the process is to create negatives of the board layout, then expose the negative onto the circuit board that is covered in a plastic. The board is then run through chemical etching solutions until the plastic is gone and only the circuit remains. Beyond that, it was just reading books, web blogs, and youtube vids. I would see a cool photo and wonder how that was done, then scour books or the net until I can reproduce it.

lisandra · « **Reply #10 on:** December 19, 2010, 09:05:40 PM »

I learned by ruining a lot of photos and wasting a lot of film and then for photoshop I took a couple of courses and google is my undying friend for PS

Chokethefirst · « **Reply #11 on:** December 19, 2010, 11:37:58 PM »

So, if I grok this correctly, I would be best served by following the forums, gettting a basic book or two and learning the terminology of post processing, not being afraid to practice on any photo file I have access to, doing diligent google research, acquiring a decent software package (after doing all the aforementioned), enrolling in a class or two for hands on supervision, practicing some more, googling some more, posting lots more, and fully understanding the equation
[magenta sky + blue grass < artful photography]. Then and only then will I understand the phrase "Look at the histogram, you're peaked way too far to the left."

That should take a week or two......I best get started.

Choke

corgifan · « **Reply #12 on:** December 20, 2010, 07:47:02 PM »

Quote from: Chokethefirst on December 19, 2010, 11:37:58 PM

So, if I grok this correctly, I would be best served by following the forums, gettting a basic book or two and learning the terminology of post processing, not being afraid to practice on any photo file I have access to, doing diligent google research, acquiring a decent software package (after doing all the aforementioned), enrolling in a class or two for hands on supervision, practicing some more, googling some more, posting lots more, and fully understanding the equation
[magenta sky + blue grass < artful photography]. Then and only then will I understand the phrase "Look at the histogram, you're peaked way too far to the left."

That should take a week or two......I best get started.

Choke

Yes, all that and don't forget to spend some time in galleries studying the photographic masters like Adams, Cartier-Bresson, Weston, W.E Smith, and the rest. Memorize their names, especially the ones that are hard to pronounce, so you can work them into photographer conversations to make yourself sound wise and sage: "Yes, I feel Adams sometimes reached too far with his later darkroom work with "Moonrise" and became trite. The more restrained color images of Eggleston reach the modern thinker at an inculcative level and yet do not match the duality [always work in the word 'duality'] of Walker Evans."

Learn to sling bull properly and it doesn't even matter if your photos are any good or not!

Doug

Chokethefirst · « **Reply #13 on:** December 20, 2010, 10:36:10 PM »

Quote from: corgifan on December 20, 2010, 07:47:02 PM

Yes, all that and don't forget to spend some time in galleries studying the photographic masters like Adams, Cartier-Bresson, Weston, W.E Smith, and the rest. Memorize their names, especially the ones that are hard to pronounce, so you can work them into photographer conversations to make yourself sound wise and sage: "Yes, I feel Adams sometimes reached too far with his later darkroom work with "Moonrise" and became trite. The more restrained color images of Eggleston reach the modern thinker at an inculcative level and yet do not match the duality [always work in the word 'duality'] of Walker Evens."

Learn to sling bull properly and it doesn't even matter if your photos are any good or not!

Doug

I like the way you think.....I really better get to it!

Choke (somewhere in the pacific under a cloudy sky..no eclipse for me

)

lisandra · « **Reply #14 on:** December 22, 2010, 09:34:09 PM »

and most of all have fun with it. Give yourself assignments, it's really fun, something like: this week is macro week, 15 decent macros by the end of the week, 5 of them have to be really good and at least one has to be incredible. Or a learning assignment like white balance week; play around with photos that you think have a correct white balance (most of the time they don't) and correct them, then do the opposite, make a photo look cool with a white balance that doesn't belong.

Chokethefirst · « **Reply #15 on:** December 22, 2010, 11:40:58 PM »

Great suggestions Lisandra. I am finding that my attitude of " I'll take a few shots when I get a free moment" is not helping. I should probably schedule photo sessions as part of a weekly routine....put it on the calendar!

mahalos

Choke

Oh, nice mosquito in macro shots....properly squished I hope

lisandra · « **Reply #16 on:** December 23, 2010, 10:09:17 AM »

Quote

I should probably schedule photo sessions as part of a weekly routine....put it on the calendar!

Great idea, make it so!

Quote

Oh, nice mosquito in macro shots....properly squished I hope

Thanks and yeah, I squashed it with my cell phone and then left it on top of him for half an hour. Then I went to the backyard and emptied all clean water recipients. I had dengue fever once already, it was not fun, you're literally boiling inside.
To shoot them (or any other bug this size) what I do is blow smoke at them, like the beekeepers do. Any smoke will do, it stuns them for a good 3-4 minutes, the smaller the more stunned.

adash · « **Reply #17 on:** December 23, 2010, 11:30:24 AM »

Quote

To shoot them (or any other bug this size) what I do is blow smoke at them, like the beekeepers do. Any smoke will do, it stuns them for a good 3-4 minutes, the smaller the more stunned.

That's a secret that I did not know. Will however need to think harder as I already quit smoking.

lisandra · « **Reply #18 on:** December 23, 2010, 07:41:24 PM »

Quote from: adash on December 23, 2010, 11:30:24 AM

Quote
To shoot them (or any other bug this size) what I do is blow smoke at them, like the beekeepers do. Any smoke will do, it stuns them for a good 3-4 minutes, the smaller the more stunned.
That's a secret that I did not know. Will however need to think harder as I already quit smoking.

I do it with a candle, I cover it almost completely so the smoke gathers up and then slowly blow it towards the bug.

adash · « **Reply #19 on:** December 23, 2010, 09:57:06 PM »

Great! Let me spot a bug now

asterinex · « **Reply #20 on:** December 28, 2010, 10:15:31 AM »

First of all , I'm still a beginner

I use Aperture 3 for Mac and find the auto-settings very good.
I mostly use automatic settings and then try to increase or decrease sliders to see if I can improve the image.
Luminance , contrast, noice reduction and sharpness is what I mostly change.

Author Topic: Post Processing, How did you learn? (Read 1890 times)

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