Create a Keeper from a Cull - Opening a Jpeg image in Raw

First of all let me explain that I am not a guru on Photoshop in any of its configurations whether it be Elements or CS3, 4, 5...or whatever the latest version is.  My philosophy when taking photos is to get it as close to being right in the camera so that when I do download it, any post processing will be minimal.

None the less...having said that...there are times when a little bit of post processing is desirable.  Here is a case in point.  The photo above was taken of my neighbor's cat as it played in and around an old chair in our garden.  (All together now...1, 2, 3...Ahhhh!)  It was late in the afternoon and the old chair was in the shadows.  I shot the image with in camera settings of jpeg, Standard, Daylight, ISO 200, f/5.6 @ 1/60th with +/- 0 compensation.  Nothing fancy...nothing tricky about it.  The results as you can see was an image with a bit of a blue and somewhat dull cast to it.  The reason was because I did not push the White Balance into the Shade range and the 0 compensation caused the exposure to move toward the mid-range tonal values.

This particular kind of image can be salvaged with a bit of a tweak using Photoshop.  At the moment I use Elements 6...I know there are newer versions out there, but this one seems to work quite well for what I need...so, I'm going to save the one hundred bucks or so it would cost to upgrade and use those funds for gas money so I can go out and take more pictures.

An easy way to fix this image is to open it in Camera Raw format using Elements.  With Elements 6 open, click on the File option and select Open As and select as the format Camera Raw.  Even though this is a jpeg image, it can still be opened using the Raw formatting configurations...you just don't have quite as much digital information to work with.  The image will appear looking like the top image with the adjustment sliders on the right.

To correct the bluish tint use the Temperature slider and slide it a few points to the right to warm up the image.

To give the image a bit more pop...slide the Exposure slider to the right just a little to push a bit of power into the image...not too much...just enough to remove some of the dullness.

Move the Blacks slider a point or two to the right to give the image a little more strength.

Add a little Contrast and Brightness if you want to...plus a point or three of Clarity and Saturation...

Then press the Save Image option on the bottom left.  Wait a few seconds for it to finish saving , then press Open Image on the bottom right.  This reopens the image as a jpeg.  From here I normally add a bit of sharpening then save the image again as a jpeg.  These simple corrections can take a dull, somewhat improperly exposed image and turn it into a keeper.

Writing and Photography...

There is a quiet nature that fills the air just before dawn...during those moments as the sky grows brighter little by little.  The softness speaks to those who take time to listen...what is said during those times often lingers long after the darkness has faded.  As with most days we soon are caught up in activities that rush about and distract us...but those silent moments...those times when it is most quiet...we always seem to remember with fond reserve.  Words found to describe such times are rare...yet the memories capture the heart of one who has discovered the rarity of those encounters.

I rediscovered such rarity one morning as I drifted across silent waters enjoying a brief and long anticipated escape canoeing the haunts of Shanty Hollow Lake.  It's an odd sensation floating on calm waters in the dark...no real sense of movement.  A hundred or so yards out I coasted to a stop and allowed my gaze to lift upward towards a sky filled with the light of countless stars.  The silence of that moment filled my soul.  For timeless minutes I simply drifted...no wind...no sounds...just the first light of morning to break the darkness.

As I moved on toward that morning rendezvous the stars slowly, one by one, twinkled one last time and faded away.  There was no way to capture the first part of that morning except in words...and in searching for those words I am reminded of the similarities between writing and photography.  Where in writing one seeks to stir the imagination by painting word pictures in the mind of the reader...in photography...one uses light to build an image that expresses emotional visual stories the viewer interprets in their mind.  The thought processes are often the same...to find the right combination of words...or light...to define the subject in such a way that the reader or viewer understands the importance of what you were trying to express.  Writing helps one to become a better photographer because it serves to develop that creative side of the mind...and that in time will lend itself well served.

Keith

Big Sky and Getting in Close - Use a Wide Angle Lens

Seems like this summer I have used a wide angle lens more than I have in the past and I have discovered the versatility of its usefulness.  The most obvious use for a wide angle lens is of course taking big sky photo's.  Taking big sky pictures in Kentucky is a bit of a challenge simple because of the rolling terrain and tall trees that hide the horizon.  But with a bit of looking around, places can be discovered that offer some great sky shots.

Another thing that I discovered when using a wide angle lens is that you can get in real close to your subject and have the background spread out behind it.  This works well with wildflowers.  I must admit that most of my wildflower photos are taken with a telephoto lens where I zoom in real tight and isolate the flower against a darker background.  But, that technique only provides one avenue of expression.  In recent attempts to photograph some wildflowers I purposely moved in as close as I could to the flower...literally just inches away...and used a very small f/stop...f/22...to extend the depth of field from just in front of the lens all the way out to the background.

This often requires one to get down on the ground and sit at awkward angles to compose the shot.  The point of focus seems to best fall on the closest flower to the lens...but you can also find a focus point a few feet out and still get good results with the small aperture.

When taking big sky pictures using a wide angle there are two basic techniques to employ...one over water and one over land.  Over water, the idea is to capture that mirror image reflection so the horizon needs to be close to the center of the image...one of the few examples of when this is desirable.  Also a polarizer filter can be quite useful in reducing glare and enhancing colors...especially blue...but a polarizer is really only effective when used within a 45 degree ark from the main source of light...in this case the sun.

Keep in mind that the water reflection is usually at least one full stop darker than the sky so a 1 stop graduated neutral density filter helps to bring the sky and reflection more in balance with each other. This also applies to shooting over land as the sky will often be several stops brighter than the land and graduated filter will also help with keeping the exposure in balance.  When shooting over land, the idea is to emphasize the sky...so the horizon should remain as a narrow strip along the bottom...just how narrow depends on the circumstances.

Big sky pictures almost always require clouds to add interest and definition to the image and clouds are at their best early and late or just before or just after a storm.  The trick is to use an exposure that prevents one part of the sky from being blown out...or so bright there is no detail that can be seen...I think it best to slightly underexpose the image so the sky will retain lots of character and let the landscape fall where it may.

Although I do not own a high quality wide angle lens, the one I do have (Sony 18 - 80 f/3.5) is adequate for most of the shots I attempt.  Who knows...maybe someday I'll breakdown and get one of those 14-40 f/2.0 wide angle lens.  Until then I'll continue to pay for college and use the adequate one that I do have.

Keith