Using the Histogram to Aid Processing

Inspired by a question during a recent judging session for a local camera club, I have written a new article on my website Learning Page. I try to explain how to use the histogram in Lightroom or Adobe Camera Raw to help you decide how to process a raw image.

The article outlines the tonal representation of the histogram relative to your raw capture and how to use it to manage black points and white points and avoid clipping and excessive contrast. The histogram is a simple graphical display of the distribution of tones in your raw file. It is different than the histogram of the jpg you saw on the camera preview screen which was processed by the camera software.

The various sliders in the processor modify the tones, not only in their brightness range, but in the overall contrast of the image. Different sliders modify tones differently and often in ways you might not expect. Initially, it might appear that more than one slider has a similar affect on the image, but closer examination reveals the reason why each slider needs to be understood to best process the raw capture.

An increase in contrast can be made overall, affecting both highlights and shadows, or an increase can be made by darkening the shadows without changing the highlights. Knowing which tool to use to get the desired result is the intent of the article.

I also added a short piece explaining keyboard shortcuts for navigating Photoshop layers. These are particularly valuable for creating actions as they can avoid certain changes from happening on the wrong active layer. Making sure that the correct layer is active before initializing a modification will help you avoid unwanted results. This is also important in the event that you want to share an action with someone. Something you may do by default may not be what the other person does before using the action.

I always encourage feedback on these articles. It is especially important for me to hear from you if there is a piece of information missing or unclear that I might improve upon.

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Photoshop Zoom Seminar

Zoom Seminar – Photoshop Tone Control and Black and White Conversion

The Zoom seminar on Tone Control and Black and White conversion is this Saturday morning at 9:30 a.m. There is a good group at this time, but this is a reminder if you intended to sign up and haven’t done so. I usually need to know you are coming by Thursday noon so I can notify the Hershey Library and they can begin sending out the invitations to the meeting.

If this is news to you – let me catch you up. The seminar on Saturday is on tone control using Photoshop. The primary intent is to show you several methods for controlling image colors and densities to improve your initial camera capture once you have moved beyond Lightroom or Adobe Camera Raw.

Then we will look at Black and White conversion and how control over color influences the results we get in our monochromatic images. Simply eliminating color is easy, but knowing how controlling the color in the image translates to monochrome will get you to better final results.

The Zoom class meets this Saturday morning, February 6th at 9:30 a.m. The class will last about 90 minutes. The techniques do not depend on the version of Photoshop or Elements you may be using. The intention is to manipulate the image in as many ways as possible without using selections or masking.

Sign up for the Zoom class by using my email to send $20 to me at PayPal. Be sure to make note of the class you are signing up for. If you prefer you can send a check to me at 7644 Patterson Circle, Harrisburg, PA 17112. Email me as well to let me know you are signing up.

My thanks to Derry Township and the Hershey Library for hosting these Zoom meetings.

The Website

I just uploaded a major update to the website including fixes to image rollovers. Some articles have been updated, and there are always more updates in the works. As always, if you notice something that doesn’t work properly, or a missing image, please email me referencing the page. There are over 80 pages on my website that need to be massaged as time goes by.

Last week I also uploaded all new image portfolios. The image galleries have been suffering for a while. I write this stuff myself and sometimes it takes me a while to fully understand how certain aspects of the code function. The galleries are created in Lightroom, but then the code is modified to make the portfolios fit the appearance of the website. I think the latest update is a good one. Quite a few new images as well.

Photoshop Tone Control and Black and White Conversion – Zoom Seminar 2/6/2021

The tools for managing tone and color in Photoshop are more intensive and elaborate than what is available in Lightroom. The seminar in Photoshop will explore fine tuning of image color and how it can influence Black and White conversion. This is a Zoom seminar and will occur on Saturday, February 6th at 9:30 a.m.

In Photoshop you should start with a well processed image, including good white balance and removal of any unwanted color casts. This is usually done in either ACR or Lightroom, not simply by choosing the light source but using the white balance tool. This removes tint issues and neutralizes the image colors. Even if you want a color shift such as warming the overall image, you should start with a neutral image and then impose whatever look or feel you want to the image. This is called Color Grading. Once this is done it is easier to move to a black and white rendering of the image and additional color shifts can be employed if needed to get the black and white rendering you desire. If you do not understand how color affects a B&W image, this seminar is for you.

Rainstorm over Angel’s Peak, NM.

Modifications to the original image color can now be imposed as desired using a number of different tools in Photoshop. In ACR and Lightroom there is Color Grading which lays a color tint over the image or modifies the color in a specific range of the image. Other methods of modifying the color involve mapping colors to different hues and/or levels of saturation. This can be used to modify the mood of an image, but also can be used to influence how an image gets rendered in B&W conversion.

Registration is now open. You can register for the class by email if you plan to attend. Cost for this class is only $20. Payment should be made using PayPal to my email address, or email me for an address to send a check. If you sign up with PayPal be sure to leave a note as to which seminar you are signing up for and your email address for notification.

My thanks to Derry Township and the Hershey Library for hosting these Zoom meetings.

Lightroom B&W Processing

Click on the Title for the post online. I will hold a Zoom class on advanced Black and White Processing in Lightroom next Saturday, January 9th starting at 9:30 a.m. The class will last about 90 minutes and will explore color controls for managing conversion to a monochrome image.

Black and White conversion is a function of mapping the colors in the original image to various shades of gray in the final image. Simply desaturating the image can leave you with a dull, washed out grayscale rendition of the photo. The grayscale mapping of the original colors can be managed in several ways to lighten or darken specific grays in the image.

Mapping an image to monochrome.

The image above was converted to monochrome without the use of the adjustment brush or gradients. All control was done by managing the colors in the original image to control the B&W conversion. This cannot be done simply by choosing a B&W preset or using the sliders in the Black and White Mix panel.

“>The cost for the Zoom meeting is only $20. The meeting will last about 90 minutes. The meeting will start at 9:30 a.m. On Saturday January 9, 2021. Payment should be made using PayPal to my email address, or email me for an address to send a check. Note in PayPal that you are signing up for the January 9th Zoom class and please include your email address. Use my email address for any questions.The cost for the Zoom meeting is only $20. The meeting will last about 90 minutes. The meeting will start at 9:30 a.m. On Saturday January 9^th, 2021. Payment should be made using PayPal to my email address, or email me for an address to send a check. Note in PayPal that you are signing up for the January 9th Zoom class and please include your email address. Use my email address for any questions.

If you are a Photoshop user you will find this program a good prelude to the next class which will be Black and White processing in Photoshop. The next class is February 6th, 2021. A blog post for that class signup will be posted soon after the January 9th program is over. Photoshop offers more extensive color controls, plus the use of contrast control and selections to manage tone values.

I am honored to have been one of 300 photographers selected for inclusion in the LensWork book “Our Magnificent Planet – 2020”. The book is superbly printed and the contents are simply wonderful. You can order a copy for yourself. http://shop.lenswork.com/PRE-ORDER-Our-Magnificent-Planet-2020-a-312-page-book_p_1533.html

Lightroom Black and White Processing Methods – Zoom class

If you are reading this in an email, please click on the title to read the full blog entry online.

Registration is now open for the January 9^th, 2021 Zoom class on tone control and B&W conversion in Lightroom Classic.

There are a number of ways to convert your images to B&W. The trick to controlling how your images look in those conversions is control over the image colors. Different methods map those colors to different shades of gray in the B&W conversion. I will illustrate a variety of methods for controlling image color and B&W conversion.

The conversions below were made without changes to the B&W panel sliders which is a typical conversion method. We will look at some more advanced tone control methods.

Compare two versions of a B&W conversion done in Lightroom. Which do you prefer?

This meeting will focus on using Lightroom as the conversion tool. It will also serve as the basis for more in depth control over B&W conversion for those who use Photoshop. A follow up seminar is planned for that purpose.

The cost for the Zoom meeting is $20. The meeting will last between 60-90 minutes. The meeting will start at 9:30 a.m. On Saturday January 9^th, 2021. Payment should be made using PayPal to my email address, or email me for an address to send a check. Note in PayPal that you are signing up for the January 9th Zoom class. Use my email address for any questions.

Photoshop Essentials II – Toolbar

Zoom Class – October 24, 2020 – 9:30 a.m.

This will be the second in a series of Zoom seminars on essential Photoshop tools and techniques. The first program was on Preferences, Color settings and Workspaces. On the Learning page of my website are articles that cover these topics and you can access them at any time. They are free of charge.

The upcoming seminar is on the Photoshop Toolbar. I will discuss how to remove non-essential tools from the bar to simplify the interface. I will also talk about the various tool groups and get into details on the most essential tools.

You can register for the class by email if you plan to attend. I will use the most recent Creative Cloud version of Photoshop, but the techniques I will illustrate will apply to any version of Photoshop.

Cost for this class is $20. Payment should be made using PayPal to my email address, or email me for an address to send a check.

Please sign up for the class by Thursday, October 22nd at noon so invitations to the meeting can be emailed in advance.

My thanks to Derry Township and the Hershey Library for hosting these Zoom meetings.

Photoshop Essentials starts Oct. 17th – register now.

Customizing Photoshop

Creating a custom workspace, using screen modes, modifying preferences, minimizing the toolbar and more in a two part Zoom seminar – starting next week.

I will present two Zoom meetings – October 17^th and 24^th – hosted by the Hershey Library. The programs will start at 9:30 a.m. and run about 90 minutes each. This is the start of a series of programs on Photoshop Essentials which will continue in January and February, 2021.

There are nearly 70 tools in Photoshop, but you may only need to use a much more limited set to accomplish your goals. Efficient workflow can also be enhanced by setting up your own personal workspace so things you need are available, and others do not clutter your screen.

Just moving through the Preferences can get you more comfortable with how the program works and what you can ignore. Photoshop was not created specifically for photographers, but for graphic designers, and some of the defaults can be changed to make them better for photo editing.

Sign up now for the first Zoom meeting on Saturday, October 17^th at 9:30 a.m. The $35 fee covers both that meeting and the following meeting on Saturday, October 24^th at 9:30 a.m. This is designed for beginning to intermediate users.

Register by emailing me [mail@brysonleidich.com]. Payment can be by PayPal to my email address or by letting me know you would prefer to send a check. Please register by Thursday noon October 15^th as the library would like to have a list to send out the Zoom link on Friday.

Simplifying Photoshop ! ?

Moving into Photoshop you can stop using certain tools in ACR and Lightroom, like the adjustment brush, spot removal tool and even the crop tool in favor of what Photoshop does best, local refinements to your images. Lightroom and ACR didn’t even have most of those tools in the beginning, they were added to allow you to do minor fixes to your images without resorting to Photoshop. But …

Photoshop remains the best program for modifying, retouching, and massaging your images into the artistic interpretations you want them to be. It is also one of the most complex and overwhelming pieces of software you can use. It can also be one of the most rewarding artistic tools available to the photographer. One way to make it work better for you is to customize it so that you only see the tools you really need, along with understanding what is possible.

I am beginning a series of classes on Photoshop designed to move you step by step into managing image refinement by learning various aspects of the program and of the tools and adjustment options that can make your images better. First in the series is a two part class on making Photoshop easier to use. To start we will examine Preferences, Color Settings, Toolbar and Menu settings to make sense of the interface. Later we will examine various adjustments and compare their benefits and possibilities. Many of the tools and adjustments that are available are not specifically for photographers, so knowing what will work better will save you the frustration of trying to use the wrong approach.

Most of the classes with be $20 per session using the Zoom platform hosted by the https://www.hersheylibrary.org/home/ Hershey Public Library. The kickoff meeting will be a two part meeting for a combined price of $35. These will occur on Saturdays, October 17th and 24th, at 9:30 a.m. Each class will last approximately 60-90 minutes.

Signing up for the classes is with Payment by PayPal to mail@brysonleidich.com, or a check to me. If you email me I will respond to you with an address if you are paying by check.

Lightroom Zoom Meeting – the Develop Module

Click on the title to see this in your browser and to access the sign in form.

Only ten days left to sign up for the Lightroom Zoom meeting. The topic is the Lightroom Develop Module and will cover all the tabs in the module and how to best use the options in processing your raw files. Sign up ends at noon on Tuesday August 4th. The price of admission is only $15.00

The meeting will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday, August 5th, 2020. The meeting is hosted by the Hershey Library. I will be demonstrating raw processing of several files from camera capture to finished. If you only work in Lightroom and do not do finishing work in Photoshop there will be quite a few tips for how to make your images as powerful as possible using only the tools in the Develop Module.

The image above was processed using only Lightroom Develop Module options. The original was shot on a Canon EOS Rebel SL-1 with an 18-55 STM kit lens, at 1/50 sec, f/8, ISO 400.

Care was taken to introduce as much detail as possible while suppressing noise that might have been imposed by poor choices in the Presence options of the Basic tab and the Detail options in Sharpening the image. The warmth of sunset was imposed using Split Toning and balanced with HSL options.

If these things do not mean much to you, you might enjoy getting to know Lightroom better. While Lightroom processing is very powerful, it can be destructive to your image quality if you do not pay attention to the details.

If you process in ACR instead of Lightroom you will find the information equally useful as the ACR engine and Lightroom are the same.

You can sign up for the class below. You can pay by sending $15 to me via PayPal to mail@brysonleidich.com. If you do not have PayPal indicate that in “Other Details” below and I will email you an address to send a check.

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Website Articles Update

WEBSITE UPDATED – NEW ARTICLES!

I have updated my website with all new articles in the Learning section. Most obvious is a replacement for the Lightroom overview pdf with a full set of eight articles. This is aimed at users of the Lightroom Classic desktop program. The Lightroom CC cloud based program has fewer features and uses cloud based image storage for remote access. I don’t address the functionality of the CC version. Other than that, the articles will apply to you regardless of the version you own.