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

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.

October 26 Class Cancelled

The Bad News – The class on basic photography (II) has been cancelled. We just did not get a sufficient number of signups to make the class worth the use of the space at the library. Perhaps we will try again.

The Good News – The updated website and new portfolios have been published. The site is now tablet friendly and will even work on your phone if you are into that kind of pain.

Plans for a class in the spring include an intermediate to advanced Lightroom class and an intermediate to advanced Photoshop class. On the Learning Page at the bottom right is a red box for emailing me.  Please let me know if you think you might be interested in one of those classes. The library promotions go out well in advance.

A challenge to all is to learn to see like the camera sees. The camera does not respond to light the way the human eye does. Learning the limitations of the camera as well as the possibilities will help you move your photography to greater success.

While capture is one aspect of photography, post processing is another, and control over the final image is what you should strive for. Letting the camera decide how your pictures will look is not the road to good images.  You can’t buy great images, you need to learn how to see them, and then how to process them to get what you want from the capture.

“The eye should learn to listen before it looks.”
― Robert Frank

Digital Photography II – October 26th

Click the title to view the entire article.

Upcoming seminar – basic to intermediate digital photography. Some from the first seminar have requested the conversation continue.

Understanding digital photography is a bit more complex than you might think. Among other things you may be in charge of your images in ways you never considered. Knowing how to use the camera settings and tools is a step in the right direction.

Primary among good digital capture is understanding the difference between raw and jpg capture. Do you know how the jpg style settings in your camera can influence how you expose a raw file? What does the histogram actually represent and how can you use it to get the best capture in terms of exposure?

Dorothea Lange at LVC

An exhibit featuring the work of Dorothea Lange and 13 other artists will be on display at the Suzanne H. Arnold Art Gallery at Lebanon Valley College from January 25 to March 24. 2019. Lange and other photographers documented the great depression for the Farm Security Administration and established documentary and journalistic photography as an art form.

Lange’s photograph of a migrant mother has come to represent the project. It was part of a series she shot of the mother and her family in 1936.

Gallery and exhibit Information and hours can be found here.

LVC will also host a photography workshop: “Black and White Portraits: Capturing the Human Presence” by Andrew Bale. The workshop will be held in Lynch Memorial Hall, Room 185, February 16, 2019, from 9 a.m. To 3 p.m. Andy’s work is exceptional and he is also an expert printer. He has worked with the National Geographic Legacy Fund in documenting the Ese’Eja Cultural Mapping project in south-eastern Peru, and is represented in several permanent collections.

Beyond Global – Refining YOUR Images

I will be offering a class at the Hershey Library on Saturday morning October 13th. Rather than the usual demonstrations of how I made a particular image or used a special technique, this will be a class where your images are the source material. Requirements for participation are that you bring at least three images on a jump drive, including brackets if available, and be willing to have your images used for demonstration. You will be given the final result as a psd on your drive so you can study what was done after the class.

Processing YOUR Images

Photography starts with seeing something interesting. Then we capture it with our cameras and either preserve it as a personal memory or share it with others. Anything is fair game when it is a personal memory. Sharing images can be casual, but more often than not it is to make an impression on others, either as an artistic statement, or possibly in a competition.

Digital capture is pretty straight forward and today’s cameras do a pretty good job of making a good image. Moving a good image to something better is where craft enters and the end game is your personal art.