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.

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.

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.

Photoshop Screen Views – Navigation

Happy 2020. When you open Photoshop the Standard Screen Mode view includes the equivalent to the “consolidate all to tabs” arrangement. If you have multiple images open you can see them as tabs just below the options bar. The icon at the very bottom of the tool bar as well as the “F” key on the keyboard allow you to cycle through three different screen modes. You can also choose screen modes from the View menu. The screen can be less than the full size of the monitor in this mode.

The second screen mode is Full Screen with Menu Bar, and is my favorite working space. Any open images in tabs other than the working image are hidden and the info at the bottom of the screen also disappears. The screen maximizes on the monitor and if the rulers are off, only the menu bar and the tool options appear above the image. This is a nice clean space to work in without distractions.

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

Essentials – Photography and Processing

The Hershey Library program on Digital Photography and Processing Essentials is this coming Saturday, April 6th starting at 9:30 a.m. You can sign up at the library or simply come to the door.

Essentials includes setting up your camera for the best capture, setting up Lightroom and ACR for best processing, and more.