A Photographers Guide To RAW in Photoshop

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Welcome
It may not have an exciting name, but Raw can have
a revolutionary effect on your digital photography. When you
shoot a photo in Raw on your digital SLR, your camera
preserves the scene exactly as it was shot. With the help of
Photoshop (or Photoshop Elements) and its Camera Raw
plug-in, you can turn your photos into crisply realised images,
full of vivid colour and rich tones. Only Raw lets you do this –
and we’re here to help you master this amazing technology.
In this guide, you’ll discover why Raw is such a powerful option
to have, and how to make sure your computer and display are
ready to take advantage of it. You’ll explore the features offered
by Camera Raw before completing a series of workshops
designed to help you understand and take control of the
powerful tools and techniques the software offers.
Through our step-by-step workshops and plain-English advice,
we’ll help you get the best from your Raw photos, whether
you’re a seasoned pro or an enthusiast looking to take the next
step. Your companion DVD contains all the image files you’ll
need to try our projects, plus over nine hours of video tutorials!
Richard Hill, Editor
Future Publishing Ltd.

30 Monmouth Street, Bath BA1 2BW, UK
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184 104 52
200
172
72
Contents Enhance your outdoor scenes

Fine-tine landscape colour and tone
68
72
Part 1: Introducing Raw Improve skin tones in your portraits 74

Combine Raw shots 76
The Raw advantage: why Raw is the best photo format 10
Merge shots with a mask 80
The Raw contenders: Adobe Camera Raw and its rivals 12
Create an HDR landscape photo 82
Don’t gamble with colour: how to see accurate colour 22
Speed up your workflow 86
Calibrate in seconds: the fast way to adjust your display 31
Find a faster way to process images 89
Ensure accurate on-screen colours: calibrate your monitor 32
Make selective tonal adjustments 92
Update your Raw editor: download and install ACR 35
Make your images sparkling clean 94
Part 2: Welcome to Camera Raw

10 reasons to go Raw: quick tricks to try out 38
Part 4: Exposure
Improve exposure for a balanced shot 100
Using Camera Raw: explore the interface 42
Control a high contrast 102
Get more from Raw: quick tips and techniques 50
Enhance tones and transform your shots 104
Read a histogram: the graph at the heart of ACR 52
Rescue under-exposed shots 108
Make selective adjustments 111
Part 3: First Steps Explore Raw graduations 112
Use Camera Raw in Photoshop & Elements 56 Improve exposure in low-light shots 114
Get higher-quality photos with Raw 62 Hold on to details 116
Give a portrait a digital makeover 66 Recover blow-out highlight detail 118
4 A photographer’s guide to… Raw in Photoshop WorldMags.net

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31
134 148
Part 5: Corrections Part 8: Effects

Reduce noise in low-level images 122 Recreate a split-tone effect 172
Tackle lens-related problems 126 Create a two-tone landscape 174
Use Raw editing tools to rescue hazy shots 129 Emulate the look of slide film 176
Give a landscape a golden glow 179
Part 6: Colour Create the perfect sunrise 182

Turn day into dusk 184
Enhance colour and saturation 134
Make a moonlit scene 188
Achieve perfect colours in your photos 136
Boost car light trails with tinting 190
Become a Raw colour master 139
Get vivid colour in your photos 142
Boost colours for impact 144 Part 9: Raw Projects
Capture classic action photographs 194
Part 7: Mono Shooting flash-lit action images 200

Great HDR effects without the hassle 206
How to go mono: ACR and the alternatives in Photoshop 148
Creating stunning low-light seascapes 212
Convert a landscape to monochrome 152
Photographing buildings at dusk 218
Get better black-and-white in Photoshop CS4 156
Prepare your portrait for mono 158
On your DVD
Enhance mono portraits 162 On
Enhance light and shadow 164 the disc
Look out for this icon
There’s over nine hours of video
workshops and sample images to
Add impact with high-contrast mono 166 to view folder details follow each step on your free disc 224
WorldMags.netA photographer’s guide to… Raw in Photoshop 5

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Meet our photographers
Meet four of the talented photographers who shot the images inside this guide,
and discover how they used Raw and Photoshop to perfect their photos
Ali Jennings Chris George
After shooting this still life in colour as normal, Ali Chris took a succession of shots of former Formula
used the advanced greyscale tools in Camera Raw 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton while on location.
to convert the photo to monochrome. By studying the Back in the studio, he took advantage of Camera
way individual hues appear in greyscale, Ali was able Raw’s batch-processing tools to process the entire
to give his mono conversion a rich range of tones, series of images simultaneously, saving himself hours
with strong contrast. See page 164 for more details. of effort. See page 89 for more details.
Paul Newman George Cairns

Paul used the full range of adjustment tools in The weather conditions weren’t ideal when George
Camera Raw for this shot. He adjusted the white took this landscape shot. In the studio, he used
balance, and used the clipping warning system to Raw’s ability to store a wide range of photographic
establish the optimum exposure amd contrast for information to render the same shot at two different
this image before bringing out the colours – all inside exposures, which he then merged in Photoshop to
Camera Raw. See page 60 for more details. show the full range. See page 80 for more details.
How to use this guide

The workshops in this guide show you provided free of charge with copies of Other software packages are able to
how to open and process digital photos Photoshop and Photoshop Elements. open Raw images. The general creative
shot in the Raw format. Most current You can also download the latest and technical principles outlined in this
and recent digital SLR cameras are able version of the plug-in via the Adobe guide apply to these other packages,
to capture images in this format, as well website (www.adobe.com). Installing although menu commands and tool
as a few compact cameras. You can the latest version is recommended, but names are likely to be different.
follow the workshops if your camera you should ensure that your software Camera Raw in Photoshop Elements
doesn’t support Raw: the images you and version is compatible before you doesn’t offer as broad a range of tools
need are provided on the DVD that install. Compatibility details are provided as it does in Photoshop. Most of the
accompanies the guide. at the Adobe website. See page 35 to workshops in this guide apply to both
The software used in the workshops find out how to download and install the programs, but some require Photoshop
is Adobe Camera Raw, a plug-in that’s latest version of Camera Raw. to be installed.

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Introducing Raw
1
Find out why you should be using Raw, and
how to get your computer and your copy of
Photoshop ready to work in this format
The Raw advantage: why Raw is the best photo format 10
The Raw contenders: Adobe Camera Raw and its rivals 12
Don’t gamble with colour: how to see accurate colour 22
Calibrate in seconds: the fast way to adjust your display 31
Ensure accurate on-screen colours: calibrate your monitor 32
Update your Raw editor: download and install ACR 35
WorldMags.netA photographer’s guide to… Raw in Photoshop 9

Introducing Raw
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The Raw advantage
Find out why you should shoot in Raw whenever possible, and how
Adobe Camera Raw is able to help you create great photos
T
he term ‘Raw file’ refers to the their own proprietary Raw formats, such as are available: we look at some of these
data actually captured by your .crw or .cr2 for Canon, .nef for Nikon and overleaf. Many of the principles we talk
digital camera’s sensor, without .orf for Olympus.) about throughout this guide are applicable
any form of processing in-camera. Photoshop and Photoshop Elements to these other packages, although the
Not all cameras offer the option of saving are unable to open Raw files directly in specific tools and commands you’d use
shots as Raw files: broadly speaking, you the same way they would normal images: are different.
should expect digital SLR models to offer instead, Adobe provides a plug-in called
the facility, but only a handful of compact Adobe Camera Raw (often shortened in Raw: pros and cons
cameras support the format. this guide to ACR) with both programs. As we’ve seen, a Raw file describes the
If your camera doesn’t support Raw, ACR’s job is to render the data inside light that hits the camera sensor. This light
or if you set it to JPEG instead (still the a Raw file into an image intelligible to the is recorded in a very ‘literal’, linear fashion:
most commonly used format), the camera eye. When you are using either Photoshop where twice as many photons hit the
processes the Raw data itself as you take or Elements and navigate to a Raw file sensor, twice the level of data is recorded.
a shot. The camera’s built-in algorithms using the File > Open command, ACR What this means is that if your camera
discard precious image data before you When you edit activates automatically and presents the captures six stops of dynamic range (for
a Raw file, the
even get to open the shot, giving you changes you image, as described in the Raw file. modern cameras, about the minimum
less data to work with in Photoshop or make are stored The Adobe Camera Raw plug-in is range from the darkest tone in an image
Elements. That’s why you should set your separately to regularly updated to add support for new to the lightest), half of the Raw data it
camera to use Raw if possible. preserve the cameras as well as new features, and is records is dedicated to the brightest stop,
Strictly speaking, Raw files aren’t images original document. free to download from the Adobe website. a quarter to the next stop, an eighth to the
at all: they’re just data about the light that There’s one version that works in both next and so on. In other words, there’s far
struck the various photo receptors on the Photoshop and Photoshop Elements, more information in a Raw file about the
camera sensor. This means that the image although some tools aren’t visible in highlights than the midtones, and there’s
editor you use after you transfer your the latter. See page 35 for our guide to relatively little about the shadows.
photos to your computer has to be able to downloading the latest version of ACR and Every seasoned photographer knows
recognise the distinctive Raw format. (Note installing it on your computer. that blown highlights with no recoverable
that ‘Raw’ is a generic term, not a single Although this guide focuses on detail look nasty, and it can be tempting
file type like .jpg or .tif. Different camera using Adobe Camera Raw inside either to underexpose when you’re shooting to
makers – and often different models – use Photoshop or Elements, other options be on the safe side. However, because
less data is captured at the shadow end
of a Raw file to start with, brightening
underexposed areas is always less
successful than darkening bright areas,
which have a better ratio of image data
to noise: lightening dark areas rapidly
Ali Jennings

Raw basics
WorldMags.net in ACR. Instead, if you click Open Image
to open the processed image for further
work in Photoshop or Photoshop Elements
Digital cameras (to use features not available in the Adobe
can distort the Camera Raw plug-in, such as layers or
colour of a sunset filters), your edits are applied to create a
(left). Shooting in copy of the image for you to work on; if you
Raw yields a far click Done instead, your edits are saved
more accurate alongside the file. They’re automatically
representation of
the scene (right). reapplied if you reopen it, but you can
remove them and revert to the ‘as-shot’
brings out noise and causes posterisation tweaks designed to add a bit more punch image at any time, or alter them to create
or ‘banding’ of tones and colours, even to the average shot, with a reasonably different interpretations of it, like making
in ACR. The best strategy when shooting even distribution of tones across the range new prints from a film negative.
in Raw is to ‘expose for the highlights’ as from darkest to lightest: a modest boost In this Photographer’s Guide, we’ll show
far as you can without overexposing, then to the Blacks and Brightness, a touch you how to use all of these tools and
darken down if need be, pushing detail of contrast enhancement, plus a hint controls, plus some ways to work more
down into the shadows. of sharpening and noise reduction. quickly and efficiently in ACR, including
Raw files are bigger than JPEGs (up to The processed image is now ready for useful keystroke shortcuts. The aim is to
four times bigger in some cases), which you to open into Photoshop or Elements – get your shots as close as possible to your
means you’ll need to take a bigger memory but to be honest, any old Raw converter, desired result before turning to Photoshop
card with you on a shoot, and you’ll need even your camera’s built-in system, could or Photoshop Elements. Indeed, in many
extra space for long-term storage. Because do this much, and you’re getting little if any cases, you might find ACR’s tools are so
Raw files are bigger, the camera takes benefit from the extra depth of tonal and powerful and effective that ACR isn’t just an
longer to save each shot than JPEGs colour detail that shooting Raw has given intermediate step, but all you need to get
(even allowing for JPEGs being processed you. The real advantage of Adobe Camera your shots perfect!
in-camera – which shows how crude JPEG Raw lies in the powerful tools it offers
processing must be: it’s faster than just you to customise the process: to alter
saving a Raw file). This means that Raw the settings that were used to capture
isn’t ideal if you need to take a set of shots the image, and to ‘develop’ your digital
quickly, say to capture fast-moving action in negative in the way you want, instead of
Burst mode. relying on generic adjustments.
As a rule, you’ll work your way through
Working with Camera Raw ACR’s tabs and the sliders within them
Much of the time, the Camera Raw more or less in order, although you’ll find
workflow is extremely straightforward – yourself returning to sliders as necessary
potentially even foolproof. As soon as to fine-tune or readjust them where other
you try to open a Raw file, ACR leaps into edits have had a knock-on effect. As you
action to process it. Without prompting or work, you can monitor the effects that your
configuration, it applies a default set of edits are having using the histogram at the
top of ACR’s right-hand panel. You can also
activate clipping previews, which show you
exactly where tonal detail is being lost and
thus help you get exposure spot-on.
Like a ‘digital negative’, your Raw file
remains untouched by any edits you make The histogram:
your new best friend
As you work in Adobe Camera Raw, you’ll be guided
largely by what looks right (assuming that your monitor
is trustworthy – see pages 22 to 34 for our guide to setting
up your monitor). The histogram at the top of the right-
hand slider panel is an invaluable cross-check, however: it
shows you what’s happening to the image data, so you can
assess the effects that your edits are having and identify
what more may be needed.
A histogram is a graph of the brightness or tonal
intensity values of pixels in the image, from shadows at
the left to highlights at the right. The height of the graph at
any point indicates the relative number of pixels with that
intensity value. The combined channels are represented
as a white histogram, which is your foremost indication
of exposure. In a tonally well-balanced image, the graph
should taper off to virtually nothing before hitting either
end. A cut-off spike in the graph at either end indicates
that some data is being ‘clipped’ (forced to solid black or
pure white), meaning that fine tonal detail is being lost,
typically in burnt-out highlights or underexposed shadows.
See page 52 for more details on the histogram area in
Camera Raw, and look for advice on using this and the
clipping system throughout this guide.
A photographer’s guide to… Raw in Photoshop 11

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Introducing Raw
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Ali Jennings
There are plenty of great options for editing Raw images: we survey the
field and help you decide which software is best for your needs

Raw software options
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T
his Photographer’s Guide focuses on Adobe Camera Raw on your computer – and edit the Raw photos you take with their
the use of Adobe Camera Raw as your or even, in time, replace it. cameras (page 16). Related to this category is
main tool for editing Raw images, but your third option: third-party Raw converters
it’s not the only option available to Four paths to take (page 18). These are typically aimed at serious
you. Indeed, if you own a digital SLR camera, Although there are plenty Raw image-editing photographers with a strong technical leaning,
it’s likely that you already own at least one tools available, your choice boils down to four and can offer some distinctive tools and
alternative to ACR. distinct categories. First is Adobe Camera Raw working methods.
Here, we survey the field of Raw conversion itself (page 14): the plug-in that you get for The fourth and final option is the relatively
tools and explain the difference your choice of free with Photoshop or Photoshop Elements is new breed of combined photo browser and
software can make to the way you work and acknowledged as one of the best Raw editing image editor (page 20). Although the likes of
the results you get during your image-editing. tools you can find. Lightroom and Aperture support any common
It’s possible that as you explore the potential The second option is one you may already image file format, Raw is where they can truly
of Raw-based photography further, one of own: camera manufacturers typically offer make a difference to your photography. Read
these tools may take its place alongside stand-alone programs with the ability to open on to find out which option suits you best...

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Introducing Raw
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Adobe Camera Raw
It’s the default Raw conversion tool for Photoshop and Elements users,
and the star of this guide. Here’s how this powerful tool works...
P
hotoshop does not work directly with
Raw files. They have to go through
a separate conversion process first,
and this is the job of Adobe Camera
Raw. You don’t have to use Adobe Camera
Raw, and there are various reasons why you
may not want to, which we’ll cover here and
over the next few pages. Some are related
to image quality, some are down to everyday
practicality and your workflow – your own
favoured method of working.
The most significant difference between
Adobe Camera Raw and other Raw converters
is that ACR is a plug-in, which is automatically
activated when you try to open a Raw file
from within Photoshop. This makes things
very much simpler because you don’t have to
start a separate program, carry out your Raw
conversions and produce regular image files
before you can work on them.
Photo enhancement
In most other respects, though, Adobe
Camera Raw is just like any other Raw
converter. It takes the Raw data and converts Operating a plug-in inside Photoshop, Adobe Camera Raw is now so powerful that it’s
it into an editable image file. The difference practically an image editor in itself, offering controllable black-and-white conversions
here is that it passes it straight to Photoshop (seen here), targeted adjustments, digital grads, curves, levels and more.
rather than saving it out as a file (though you
can do that too). As part of the conversion Your original Raw file remains unaltered by any a ‘sidecar’ .xmp file. This is, in effect, a series
process, Adobe Camera Raw offers a range of this. The processed image file you create of processing instructions. The next time you
of tools for enhancing your photos: if you’re is a copy. In fact, it’s not possible to modify open that Raw file in Adobe Camera Raw, it will
using ACR under the full Photoshop, these Raw files with Adobe Camera Raw, although look up its database or load the associated
are so sophisticated that you may not need some camera makers’ own Raw conversion .xmp file too, as long as they haven’t been
to carry out any further work in Photoshop at programs may be able to do this. separated. Adobe Bridge uses these .xmp files
all. If you’re running ACR under Elements, your Instead, Adobe Camera Raw saves all to display thumbnails of Raw files.
options are a little more limited, although it the edits and enhancements you make Adobe Camera Raw is both effective
remains a powerful and useful tool. separately, either in its own database or as and convenient, but it shares the main
ADOBE CAMERA RAW: WORKFLOW

Adobe Camera Raw acts as a Photoshop plug-in that automatically directly from the Adobe Camera Raw window if you don’t need to make
intercepts any Raw files when you open them from within Photoshop. any more changes and want to bypass Photoshop altogether.
The normal workflow, then, is to adjust the Raw file in Adobe Camera It’s also possible, by the way, to launch Adobe Camera Raw directly
Raw, which then passes the image on to Photoshop, where you carry from the Creative Suite program Adobe Bridge, carry out any
out any final adjustments before saving the photo as a regular image enhancements you wish and save an image file from there, again
file in the JPEG, TIFF or PSD format. It is also possible to save files bypassing Photoshop.
Raw file Image file

Adobe Camera Raw Photoshop

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disadvantage of Raw conversion programs in

general: if the converted file isn’t exactly how
you want it, you have to go back, make your
changes and then convert or export a new
version. This isn’t difficult to do – the edits
are saved separately, remember, so they can
easily be removed or modified at any time –
and this workflow has the advantage that you
can produce several different ‘interpretations’
of the same Raw original.
This does mean, however, that you can
rapidly fill your hard disk space with files, all
identically named except for the filename
extensions: you start off with your original
Raw files and then add converted versions,
which if you save in .dng format can be even
larger than the original Raw files. So for each
Raw file you have the original file, at least one You may be used to seeing Adobe Camera Raw pop-up when you open a Raw file
converted image, plus the .xmp ‘sidecar’ file in Photoshop, but you can also open pictures in ACR directly from within Bridge by
– which is not large in itself, but needs to be right-clicking on them. Pictures which have already been edited in ACR show a small
kept with the other files and thus adds to the symbol to the top right. (Look to the right of the open menu in this screenshot.)
clutter and confusion.
There is an alternative to this approach,
which is explained in the section on Lightroom
and Aperture (page 20). Here, the Raw ADOBE CAMERA RAW: PROS AND CONS
adjustments are made ‘live’, the settings are
stored within the application itself for future Pros Cons
use, and a converted image is exported ■ The widest support for different digital ■ Does not preserve cameras-specific
only when it’s needed. It saves a lot of hard camera Raw formats settings such as picture styles
disk space and a lot of time, though many ■ Integrates perfectly with Photoshop ■ Not always the sharpest conversions
photographers may still prefer the traditional ■ Good highlight recovery ■ Running ACR under Elements gives you
way of working. ■ Excellent editing tools, including selective fewer features than under Photoshop
ACR’s biggest benefit, however, is that adjustments and graduated filters under ■ Once you’ve opened the converted file
it’s free if you already own Photoshop or Photoshop CS4 in Photoshop, you can’t return it to ACR; to
Elements, making it the perfect place to start ■ The original Raw file remains untouched by change the settings you must re-convert
learning about the potential of shooting and all ACR edits and adjustments the original file from ACR
editing photos in the powerful Raw format.
Normally you might click Open Image once you’ve made your There are many ways to make use of the extra image
changes in Adobe Camera Raw, which passes the file on to information that you get in Raw files when you convert them.
Photoshop. But you can also save the image as a file directly, For example, you can choose the wider Adobe RGB colour
using a new name or a suffix, or click Done to save your space, save 16-bit instead of 8-bit files and resample them to
adjustments but not open the converted image in Photoshop. different sizes.

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Introducing Raw
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Camera Raw tools
Your camera may come with Raw conversion software as standard, or the
maker may offer it as a paid-for extra. Why not use this...?
M
ost camera manufacturers offer Olympus camera
their own software to use with owners get a
Raw photos taken with their own copy of Olympus
models, as a service to their Master with their
customers. Unlike Adobe Camera Raw, which purchase, but this
opens automatically as a Photoshop plug-in, has only basic Raw
these usually act as separate programs. conversion tools.
You open your Raw files with the software, The alternative is
convert them into JPEGs or TIFFs (say) Olympus Studio,
and then open them in Photoshop, as our which has to be
workflow diagram indicates. bought separately.
Like Raw converters in general, the camera
makers’ Raw conversion software will turn the
data captured by the sensor into an editable
image file, and as part of this process, they
offer ways to optimise this data.
Raw files include much more image
information than is ever seen in the JPEGs
produced by the camera. For example, the
sensor records all the colour information in the
scene, and what the camera’s white balance
setting does is filter out the colour information Landscape mode, for example, enhances blue This is the point about the maker’s own Raw
required by the chosen setting and discard skies in a way that has no equivalent in simple conversion software. It may be cruder than
the rest. Raw files, however, retain all the saturation and contrast terms). big-name third-party tools, and in particular it
original colour information, which can be ‘re- All Raw converters can ‘re-process’ white may not offer the extremely useful highlight
interpreted’ by the Raw conversion software balance, sharpness, contrast and colour recovery of Adobe Camera Raw and other
using whatever white balance setting you adjustments and, to a degree, the tonal range tools. But it will faithfully reproduce the
choose to apply. of the image. (The sensor will capture a wider camera’s own picture adjustments, and
dynamic range than a JPEG image can display.) usually enable you to choose different
Picture styles But what happens to the settings you applied ‘camera’ settings respectively.
The same applies to saturation, contrast and on the camera? Third-party Raw converters
sharpness settings. In fact, many camera ignore these (with the exception of the white True to the shot
makers offer a selection of ‘picture styles’ (as balance, though they may even interpret this This is one of two very good reasons for
Canon calls them) or similar options which differently). But the settings are embedded in considering the camera maker’s own Raw
consist of preset saturation, contrast and the Raw file regardless, and the maker’s own conversion software. It will remain true to the
sharpness settings, though some seem to Raw software will load them as the default colour rendition, tonal and colour qualities
involve other, subtler, adjustments (Canon’s processing parameters for the Raw image. of the camera itself and its custom settings.
CAMERA RAW TOOLS: WORKFLOW

Camera makers’ own Raw conversion software is best regarded as file before you open it in Photoshop, whereas with ACR the conversion
a separate application that you use to convert your Raw files to JPEGs takes place as the file is opened. This may restrict the extent to which
or TIFFs, prior to opening them in Photoshop for any other editing work you can edit the image and retain its full detail. However, this workflow
(although some Raw converters may operate as Photoshop plug-ins). might suit you if you find you can make most of the everyday image
That’s the main difference between this and the Adobe Camera Raw enhancements you need without Photoshop, and simply want to use
workflow (previous spread). This time, you create a converted image Photoshop to edit those images that need a little more.
Raw file Image file

Camera maker’s Raw Converter Photoshop

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Nikon’s ‘official’ Raw converter is Capture NX2, which is Sony Digital SLRs get Sony’s Image Data Converter Raw
actually a very capable and interesting image-editor in its own conversion software, which is supplied with the camera.
right. Unfortunately, it’s a paid-for extra (around £120), and It looks and sounds technical, but it does a pretty good job,
the only program you get free with Nikon D-SLRs is the much so it’s worth a look, even if you subsequently decide Adobe
more basic Nikon Capture NX. Camera Raw is better.
It might not necessarily give you the best

outright image quality and it may be less
convenient, but it will exactly reproduce the
camera’s own settings.
The other reason for considering your
camera maker’s own software is related:
camera makers naturally claim their own
software produce the best results. Different
manufacturers – often different models of
camera – use different Raw formats, which
is why third-party converters such as Adobe
Camera Raw need to be updated regularly
to handle files from new camera models.
Manufacturers claim that nobody knows
their cameras’ characteristics better than
they do, and that they can therefore produce
converters best optimised for their own
cameras. For example, Canon’s DPP software
includes automatic fixes for common lens
distortions specific to Canon lenses.
Free or not?
This aside, though, it’s impossible to predict
whether the final results will be better:
because Raw files contain the actual data
captured by the camera, in theory you should
be able to manipulate it almost without
restriction until the resulting image is exactly Canon’s Digital Photo Professional software comes free with its EOS SLRs and is
the way you want it, whether that matches actually a rather good Raw converter. It’s not so good at highlight recovery, but it
what you saw through the viewfinder or does have automatic chromatic aberration and distortion correction for pictures shot
reflects a more creative interpretation. In this with Canon lenses. It’s well worth trying out if you own a Canon EOS.
view, it’s the conversion software’s power
CAMERA RAW TOOLS: PROS AND CONS

and ease of use that matter, not how well it
might replicate in-camera processing, the
limitations of which shooting Raw is designed
to circumvent in the first place. Pros Cons
The other consideration is cost, though ■ They may be free, so are worth trying for ■ You’re generally stuck with a time-
this does depend on the maker. Canon that reason alone! consuming workflow where conversion is
supplies its own Digital Photo Professional ■ They should accurately reflect the colour, a separate process
software free with any models that can tone and white balance settings on the ■ The software is often crude and lacking
shoot Raw files, but Nikon sells its Capture camera, because they are developed by the in-depth editing tools
NX2 software separately. You should check people who best know the cameras ■ Not all Raw converters can recover the
the bundled software that comes with your ■ For the same reason, they may be better extra highlight detail that makes Raw files
camera to find out. Our advice generally would optimised for the camera’s sensor than so useful
be to try any free Raw converters, but stick Adobe Camera Raw ■ Sometimes you get only a basic converter
to Adobe Camera Raw otherwise. (It’s also ■ They may include automatic distortion and with the camera and have to pay extra for
free, remember, leaving aside the cost of chromatic aberration correction the full version
Photoshop or Elements itself.)

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Introducing Raw
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Third-party
Raw converters
The camera maker’s own Raw converter may match the camera’s settings
more exactly, but a third-party Raw converter may produce better quality...
E
ssentially, Raw files are the closest You can use the camera maker’s own Raw
digital equivalent to film negatives converter and get perfectly predictable
– and if that’s so, then you’d have results, or you can use a third-party
to say that Raw converters are the application to try to improve on them.
digital developer. Traditionally, black-and- Third-party Raw converters often have more
white film photographers could use many sophisticated tools, a more streamlined
different developer formulations for their interface and workflow, and compatibility
films and get subtly different results each with a wide range of cameras so that you
time, and we’re certainly at the same point don’t have to change your software when you
now with Raw converters. change cameras.
The black art of Raw

Raw conversion is a complex process. It’s
not simply a case of converting one format to
another. Different Raw converters will often
use different ‘demosaicing’ routines, for a
start. Demosaicing is the process whereby
There are many independent Raw
the red, green and blue pixel data captured by
converters on the market, including
the sensor is interpolated into full-colour data.
Bibble Pro (www.bibblelabs.com).
This is something of a black art, and it has
The trick is to choose the converter
a noticeable impact on the rendition of very
that suits the way you work and not
fine detail. It’s noticeable, for example, that
concentrate solely on minute differences
Capture One’s demosaicing process seems
in image quality.
able to extract perceptibly crisper fine detail
than others, including Adobe Camera Raw,
DxO Optics Pro isn’t just a Raw though the levels and type of sharpening also Each Raw converter produces a slightly
converter. It uses custom-made camera play a part. different tonal quality and colour rendition.
and lens profiles, downloaded alongside On the other hand, Adobe Camera Raw It might, with enough experimentation, be
the software, to automatically correct is very good at highlight recovery, and the possible to make the results from one look the
any distortion, chromatic aberration and dynamic range it can extract from Fujifilm’s same as the results from another, but when
vignetting, and boasts many manual SuperCCD SR sensors (FinePix S3 Pro and S5 used ‘out of the box’ they do tend to have
corrections too. Pro) is breathtaking. different ‘looks’. They also react differently to
THIRD-PARTY RAW CONVERTERS: WORKFLOW

The workflow for third-party Raw converters is the same in principle as enhancing regular image files too, and Capture One plays quite heavily
it is for the Raw converters that are typically provided with the D-SLR on its browsing, rating and metadata functions. This could be a good
camera you buy: usually you would convert your Raw files in batches thing or a bad thing, depending on how you like to organise your
and save them out as JPEGs or TIFFs, ready for use in other programs images. These browsing/organising tools are of limited value, for
like Photoshop. But the Raw software may have other, broader example, if you already have a system based around the Elements
functions. Capture One and DxO Optics Pro are also used for Organiser, Lightroom, or Adobe Bridge.
Raw file Image file

Third-party Raw converter Photoshop

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They all do the same job, but different
Raw converters have distinctly different
‘looks’. It’s worth experimenting with
a few to discover whether one has
a particular tone and colour rendition
that you like – and doesn’t require
endless tweaking to get there.
different cameras, depending on how good

the maker’s profile for that particular model
happens to be.
Makers’ own Raw converters have the
advantage of remaining true to the settings
and colour renditions of the cameras
themselves. You don’t get this with third-
party Raw converters, but you often get
other qualities which may prove more useful.
DxO Optics Pro, for example, comes with
dedicated camera and lens profiles which can
automatically correct lens defects including
chromatic aberration, distortion and vignetting
(corner shading). These profiles are created
in a lab from test samples; they’re not just a
set of adjustments you have to figure out and
apply manually as you would in Photoshop’s
Lens Correction dialog. (In fact, this is a
feature of Capture One 5 Pro, too.)
Easy workflow
The other advantage of third-party Raw
converters is that they may prove easier to
integrate into your workflow. You may find
the results superior, or you may simply prefer
working with them.
The workflow aspect is important. You’re
likely to be converting dozens of Raw files at
a time, after all, so the quality of the individual
conversions does have to be set against the
convenience and speed of the whole process.
This is where Adobe Camera Raw (and
Lightroom) are particularly effective.
THIRD-PARTY RAW CONVERTERS: PROS AND CONS

Pros Cons
■ They may produce better quality than the ■ They cost extra, over and above the cost
camera maker’s own Raw converter of the camera and Photoshop
■ They work with many different cameras, so ■ They ignore camera-specific settings like
you don’t have to learn a new program if you picture styles
swap cameras ■ They represent an extra processing step,
Phase One’s Capture One is available ■ Some include automatic chromatic which could complicate your workflow
in an inexpensive standard form and a aberration, lens distortion and vignetting ■ However good the conversions, you
more sophisticated Pro version, which correction options may still wish you could quickly test out
includes lens correction profiles. Both ■ They may offer more advanced image a different adjustment without having to
are exceptionally good at extracting editing and enhancement tools re-process the image
every last ounce of detail.

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Introducing Raw
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Integrated browsers
and Raw converters
Using a separate Raw converter adds an extra step, but there are programs
out there which can integrate the process seamlessly into your workflow
A
ll three of the approaches we’ve Adobe’s Lightroom
looked at so far have a distinct offers powerful
start point and end point: your image-editing
original Raw file is converted into tools, but you can
an editable image file. It’s an additional also send files
phase in your workflow, and it’s not one you to an external
can reverse or modify, in the sense that you application like
can’t ‘unravel’ the finished image bit-by- Photoshop. Once
bit to change the conversion parameters: you’ve made
you have to go back to the start. If the your changes in
conversion produced by Adobe Camera Raw, Photoshop and
for example, isn’t quite right, you can reopen saved the file,
the Raw file, tweak the settings you used, it’s automatically
and save out a new image with these new added to the
settings, but you can’t take an image from Lightroom library
Photoshop back into ACR again to fine-tune and ‘stacked’ with
the conversion. There’s an unconverted and the original.
a converted image, and the two are distinct.
This is where Adobe’s Photoshop Lightroom,
Apple’s Aperture and even Google’s Picasa
come in. These programs treat Raw files,
JPEGs and TIFFs the same. They apply the
same ‘non-destructive’ editing adjustments In Lightroom and Aperture, the original image database and displays their effects in real
to all of them. It’s like the principle of is never altered and no new images are time on the thumbnails and previews.
adjustment layers in Photoshop, but created unless you use an external editing The adjustments are stored processes,
extended to everything you do, and with all program or ‘export’ an edited version. Instead, not images made up of pixels. You can create
the adjustments working in parallel rather the program library stores a reference to the many versions of the same image, and none of
than as a linear stack of layers. (Actually, in location of the original file, plus a thumbnail these is a separate file. Each one has its own
Picasa any adjustments do have to be undone and a larger-sized preview of what it looks like. thumbnail and preview in the database, but
in the order they were applied, but it still When you make adjustments, the program in fact it’s just a different set of ‘instructions‘,
‘remembers’ all of them.) library records these adjustments in its each of which can be re-adjusted at any time.
BROWSER/CONVERTERS: WORKFLOW
The workflow for combined cataloguing/Raw
conversion software is much shorter
because previously separate steps are
merged into one. For a start, Raw files are
not treated any differently from JPEGs, TIFFs
and PSD files, so there’s no separate
conversion process. Second, none of the
other processes we’ve looked at so far take
cataloguing tools into account, but here,
they’re integral to the software. Third, you Photoshop
never have to save your work or create new
files: your changes are stored automatically Raw file
in the software, and you create new files
only when you need them, via an ‘Export’
All-in-one cataloguing/
option. Initially, software like this may seem
conversion tool
more complicated, but by streamlining and
integrating your workflow it makes things a
lot simpler in other ways which aren’t Image file
immediately obvious.

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Mac users can use Aperture, which looks very different from The editing tools might look different on your screen, but
Lightroom but actually works along the same principles, Lightroom actually uses the same Raw processing engine as
offering high-end cataloguing tools, sophisticated image Adobe Camera Raw. Whatever you can do in ACR you can do in
enhancement and Raw conversion. Lightroom is also available Lightroom, and vice versa, and the results should be identical.
in a Mac version, so you get a choice between two top-quality So your choice between Lightroom and Camera Raw is more
cataloguing/conversion tools. a question of workflow than of relative image quality.
In other words, when you make changes to the The key point about these applications as and particularly recovering highlights, though
Exposure, Levels, White Balance or any other far as Raw files are concerned is that Raw you need to keep an eye on midtone contrast
setting, the sliders stay in the same position conversion is no longer a ‘sealed’ process with and saturation in the process.
when you close the application and they’re a start point and an end point. Instead, your That said, choosing a program like
still there when you re-open it and go back to Raw conversions (if that’s still the right word) Lightroom or Aperture over a conventional Raw
that image. remain ‘live’ throughout. You can adjust any converter or the Adobe Camera Raw plug-in
The only time Lightroom or Aperture actually one of the conversion parameters at any time, is a workflow decision as much as a quality
creates a new file is when you export the and they never become permanent. decision. Lightroom and Aperture are designed
image for use in another application. And here, from the ground up as integrated workflow
you are genuinely creating a separate new A good idea solutions for photographers, combining
file rather than saving over the original (much This is an excellent solution because it photo-editing with photo management: all
like saving a converted image from the Adobe means you get all the advantages of Raw files the Raw images are stored in the program’s
Camera Raw plug-in). without the separate conversion process. database and accessed via the program’s own
These programs share the pros and cons of browser. It’s a new way of working that won’t
third-party Raw converters in that they don’t suit everyone; many will still prefer to create
precisely match the camera’s own settings, converted JPEG, TIFF or PSD files from their
but they may well improve on the overall Raw files, store them alongside their Raw files
quality of the results. Lightroom shares the and use conventional photo browsing tools
underlying Raw conversion technology used to keep them organised. Download the trial
in Adobe Camera Raw, so it can be very versions of these innovative packages, and
impressive at maximising the tonal range see what you think...
BROWSER/CONVERTERS: PROS AND CONS

Pros Cons
■ Raw conversions can be tweaked in the ■ Not everyone will like using image
smallest detail at any time database tools – ordinary file/folder browsers
■ Raw files, JPEGs, TIFFs and PSD files are like Adobe Bridge are simpler to grasp
all treated the same, so you can use the ■ If you’re not systematic about the way you
same tools and process JPEGs without losing handle files, it’s possible for the database
detail until you export and the original files to become separated
■ Less hard disk space is used than with ■ Adjusted images must be exported as new
Google’s free Picasa can read most other options because the software creates files before they become available to other
digital SLR Raw formats. Its Raw ‘virtual’ versions, not new files image-editing programs
conversions aren’t always the best, ■ Your workflow is simpler because there ■ Regular backups are vital because all your
but it can at least display Raw files are fewer steps photo enhancements are stored in a single
and carry out basic enhancements. Its ■ Handling Raw files is part of your whole database file
strength is that it’s really a file/folder workflow, not an additional step ■ You‘re committed to the entire workflow,
browser, so that it shows you what files ■ Integrated photo browsers mean you can and can’t easily just convert the occasional
are actually on your computer rather manage your photos as well as edit them Raw file if you want to
than using a separate database.

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Don’t gamble
with colour
Get accurate colours by following a few simple rules. We explain
how colour management can help you get perfect prints

Colour management
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B
efore you start editing Raw images on your
computer in earnest, consider this: there’s
no point working in an image format
designed to present colours accurately if
your computer and printer aren’t equipped to show
those colours properly.
Most people assume that computers show colours
as they’re supposed to be: in fact, most computers
are incorrectly set up in some respect. If you don’t
take colour management seriously, you really are
taking a gamble with your digital photography
and image-editing. Read on to discover how
easy it can be to turn out predictable
results with accurate colours.
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Introducing Raw
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Before you
do anything, Workflow for
read this!
In our experience, the idea of a ‘colour
space’ is what drives most people crazy
as they begin in colour management.
perfect colour
There are four main elements to your workflow
Any colour can be represented as a
point in space inside a sphere (see the if you want consistently accurate colour prints
diagram below). Somewhere within that
colour sphere sits the position that
describes your chosen colour. It can be
represented mathematically as a point
on three axes within the sphere. A colour
space describes the size and shape of a
3D box that sits within the sphere. If any
of your colours are too strong for your
chosen colour space, then they’ll simply
spill outside the box: that’s called ‘being
out of gamut’.
In digital photography, there are two
widely used colour spaces: sRGB and
Adobe RGB. The first is the default colour
space used by most digital cameras
My space
Adobe RGB and sRGB colour
spaces are pretty close in
practical terms. Commercial
1 Set your D-SLR
colour space
Choose the colour space that you want to
shoot in. Both sRGB and Adobe RGB are
and the default colour space of most printers prefer Adobe RGB, but good. The Adobe RGB colour space can
sRGB is best for home or lab cope with a wider range of colour than
computer monitors. Both sRGB and
prints. The colour space info sRGB, but most monitors and colour
Adobe RGB use red, green and blue to
will be embedded in every printers can’t display all the colours
reference colours. However, colour inkjet shot you take until you choose able to be recorded in Adobe
printers use a combination of cyan, to use another colour space. RGB. Most modern D-SLR
magenta, yellow and black inks. This is cameras let you choose
because if red, green and blue inks are your colour space,
mixed on paper the result is a horrible but the way you do
muddy brown mess. In order to translate this varies from
the colour that appears on your camera’s camera to camera.
LCD or your computer screen, we need Read your camera’s
manual to find out how.
colour management. In practice, this is
really just complex arithmetic that
calculates instructions for a printer to
place dots of yellow, magenta, cyan and
black ink on paper in order to mimic the
colours you see on screen.
With the best will in the world, there’s
no way that a series of ink droplets can
exactly match the colour that appears
on your computer screen, but we can get
very close – and we do this by using
colour management.
White
Yellow
Green Red
Blue
Black

Colour management
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2 colour monitor
Calibrate your
All computer screens vary in terms of colour and
brightness. To be sure that your screen is producing a
faithful version of the images you’ve shot, it’s essential
that you calibrate your computer’s screen. This will ensure
that there are no overt colour casts and that the gamma of
the screen is set at a suitable level of brightness. We do
this so that the screen will more faithfully mirror the final
output from your chosen printer or other output device.
3 Get accurate colours

in Photoshop
When you open an image in Photoshop, the way the image
is handled depends on how you’ve configured Photoshop’s
Color Settings (see below). Normally, you should choose to
preserve the embedded colour profile. This tells Photoshop
not to change any colours, but to be aware of the possible
range of colours the image may contain. If you try to push
the colours beyond the limits of the colour space during
editing, some colours will be ‘out of gamut’.
Check this…
The Color Settings in
Photoshop (Edit >Colour
Settings) are supplied with a
series of presets to get you
started. For us in the UK, the
European General Purpose
Defaults preset is probably
the best option. You can
choose this preset from the
drop-down menu at the top of
the Color Settings dialog.
4 Get your printer

settings right
Once your computer screen is accurate, you’ll have a
much better chance of adjusting the colour of your images
with more accuracy. This should mean that your prints
will reflect the edits you’ve made. You can choose
to let your printer manage the colours or you can
get your image-editing software to handle it.
There are pros and cons to each method: you
need to try both to see which yields the best
results for you.

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Introducing Raw
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Measuring your monitor

If you walk into an electrical store and monitor has its own inherent level of but to make certain that your monitor is
stare at a wall of television screens on brightness and colour. Some screens displaying colours accurately, you need
display, all showing the same picture, produce warm images, while others might a monitor calibrator.
you’ll be struck by how different the have a blue cast. You probably don’t notice This is a light-sensitive device that
colours look on each set. The same this because the human eye is a very clever measures the brightness and colour of a
goes for your computer screen. Each tool. Your eye (or your brain, to be strictly screen. The calibration device plugs into
accurate) can make even candlelight your PC or Mac via a USB cable. Using
look normal rather than the special software, it measures your
sickly yellow that it really screen and makes adjustments to
is. But when you take a display colours accurately.
photograph in candlelight, if Using a calibrator is very easy.
you don’t set the correct You place the colorimeter on the
white-balance preset on surface of your computer’s screen
your camera, you may and follow the on-screen prompts. The
see an image that simply software gets your screen to display a
looks wrong. range of colours at different levels of
The truth is, your brightness, then produces a colour
computer screen may also profile to correct any deficiencies. Your
look wrong, but your eyes use monitor’s profile is a reference file stored
the human equivalent of auto on your computer to ensure the screen
white balance to make displays colours accurately. The screen
everything look okay. You can profile plays no further part in the colour
get reasonable results with management process apart from that.
calibration software (see page 31); See page 32 for more on calibration.
26 Digitalguide
26 A photographer’s Camerato… Raw in Photoshop
September 2008 WorldMags.net
Colour management
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Accurate printing
Now that you’ve made sure that what you see on your screen is
correct, it’s time to set up your printer to show the same colours
An accurate screen isn’t a guarantee and each model prints colour slightly several strong choices when it comes
for an accurate print. Accurate prints differently depending on the batch of to printing colours accurately, so here,
depend on profiling or calibrating of ink used and the type of paper you’re we’ll explain each of your printer
your printer. Every printer is different, printing on. Fortunately, you have management options in turn.
Option A: Do nothing Option B: An ICC profile Option C: Custom profile

Most printers have their own colour Most printer manufacturers produce ICC If you want total accuracy, then you can
management built into the printer driver. profiles for their printers. ICC stands for use a colorimeter to profile your own
This takes the RGB values from a digital International Color Consortium – the printer. Using a device such as the
photo and translates them into industry body that sets standards for ColorMunki, you can print out a special
instructions that tell the printer where to colour management. These small files test chart, which you then scan with a
squirt individual droplets of different- contain a description of how your printer colorimeter. The software produces an
coloured inks and at what size. A lot of handles colour. Each profile is created for ICC profile unique to your printer. You’ll
today’s printer drivers are pretty use with the manufacturer’s own range need to create a fresh profile for each
accurate, so it’s worth trying this method of paper and printers. There will even be different paper type you use.
first once you’ve calibrated your monitor. separate profiles for different types of
Assess the result: if it’s close enough for paper. Most specialist paper makers
your needs, don’t torture yourself any produce ICC profiles that you can use
further. However, if it’s not close to what
you’re seeing on your calibrated screen,
with your specific model of printer. To use
ICC Profiles, configure Photoshop’s Print Rendering
then go to option B... dialog box properly (see below).
with intent
If an image has some ‘out of gamut’
Set Photoshop up to print well colours, Photoshop needs to know how
to handle those colours. The way of
One of the main reasons why people find their prints don’t match what appears on handling colours is called a rendering
their computer screen is down to improper settings in Photoshop’s Print dialog. intent. Photoshop can render colours
Follow these tips for pictures that will more closely match what you see on screen. that are too bright or too saturated for
your printer in one of four ways:
PERCEPTUAL
This intent ensures that all colours fit
1 within the colour gamut of your printer.
It preserves the relationships between
the colours but squeezes them into the
2 available colour space. Use this as your
default for printing photos.
3
4 RELATIVE COLORMETRIC
Here any colours ‘in gamut’ are left
unchanged. Colours ‘out of gamut’ are
clipped. Colours too saturated or bright
for your printer are clipped to fit. This is
best used for CMYK-to-CMYK printing.
SATURATION
This intent squashes colours into a
5 desired colour space, but it alters the
relationship between the colours. It’s
best for printing vibrant graphics.
1 Color Space 2 Management 3 ICC Profile 4 Rendering 5 The proof ABSOLUTE COLORMETRIC
Check you’re If using an ICC Choose the See our guide Tick this box to Similar to Relative Colormetric, this
using the right profile, select correct profile on the right to get an indication option takes into account the white
colour space – it Photoshop; for the printer decide which of how your
should be Adobe otherwise and paper that type of rendering image will look
point of the paper you’re using. It’s good
RGB or sRGB. choose Printer. you’re using. intent to use. when printed. for proofing packaging or newsprint.
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Introducing Raw
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Calibration devices
We compare four popular colour measurement gadgets to help you
decide which is the best for your needs and budget
X-Rite ColorMunki Pantone Huey Pro

PRICE £335 PRICE £70
DETAILS www.colormunki.com DETAILS www.pantone.com
This was the first all-in-one colour- If you’re on a tight budget, the Pantone
profiling device to come on the Huey is a great solution. It can only
market. The ColorMunki can profile profile your monitor, but that’s all
your monitor, printer and read the many people want to do. The Huey
colour of individual swatches of reads ambient light levels and will
material or colour test charts. adjust the brightness of your screen
The device is a bit unwieldy: to to match the lighting conditions in your
calibrate your monitor, you must workroom or studio.
first dress the ColorMunki in its own The software supplied is really easy
zip-up jacket, which has a weighted strap that enables the to use, but you may have to adjust the brightness and contrast
device to rest against your computer screen while taking settings of your monitor to get a proper profile. Sticking the
readings. The software is so easy to use that it’s almost Huey on your screen is a bit hairy, as the device uses a group
impossible to go wrong. of mini suction cups to stay in place – it’s a bit like the tentacle
Once you’ve profiled your computer screen you can then of an octopus – but in our extensive tests, it hasn’t caused any
print out a colour test chart, which you then scan by running damage to any LCD screen.
the ColorMunki over it. Getting this right takes a bit of practice, When the Huey isn’t in use, just leave it plugged into your
but once you’ve scanned the first chart, the ColorMunki computer, and it will sit happily in its little cradle, taking ambient
software will produce a second chart for you to scan and light readings at intervals chosen by you. Having the device
fine-tune your printer profile. It’s a great device, and well worth always at the ready makes it easy to recalibrate your screen
looking at if you use specialist types of paper. every few months or so.
Verdict Verdict
The ColorMunki smashes the price and performance barriers The Pantone Huey is the obvious choice for anyone on a
of professional colour management. Definitely a good budget: it has good software and is easy to use. It’s also
investment for photo and graphics work. neat, which means it takes up hardly any space on the desk.
28 Digitalguide
Colour management
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Spyder3 Elite Studio XR2

PRICE £160 PRICE £150
DETAILS www.datacolor.com DETAILS www.colourconfidence.com
DataColor is a Swiss company Based on the old Eye-One device,

that’s long been involved in the XR-2 is showing its age a
colour management. The Spyder little but, nonetheless, it can
range of calibration devices has profi le a monitor perfectly well.
always sold well, and the Spyder 3 The software is good because it
is no exception. Unlike a real uses a special little routine that
spider, this Spyder only has three can fi nd where on the screen the
legs. It’s suitable for sticking to colorimeter is sitting.
an LCD monitor or a conventional Included in the kit is a Kodak
glass CRT device. Color Management Check Up kit, which helps you to
The Spyder 3 has a large sensor that’s very sensitive assess images on your screen against the ones you print
to colour. To get the best from the Spyder 3 you need to out. High-res test fi les are included on a CD along with
make sure your monitor is ‘warmed up’: screens need to genuine certifi ed Kodak test prints that you can match
be on for 30 minutes before they settle down. Like the against them.
Huey, the Spyder 3 sits in its own cradle and stays Colour Confi dence has also included one of their Total
connected to your computer. Balance devices. This little fl ip-out square of plastic is a
The DataColor software is good, but it requires a serial bit like a Lastolite refl ector and has one side that’s white
number (as does the ColorMunki). We wonder why and the other that’s neutral grey. It’s a good device for
companies bother with this, as you have to buy their taking custom white balance readings and classic grey
hardware to use the software anyway. card exposures.
Verdict Verdict
Cutting-edge technology and a professional device for colour The Studio XR2 is quite good value, but there are more
management. Look out for trade-in offers on your old modern devices appearing on the market now. If you like
calibration device to cut the cost. the extras on offer, then it could be a good deal for you.
September 2008
A photographer’s
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guide to… Camera
Raw in Photoshop
29 29
Introducing Raw
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What to do next...
Once you’ve profiled your monitor and
printer (or chosen the correct ICC
profile), you can make a test print of
one of your photos to compare what
Colour success
appears on the screen and what comes
out of the printer. Before you do that, it’s
1 Calibrate your monitor
If your monitor is incorrect, your
prints will probably be off too.
important to understand how light can
wreck your colour perception. It’s no
good trying to assess your colour prints 2 Use an ICC profile
Choose the right profile for your
printer and the paper you’re using.
under the light of a tungsten table lamp
or by the flicker of a fluorescent tube.
Use daylight to assess your images, and
you’ll see the real colours.
3 Select Perceptual Render
For most home printing, choose
the Perceptual Rendering Intent.
When you hold your test print up to
your computer screen for comparison,
it’s important to realise that you’re never
4 Assess your print in daylight
Let your print dry, then assess it in
daylight before you decide if it’s okay.
going to see a perfect match. A screen
that uses red, green and blue dots of If you follow these four simple steps,
light to create an image can never exactly you should find that your colour prints
match the reflected light from a piece of have predictable colours. Now you can
off-white paper that’s covered in droplets edit your photos confidently, knowing
of cyan, magenta, yellow and black ink. that they will print out as a close match
to what you’re seeing on your computer
But with good colour management
screen when editing.
practice, you can get very close.
30 Digitalguide
Colour calibration
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How to…
Calibrate in seconds
Don’t want to invest in calibration hardware? Here’s a free option... On
Getting your pictures to look the same in calibration device to help you
the disc
Look in the Calibrate 1
folder on your DVD
print as they do on your PC’s monitor can set the monitor’s colours and
be quite a challenge if your screen isn’t set tones, but there are software
up correctly. On an overly bright screen, for alternatives available.
example, black shadows may look grey. By Here, we’ll show you
darkening the shadows in Photoshop, you how to use the free Monitor
could cause them to become clipped and print Calibration Wizard to calibrate Original shot
with no detail. If your display is too dark, then your display. You can download
you may produce blown-out highlights when this handy tool via http://tinyurl.com/mcwiz.
you try to brighten things up. You can buy a Read on to learn more...
Lee Beel
1 Adjust contrast
In Photoshop, open settings_start.jpg from the Calibrate 1
folder on your DVD. This is a reference image to help you
2 Adjust maximum colour value
To set your display’s maximum colour value, go to the Step
1 panel. Drag the top box’s slider left. Stop just before the
calibrate colours and tones. In Monitor Calibration Wizard’s colour in the bottom half of the red box begins to change. Move
welcome screen, click Run Wizard and then Start. Adjust your the bottom box’s slider as far right as you can before you can
Monitor’s brightness and contrast so that the white box looks spot any difference between the top and bottom sections of
white while the black box looks black. Click Continue. the black box.
3 Adjust mid-range colours

Go to the Step 2 panel. These boxes adjust the mid-range
colours for your display’s Red, Green and Blue channels. To
4 Test the profile
Test your display’s new profile by clicking on the 15 Second
Test button. The wizard will minimise and show you what your
calibrate these individually, drag each box’s slider until the display will look like using its newly calibrated colours. Fine-tune
colour in the inner box blends perfectly with the colour of the the brightness using the slider and click Apply to confirm the
outer box’s pattern. When the display’s Red colours are changes. You can then tick a box to make Windows load the
calibrated, click do the same for Green and Blue. profile when your PC starts up.

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Introducing Raw
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How to…
Ensure accurate On
the disc
Look in the Calibrate 2
on-screen colours
folder on your DVD
Learn how to use a calibration device to set your monitor to display colours
as accurately as possible – the way they were meant to be seen
The monitor you use to view and edit that displays accurate colours. The solution is between what your screen is displaying and
your images is a fundamental part of your simple; calibrate your monitor so that it displays what the colours actually are. It uses this
photography kit. If your screen has never been colours correctly - pure red pixels as red, pure information to create a colour profile, which
calibrated, the chances are that it doesn’t white pixels as white, and so on. it applies to your monitor. After calibration, a
display the colours in your shots as accurately One way to do this is by eye: older full test chart enables you to see the difference
as it should. This accuracy is essential: without versions of Photoshop used to include an the procedure has made so that you can make
it, you might be tempted to make colour application called Adobe Gamma, which sure you’re happy with the results.
adjustments to your Raw photos when they’re enabled you to adjust the brightness and Until recently, colour calibration devices
not actually needed, or neglect to make them colour of your screen to match defined presets. tended to be quite expensive, but there are
when they are required. If you haven’t got an old version of Photoshop, now some excellent budget options available
Given a picture of a bright red object, for we showed you on page 31 how to use Monitor for as little as £60 (and if you club together with
example, an uncalibrated monitor might display Calibration Wizard to do a similar job. a few friends, the investment obviously works
a slightly muted or different shade of red. Software certainly helps – but a better, out even cheaper). Here, we’ll show you how
If you then correct the image so that it’s as more precise way to ensure accurate on- to install, activate and use the popular Spyder
bright as you think it should be, it may seem screen colours is to use a calibration kit, or 3 Express colorimeter, which retails for around
fine on your monitor, but it will look too bright colorimeter. There are numerous makes and £80. The whole process only takes 15 minutes.
on a screen that’s been correctly calibrated models available, but they essentially do the Once your screen is calibrated, you’ll wonder
– or, more importantly, when you try to print it same thing. A colour meter placed on your how you managed without it. For anyone who’s
out. Likewise, your monitor might make reds screen objectively measures the colour and serious about digital photography, the hardware
look a bit over-saturated, but if you tone them brightness of a series of on-screen colour and the time you spend to use it is definitely a
down they’ll end up looking flat on a monitor swatches, and then works out the difference worthwhile investment.

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Correct colours with confidence
1 Install the software

To get started, close all open applications and insert the
Spyder3 Express software CD into your computer. Select Install
2 Activate the Spyder
Once the software is installed, make sure you’re
connected to the internet and plug the Spyder into a USB port.
when prompted: a series of screens will then guide you through Double-click the Spyder 3 icon on your desktop and follow the
the installation process. A screen prompt will remind you not to on-screen instructions. Enter the serial code on your packaging
plug in the Spyder until installation is complete. when prompted and note the activation code. Click Finish.

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Introducing Raw
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3 Get set up
Double-click on the Spyder 3 icon to launch the Calibration
Wizard. You’ll be asked to confirm that your monitor has been
4 Attach the Spyder
Next, choose LCD & Laptop (or CRT if your monitor looks
like an old-fashioned TV). Place your Spyder onto the screen as
on for 30 minutes (to ensure accuracy), that there are no bright indicated, using either the sucker provided or the counterweight
lights pointing at the screen, and that the monitor is set to its attached to the USB cable, which can be hung over the back of
default brightness and contrast settings. Click Next. the screen to hold the Spyder firmly in place.
5 Start the calibration

Click Next to begin the calibration process. A series of
colour swatches will appear on-screen, and the Spyder will flash
6 Go compare
The software will now display a series of images that
enable you to see the difference the calibration process has
as each colour is calibrated. The software takes a few minutes made to your screen. To compare your calibrated screen with
to scroll through a series of colours, plus their assorted the uncalibrated version, click on the Switch button in the
shades. When the calibration process is complete, click Finish. bottom-left corner. You’ll be amazed at the difference!
The best of the rest

When it comes to monitor calibration, there are plenty of good quality, great value options to choose
from. We used the Spyder 3, but here are three more worth considering...
Pantone Huey, £70 Eye-One Display LT, £110 ColorMunki Photo, £335
Capable of calibration in three minutes, the Like the Spyder and the Huey, the Eye-One If you’re serious about image editing, the
plug-and-play Pantone Huey works like the Display LT is a plug-and-play, entry-level ColorMunki is the ultimate in functionality.
Spyder 3, but it can also compensate for device. It too features compensation for Unlike the other models, it provides fast and
changes in ambient lighting. The process is ambient lighting, and an easy-to-use accurate monitor-to-print matching, so you
almost entirely automated, and its small size interface. Plus, it can be easily upgraded to can be confident that what you see on
and stand make it portable and easy to use. the professional Eye-One Display 2 software. screen will print exactly as you expect.

Update
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How to…
Update your Raw editor
How to download and install the latest version of Adobe Camera Raw
To view and edit Raw files, you need to use processing techniques to capture a Raw image, Different versions of Photoshop also use
Adobe’s Camera Raw (ACR) editor, or similar so Adobe has to keep updating its Camera Raw different versions of the Camera Raw plug-in.
software such as Digital Photo Professional. editor to make it compatible with the latest This means that if your new camera requires
However, if you’re not running the latest models as they go on sale. a recent version of the Camera Raw plug-in,
version of ACR it may not be compatible with Camera Raw is a software plug-in, so you you may be obliged to update your copy of
your camera, especially if you own one of the can download and install the latest version. Photoshop or Photoshop Elements to make it
newer models. Different cameras use different We’ll show you how in the steps below. compatible with the latest plug-in release.
1Download the update

In a web browser, go to www.adobe.com. Select Updates
from the Downloads menu. Use the Find Product Updates
2Install the camera profiles
Once the download is finished, make sure that neither
Photoshop nor Elements is running. Double-click the
drop-down menu to locate Camera Raw. This gives you a list of downloaded file, Camera_Raw.zip, and choose File > Extract
available versions: click on a release to view information on All. Follow the instructions to open the unzipped files in a
which versions of Photoshop or Elements it requires. Click new window. Double-click Camera Profiles and follow the
Proceed to Download, then click Download Now. Choose Save. instructions to add the latest camera profiles to your computer.
3Install the Camera Raw plug-in

From the Start menu, select My Computer and then the C
drive. Navigate to the correct Plug-ins folder for your Photoshop
4You’re now up to date!
Start Photoshop or Photoshop Elements and open a RAW
file via the File > Open menu option. You should now see the
version: the options are provided on the Adobe web page where new version number at the top-left of the ACR editor’s main
you downloaded the plug-in. Drag the original Camera Raw interface. Keep an eye out on the Adobe website and
plug-in from this folder to your Desktop (in case you ever need magazines such as Digital Camera or Photo Plus for news of
access to the older ACR version), then drag your newly Camera Raw plug-in updates, then repeat the procedure to
downloaded Camera Raw plug-in into the folder. ensure you’re always up to date.
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Welcome to Camera Raw

2
Explore the powerful Raw editor included
with Photoshop and Elements, and find out
how it can help you create perfect photos
10 reasons to go Raw: quick tricks to try out 38
Using Camera Raw: explore the interface 42
Get more from Raw: quick tips and techniques 50
Read a histogram: the graph at the heart of ACR 52

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Original shot
This photo, Ben Brain; other images, George Cairns
On
10 great the disc
Look in the Raw Top
Ten folder on the DVD
reasons to go Raw
Use these easy Raw fixes to combat common photo problems relating
to colour, composition and tone, without compromising on quality
WHAT YOU’LL NEED Photoshop CS1 or alter the parameter settings for these each shot’s colour and sharpness, all
Photoshop Elements 5, or later automatic tweaks through the camera’s while reducing the chance of adding
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN How to use Adobe menu. If editing the shots becomes artifacts to the edited image.
Camera Raw to reveal hidden detail, necessary later, however, compressed To introduce you to the potential of
correct colour casts, and improve your files are much more likely to develop Adobe Camera Raw, we’ll demonstrate
pictures’ composition ugly artifacts. how to overcome some of the more
IT ONLY TAKES 20 minutes When you shoot in Raw, the camera common photo problems, using only the
ignores the parameter menu settings, tools in this powerful plug-in software.
When you capture a scene so it doesn’t boost colour or sharpen This will enable you to produce correctly
using a compressed file format, shots as it captures them. What you get colour balanced shots with a healthy
such as JPEG, your camera is the image data actually captured by tonal range, without compromising the
processes the image as it’s the sensor, without any in-camera quality of your edited shots. We’ll also
stored. This can save you the processing. You can then use the Adobe help you fix compositional problems and
hassle of boosting image colours or Camera Raw editor, a plug-in that works even straighten up wonky horizons, all
sharpening your shots with software with either Photoshop CS or Photoshop without leaving the comfort and
when you get them home. You can often Elements, to take greater control over familiarity of the Camera Raw editor.

Camera Raw basics
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1 Reveal detail and remove noise

This shot (Raw_start04.cr2 on the DVD) suffers from
clipped shadows: dark areas have become jet black, so fine
2 Fix clipped highlights
Overexposed shots (such as Raw_start01.cr2) suffer from
flat highlights. To spot and fix these, click the Highlight Clipping
tonal detail that should be visible in these areas is lost. Drag Warning icon above the right-hand end of the histogram display
the Fill Light slider to about 45 to restore shadow detail without at the top of the Camera Raw screen, and clipped highlights will
blowing out the highlights. This can reveal colour noise, so click appear as red patches in your image. Drag the Recovery slider
the Detail tab and drag the Noise Reduction Color slider to to 80 to restore the missing highlight detail. Nudge the
about 50, then boost Saturation to +15 to remove it. Exposure to –0.90 to refine the shot’s overall tone.
3 Tweak tints and temperature

Some shots can suffer from a green or magenta tint, so
use the Tint slider to correct these colour aberrations. A value of
4 Boost colour
By boosting Saturation, you can create a more striking
photo, but there’s a danger that skin tones will look too orange.
around +20 will counteract this shot’s green tint and create The portrait-friendly Vibrance slider is designed to increase a
healthier-looking skin tones. Warm up the shot by boosting the shot’s colours but leave skin tones intact. Drag the Vibrance
Temperature to about 5,800. This should remove unwanted slider up to +50 or so to boost the colours without leaving the
lighting hues. subject red-faced.

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5 Sharper shooting
To give your print extra punch (and sharpen a shot that
isn’t quite in focus), click on the Details tab. Zoom in to 100%,
6 Clever cropping
You can get rid of the distracting people in the background
of this shot using ACR’s Crop Tool. Click and drag to select the
then drag the Sharpening Amount to about 65 and Radius to whole image. Hold down Shift to constrain the Crop Tool, then
1.3 for a crisper-looking picture. Sharpening works by increasing drag the corner handles inwards to crop the image. Be patient
edge contrast, meaning it can add halos and other artifacts to and try to get the best composition you can. When you’re
edges, so it’s best to leave sharpening a shot until after you’ve finished, click Open Image to apply your changes and open a
finished editing colour and tone. copy of the image in Photoshop or Elements.
7 Correct colour casts

It’s easy to forget to adjust your White Balance setting to
match local lighting conditions, leaving shots too cold (blueish)
8 Going straight
You can crop and level a wonky horizon in one easy move.
Open Raw_start03.cr2, then click and drag with the Straighten
or too warm (orangey). To correct this cold shot (Raw_start02. tool to draw a line along the shot’s tilted horizon. Photoshop will
cr2) in Photoshop, select Camera Raw’s White Balance tool. then crop and level it in one go when you press Open Image. We
Click the eyedropper on an area that should be white, and you’ll kept a bit of creative tilt in this particular edited shot, though we
reset the balance for the entire shot. could have levelled it out completely.

Camera Raw basics
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9 Correct exposure
One of the most common problems you’ll encounter is
shots that aren’t correctly exposed. Shooting and editing in
10 Perfect presets
You can use the Raw editor’s white balance presets to
fix a colour-tinted shot, or even to creatively enhance a shot. To
Raw means you have the freedom to change the exposure make our landscape (Raw_start.cr2) look like it’s being lit by a
setting without adding artifacts. Brighten up an underexposed twilight golden glow, select Cloudy from the White Balance
Raw shot, such as Raw_start.cr2, by dragging the Exposure menu. This warms up the overall colour temperature in an
slider up by nearly one f-stop to +0.90. This results in a brighter instant. A quick crop also helps create a more balanced
shot with a much broader tonal range. composition and a better image overall.
Camera Raw jargon buster

The common terms you’ll see throughout this guide
CLIPPING An area that is either pure HISTOGRAM A graph that shows the TEMPERATURE Different light sources
black or pure white: usually a sign that tonal range of a photo. It plots the have a different colour temperature. To
you are losing detail in shadows or number of pixels in the image according a camera, daylight looks blue (cool) and
highlights in your image. to their brightness, from the darkest on indoor light looks orange (warm). Colour
the left to the lightest on the right. is measured in degrees K (Kelvin). The
DYNAMIC RANGE The range of shadows, Camera Raw uses a histogram: your temperature of daylight is around
midtones and highlights visible in a camera may also be able to show one. 5,500K. ACR’s Temperature slider
scene. You can restore missing detail displays units in the Kelvin scale.
to increase the dynamic range. POSTERISATION If you push the
Saturation slider too far, some areas will TINT Your camera can end up tinting
HALO If you over-sharpen a shot, you be replaced with clumps of garish shots magenta or green. The Tint slider
can get light or dark outlines appearing colour, making it look as though you’ve enables you to remove these hints of
around the edge of contrasting pixels. applied a filter to your photo. tint easily. If you want, you can also use
These are known as halos. your camera’s menu to bias the tints it
SATURATION The strength of a hue in an captures as you shoot.
HDR High Dynamic Range images object’s colour. If you reduce a shot’s
feature a greater range of colours and saturation to -100 you’ll get a greyscale WHITE BALANCE Digital cameras use
tones than ordinary image formats. image. If you oversaturate a shot, you white as a reference point to interpret
can produce unprintable colours. all other colours. To avoid blue or orange
HIGH KEY High-key images tend to be colour tints, your camera performs a
dominated by white or very light tones, SHARPENING Photoshop attempts to white balance operation. This is
with darker tones providing the details. make a shot look sharper by increasing designed to warm up or cool down
The term is typically used to describe the contrast around the edge of objects. pixels so they look white instead of
low-contrast images that are softly lit. This gives the shot more impact. blue or orange.

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Using Adobe
Camera Raw
Explore the interface and tools for the powerful
plug-in that’s going to help you improve your photos
We always recommend shooting Raw files will capture subtler blends of colour (like
when you’re capturing an unrepeatable a graduated sky) without artefacts.
event. The beauty of the Raw format is that it Another important fact about Raw is you
offers you maximum image quality and gives can’t modify the original file. The Camera Raw
you more editing control. Unlike JPEGs, Raw plug-in describes changes to the shot’s colour
photos are not compressed, so no valuable and sharpness, for example. You can then
image information is lost. A JPEG is like a create a TIFF or JPEG copy of the file that
shorthand description of what the camera shows these changes, but the original data
sees, so huge chunks of information are will be safely stored in the Raw version of the
discarded. With a Raw image, you get the shot. Over the next six pages, we’ll show you
whole story. In a JPEG photo, gradations can how to get the most from Raw using Adobe’s
look like distinct bands of colour. A Raw shot Camera Raw plug-in…
Photoshop versus Elements

Owners of Photoshop Elements can also edit their shots using Camera Raw, which
is included when you buy the program. Although the plug-in software itself is
exactly the same as what you get with Photoshop, Elements restricts its feature
set, with some tabs and tools made invisible. This is because Elements is typically
aimed at a less experienced user than Photoshop itself.
Elements offers access to three of the adjustment tabs: Basic, Details and
Camera Calibration. This means that you can use ACR to fix colour and tonal problems with
ease as well as sharpen shots and reduce noise, covering the major tasks that any user
would want the plug-in for. Some options are also concealed in the top toolbar: the Spot
Removal Tool is absent, for example, so you’ll need to venture into the main Elements
interface to remove sensor spots.
The ACR interface

Your at-a-glance guide to the goodies in Adobe’s Raw editor
Adobe Camera Raw contains all the 1 Retouching tools 3 Clipping warnings
tools you need to process your photos Spot and Red Eye Removal enable you In some earlier releases of the Raw
direct from your camera. Some tools to do photo fixing. This saves you from plug-in, you had to tick a box to turn the
may be familiar to Adobe Lightroom moving your shot into Photoshop’s main shadow and highlight clipping warnings
users, as the Raw plug-in has pinched editor to remove artefacts, so you can on or off. Now you can click an icon to
many of that package’s powerful Raw spend longer editing it as a Raw file. display clipped shadows in blue and
editing features. clipped highlights in red. Clipped pixels
It’s easy to tackle tonal problems occur when their colour is brighter or
thanks to tools such as the Fill Light 2 Full screen
darker than overall settings permit.
slider. You can also target specific tonal You can streamline your Raw editing
adjustments (such as revealing detail workflow by clicking on the Toggle Full
in underexposed midtones) without Screen Mode icon. This hides distractions 4 Tabs
washing out your shot’s blackest such as other open applications and Earlier Raw editors’ image-editing tabs
shadows or dulling its brightest desktop wallpaper, enabling you to focus came with bulky text labels. Camera Raw
highlights, for example. Here’s a guide entirely on fine-tuning your Raw shot’s now uses space-saving icons, enabling
to some of ACR’s most useful features. colours and tones. more tabs in its interface.

ACR overview
1
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3
4 5 7 9 11
6 8 10
12
13
5 Tone Curve 8 Split toning 11 Presets

Curves are tricky tools to master, and This tab of image-editing sliders has been Once you’ve tweaked a particular shot
you can easily lose control and end up in pinched from Lightroom, and provides using the many image-editing tools at
trouble. The Tone Curve tab’s sliders ways to create amazing colour effects, your disposal, you can save the setting
enable you to harness the power of Curve such as cross-processing. You can tint you’ve used as a preset. You can then
editing with a lot more ease, which shadows and highlights and fine-tune use the Preset pane to load in all of the
means you can fine-tune more effectively. using the Balance slider. saved slider settings in one click.
6 Detail 9 Lens corrections 12 Super sliders

The revamped Detail tab contains some The Lens Correction tab comes with The ACR interface has handy image-
useful additions. The Masking slider is a Defringe Tool, which desaturates any editing sliders. The Recovery slider claws
particularly welcome, as it allows you to remaining colour fringes that stubbornly back detail from burnt-out highlights,
keep edge artefacts at bay. cling to the edge of contrasting objects. while the Vibrance slider boosts colour.
7 HSL/Greyscale 10 Camera calibration 13 Workflow options

You can target a specific colour using the The Raw editor uses colour profiles to This section took up a lot of on-screen
sliders in the Saturation tab and boost its render your colours. The sliders in the space in older Raw editors. The
saturation strength without altering other Camera Calibration tab can fine-tune the streamlined text label opens up a dialog
colours in the shot. You can produce hue of your image’s reds, greens and window, enabling you to increase
effective black-and-white shots with the blues. The Shadows slider helps remove exposure to 16 bits per channel for
Greyscale Mix sliders. green or magenta tints from darker areas. greater quality and colour reproduction.

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Fine-tuning exposure
1 Healthy histogram
1 The reprocessed landscape’s histogram now
has pixels stretching throughout its full range,
indicating a healthier spread of shadows,
midtones and highlights.
2 Full exposure
A Raw image enables you to increase or decrease
the image’s exposure by the equivalent of an
f-stop or two. By dragging the Exposure slider to
+1.00, we can brighten the highlights.
2 3 Fill Light
Some adjustment tools enable you to target tonal
problems without affecting other pixels. The Fill
3 Light slider brightens midtones without touching
4 deep shadows or bright highlights.
4 Blacks
The Blacks slider enables you to restore detail to
a shot’s clipped shadows by moving it to the left.
It doesn’t have much influence on the shot’s
midtones, however.
Handling contrast
A common challenge for any digital camera Some of the cloud detail has been lost in the Original shot
is to capture shadow and highlight detail brightest highlights and the shadows. The old-
in a location that features dramatically school Brightness and Contrast sliders are
contrasting lighting. In our example shot, the fairly ineffective when faced with high-
camera has been set to capture detail in the contrast shots like this, and fail to rescue
backlit clouds, causing the foreground figure detail in clipped pixels. Fortunately, ACR packs
to be rendered a silhouette. The camera has plenty of other tools to tackle contrast and
struggled to capture all of the cloudscape. tone problems.
1 Recovery
The Recovery slider helps restore
blown-out highlight detail. A value of 20
removes all red clipping from cloud edges
and reduces pixels close to blowing.
2 Fill Light
By bumping up the Fill Light slider to 50,
we can restore detail to the figure. The
image then appears washed out, but
tweaking the Tone Curve improves this. 1
2
3
3 Blacks
By dragging the Blacks slider to 0, we can
remove most of the blue shadow clipping
warning pixels from the silhouetted
figure, restoring detail in the shadows.

Original shot
ACR overview
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Our eyes deal with contrasting lighting much more
effectively than our digital camera’s artificial eye. Cameras
tend to compromise highlight detail to capture detail in the
shadows and midtones, for example. To see if a shot is over
or underexposed, first examine the Raw editor’s histogram.
In our unprocessed landscape shot, the graph is crushed
towards the left of the histogram, indicating the pixels in the
photo are predominantly shadows and midtones. The highlights
at the right of the graph fail to spread into the far right of the
histogram where the brightest values lie. The Shadow clipping
warning indicates that some of the darkest pixels will print as
pure black, losing any detail. To give the image’s brightest pixels a
healthier highlight value, drag the Exposure slider to the right. To add
more detail to the midtones, drag the Fill Light slider to the right.
Expert tip
Workflow
When fine-tuning a shot’s tonal range,
start off using the tools in the Basic tab.
Begin by tweaking the image’s overall
exposure value. You can then work down
the panel, slider by slider, to fine-tune
specific problems, such as recovering
highlight detail with the Recovery slider or
boosting washed-out shadows with
the Blacks slider.
Enhancing colour
Although you can set your camera to increase the saturation of a shot as you
Original shot
capture it on location, you’re much better off boosting colours in the Raw editor
during the post-production stage: this gives you greater control of the finished
image’s colours. Start off by checking for colour casts. If the shot is too blue (cold),
you can warm it up by dragging the Temperature slider to the right. Cool down a warm
orange tint by dragging the same slider to the left. Alternatively, you can click with the
handy White Balance eyedropper on an area that should be white. Photoshop will
then automatically cool down or warm up the sampled area and adjust the image’s
overall colour temperature at the same time. To enhance our colourful source file,
we used the Vibrance and Clarity sliders to boost colour without clipping detail.
1 Clarity
Zoom into your shot at 100 per cent.
A value of 50 gives the shadows extra
oomph. The Clarity slider can add halos
to contrasting edges, so use it with care.
2 Vibrance 3
A value of +42 for the Vibrance slider
enables you to create more vivid-looking
colours without clipping. It also avoids
over-saturating skin tones.
3 HSL/Greyscale
The Saturation section enables you to
1 focus on increasing or reducing the
2 saturation level of specific colours without
changing the strength of other colours.

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Original shot
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Sharpening
Raw files
One of the most common challenges faced
by digital photographers is capturing a sharp
shot of the subject. This can be especially
challenging when shooting with a zoom lens:
camera shake becomes exaggerated, leading
to a blurred photo. Shallow depth of field can
also cause important details to blur. This can
cause your subject’s body to be in focus but
their face could be out of focus.
Photoshop creates a sharper-looking shot by
increasing the contrast around the edges of
objects in a photo (like the outline of our bird
of prey’s beak and eyes). This helps add
definition to blurred details and gives the shot
more impact. However, sharpening is a
double-edged sword – you can create a
sharper shot but there’s a risk of adding
artefacts, such as unsightly halos around
contrasting edges. Fortunately, ACR has tools
designed to help you sharpen your shot with
the minimum of artefacts. Recent versions see
some welcome additions to the Details panel’s
sharpening tools.
1 Amount
Zooming in to 100 per cent
enables you to accurately
assess any focal problems.
Drag the Amount slider to the
right to begin sharpening.
2 Radius
By increasing the value of the
Radius slider, you increase the
size of the area that becomes 1
sharpened. Stick to a value of 2
less than 2.0 pixels or those
dreaded halos will appear. 3
4
3 Detail
Low Detail values restrict
sharpening to the object’s main
edges. Higher values restore
finer detail – such as our bird’s
delicate feathers here.
4 Masking
Hold [Alt] as you drag the
Masking slider. Pixels that will
be sharpened appear in white
and pixels that will be ignored
appear as black.
46 A photographer’s guide to… Raw in Photoshop WorldMags.net After Before

ACR overview
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Dealing with noise
Noise (or grain) can be added to a shot when style scene. Some noise can spoil shots,
using high ISO settings. You’ll also spot more though, especially unsightly pixels of colour
noise when shooting a long exposure. Noise in noise. ACR’s Noise Reduction controls give you
itself isn’t necessarily a bad thing. A bit of grain the option of preserving a little grain to give
can add an extra layer of texture to a shot, some texture while eradicating garish colour
especially if you’re creating a gritty documentary- noise. You’ll find the sliders in the Detail panel.
1 Luminance
This slider tackles standard picture
noise). It’s worth tackling the Color
slider first, as colour noise does
the most damage. A Luminance After Before
value of 47 takes the edge off our
image’s noise without blurring
important details.
2 Color
This slider is highly effective at
targeting the distracting specks of
colour noise created by a long 1
exposure or a high ISO setting. We 2
have to drag the slider to 100 per
cent to remove all specks of
colour from our Raw source file.
Fixing colour fringes

One of the most unsightly lens-related artefacts you’ll encounter is chromatic
aberration. The term refers to ugly fringes of colour that can be seen clinging
tenaciously to the edge of contrasting objects. In our example source image,
you can see red and cyan colour fringes around the edge of the crane’s
silhouetted metal girders. This phenomenon is caused by the camera’s inability
to focus different wavelengths of light onto the same spot. You could open the
shot in Photoshop’s main interface and use the Sponge Tool to reduce the
strength of these colour fringes, although this will lose you the image-quality
benefits of editing in Raw. Check out the goodies in the Lens Corrections
panel to banish colour fringes with ease without leaving the Raw editor.
1 Fix red/cyan fringe

The standard Photoshop interface has a Fix Red/
Cyan Fringe slider, but it does a poor job. By using
the same slider on the Raw version you can shift
magenta and blue fringes to hide them.
2 Fix blue/yellow fringe

1
Chromatic aberration induced colour
2 fringes come in different flavours – so
3 Camera Raw offers a choice of sliders
in the Lens Corrections panel.
3 Defringe
This tool does a similar job to the
standard interface’s Sponge Tool. It’s a
great idea in theory, but it hasn’t made After Before
any impact on this problem shot.

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ACR palettes
Adobe Camera Raw is designed to process the quality is going to be fantastic. Some proper unrestricted editing under the ‘virtual’
your Raw files, and its sheer processing features are lacking, however, such as enlarger. It might help to think of the Raw file
power is impressive. The amount of work cloning, dodging, burning and layers, but as a colour film and the Camera Raw plug-in
you can do with colour, exposure and detail that’s not what ACR is all about. ACR is a as the developing process, offering a wide
in your photos is staggering. And, of course, perfect tool for prepping your images for choice of chemicals and developing times.
Basic Tone Curve Detail HSL/Grayscale

The Basic tab is where you’ll The Tone Curve tab holds It’s here that you’ll find noise The Hue/Saturation/
find the most essential tools the tools for adjusting the reduction and sharpening Luminance/Grayscale tab
for correcting your images in exposure curve of an image. tools. ACR does a fairly good takes care of the colours, and
Camera Raw. The Auto feature The Parametric adjustment job of reducing noise, offers broad adjustments. Do
is a fairly good starting point, offers a far smoother level of especially in deep shadows, all your colour tweaks here
but you can also hit the control over the contrast than and it’s a good time to apply before you open the image in
Default button to reset all the the Point adjustment offers. It it – any further editing on the Photoshop: your results will be
sliders to the basic settings. also feels far more organic to image in the digital darkroom of much higher quality.
Always begin by adjusting use. Parametric enables you will amplify the noise as you The panel is split into three
the Exposure slider to get the to adjust the contrast over the complete more adjustments. tabs, enabling adjustment for
best possible dynamic range entire image, but the tweaks it It’s also a good time to add Hue, Saturation and
in your image. Keep an eye on allows give greater accuracy sharpening to your shots. Luminance with eight colour
the histogram at the top, when increasing or decreasing You can only see the true sliders for the spectrum.
which tells you where the contrast in specific parts of an effect by zooming in at 100%. If you tick Convert to
pixels are spread. To see image. If you’re going to be As you apply sharpening, keep Grayscale, the image will be
clipping in the shadows and doing some serious editing, Amount at 100 and Radius at rendered in mono, but with all
highlights, click the triangles leave the full tonal range of 1 or 2 pixels. Take the Detail the colour information still
in the histogram corners. contrast adjustments alone and Masking sliders to around contained in the image. This
until you can see the effects 50, keeping [Alt] pressed to enables you to use loads of
of your other adjustments. see how the effect works. great black-and-white effects.

ACR overview
WorldMags.net
To maintain your image quality, you should this by adjusting the common controls shown lens corrections effects such as fringing
aim to get your Raw files as close to below. White balance and colour temperature can all be taken care of at this stage with
perfection as possible using only the plug-in can be set properly, including exposure minimum fuss before you open the image
controls, only then transferring to Photoshop tweaks and recovering lost detail in shadows to edit it in Photoshop or Elements proper.
to handle any tasks that ACR cannot. You do and highlights. Curves, sharpness and even It really couldn’t be much easier...
Split Toning Lens Corrections Camera Presets

The Split Toning panel enables Even costly lenses can suffer Calibration The Presets tab enables you
you to adjust the toning of from chromatic aberration. The Camera Calibration tab to save and load adjustments
highlights and shadows The horrible red/cyan and provides accurate colour made to your images. This is
separately. This is useful blue/yellow signs of fringing rendition by matching your great for batch processing,
when you get a cast that only usually appear closer to the camera’s white balance and especially in situations where
appears on the highlights or edge of the frame and occur colour profiles manually. The you’ve shot in mixed lighting
shadows. Be cautious when on hard edges between process requires you to and need to make lots of fine
using this adjustment for your high-contrast subjects, such photograph a colour chart adjustments. Saving the
colour images, especially if as a dark edge against a blue then match the colours adjustments from your first
you’re not certain whether sky. The Lens Corrections tab on-screen by adjusting sliders. image enables you to apply it
your monitor is correctly deals with any fringing. Zoom Calibration is required for each with one click to all the rest
calibrated: you could in to 400% and find a hard lighting type, such as from the same shoot.
introduce subtle casts that edge, then tweak the sliders tungsten, daylight or flash.
will need further correction. until the fringing disappears. It can take some time to
If you turn your image into Selecting All Edges from the fine-tune, but the colours
mono using the previous HSL Defringe drop-down menu will from your camera will then
tab, Split Toning will help you clean up any nasty fringing be constant when processed
to transform the image by throughout an image, not just using the same profile in
colour-toning it. in higher-contrast areas. Camera Raw.

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On
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Look in the Tips folder
on the DVD
How to…
Get more from Raw
Make more of the powerful tools in the Camera
Raw editor and improve your image processing
The Adobe Camera Raw editor is a fantastic removing lens artefacts and distortions to but you can also use it on your JPEGs: go to
option for perfecting the exposure and white split-colour toning. File > Open As, navigate to your image, and
balance of your images. Newer versions of ACR is designed for Raw files, of course, choose Camera Raw in the Open As menu; or
the editor also include some superb tools which contain the full tonal and colour in Bridge, right-click and then choose Open
for further adjustments and effects, from information captured by the camera sensor; in Camera Raw from the menu.
Get it white
Correcting white balance is one of the primary
functions of ACR. The presets in the White
Balance menu each have the same effect
as selecting that setting in-camera, so pick
the one that best represents the lighting
conditions when you took the shot, then fine-
tune with the Temperature slider if necessary.
Even simpler is the White Balance Tool: click
with it on a spot in your image that should be
a colour-neutral grey – light greys or diffuse
whites work best. As a check, use the Color
Sampler Tool to place a few markers in any
spots that you think should be a colour-neutral
grey: once you’ve corrected the white balance,
these spots should have equal R, G and B
values (such as R120, G120, B120 or R30,
G30, B30).
TIP Rather than taking pot luck with

the White Balance Tool, use the
Color Sampler Tool to pinpoint and mark
areas of neutral colour.

Photoshop technique
Fix tricky
WorldMags.net exposures
In bright conditions, capturing a perfect
exposure can be all but impossible. Expose
for the sky, and the ground will end up deep
in shadow; expose for the foreground, and
the sky will be blown out.If you’ve not got a
graduated ND lens filter with you, one solution
is to try ACR’s targeted sliders back in the
digital darkroom: Exposure and Recovery
to adjust highlights and brighter midtones,
then the Blacks and Fill Light sliders for the
shadows. The latter two sliders are relatively
blunt instruments, though, and ACR’s Tone
Curve (available if you’re running ACR under
Photoshop) is a much more precise way of
Rescue highlight detail
Digital cameras are much more sensitive to
adjusting parts of the tonal range selectively.
1 Shape the Curve
Click the Tone Curve tab, then Point
rather than Parametric. The curve works just
TIP For targeted tonal adjustments,
highlight information than film models, and
like Photoshop’s own Curves dialog: click on
often capture detail even in areas that seem use ACR’s Tone Curve or the the line and pull the curve upwards to lighten
burnt-out. You can often pull back detail from Targeted Adjustment Tool. tones in the image, and pull down to darken.
blown highlights using the Recovery slider.
First enable the highlight clipping display
by pressing [O] (for ‘overexposed’): clipped
highlights will show up in the image as red,
but they might be clipped in only one or two
channels, with detail you can rescue in the
remaining channel(s). Make any larger-scale
exposure correction with the Exposure slider,
then nudge the Recovery slider to the right
and watch for any remaining red overlay
to disappear. Take it gently – Recovery
adjustments can darken other, correctly-
exposed highlight tones, dulling the image
down and causing it to look flat, so you might
just need to live with some highlight clipping.
2 Target points
To target specific tones in your image, 3Targeted Adjustment Tool
This is a quick way to apply local Curve
TIP Spot burnt-out highlights by

activating the clipping display,
simply hold down [Ctrl] and click on the area
you want to adjust in the image. A control point
and other adjustments: select the tool, right-
click in the area you want to adjust, pick an
adjustment type, then simply click and drag
then pull back detail in these areas will appear at the corresponding point on the
using the Recovery slider. curve, which you can then adjust. left or right to adjust those tones.
Give your shots an edge darkroom gives you much more control, so
Vignetting is very common when using wide- whether you want to remove the effect or add
angle lenses, particularly at extreme settings it, try the sliders under Camera Raw’s Lens
for the widest angles of view. Although Corrections tab – the Post Crop variant gives
vignetting is often regarded as a flaw, it’s you extra control over the vignette shape and
also sometimes added as a popular creative how far it reaches into the image.
effect to ‘frame’ an image and draw attention
where it’s wanted – in wedding portraits, for
example – but it can be just as tricky to control
in-camera as it is difficult to avoid when you’re
TIP Remove vignetting or add it for
creative effect using the sliders
under ACR’s Lens Corrections tab.
out shooting a sweeping landscape. The digital
1Vignetting controls
Push the Lens Vignetting Amount slider to
the right to lighten the edges of the image, or to
2 Creative framing
Pull the Amount slider hard to the left to
really darken the frame edges, then use the
3 Fix that fringing
The Lens Corrections tab also includes
tools to tackle colour fringing along high-
the left to darken them. Use the Midpoint slider other sliders under Post Crop Vignetting to contrast edges. Zoom in close to identify the
to control how far your adjustment extends. adjust the extent, shape and fade of the effect. problem colours.

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Welcome to Camera Raw On
Look in the Histogram
folder on the DVD
How to…
Read a histogram
Learn how to evaluate a photo’s tonal range using its graphical shape
WHAT YOU’LL NEED Photoshop Elements 6 curve in the middle of your histogram, and In our seascape example, your camera’s light
or Photoshop CS, or above that’s fine for scenes that contain typical meter would suggest an exposure value that
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN How to see an image in tonal values. But if you’re exposing for, say, a would brighten the scene up, making it look
terms of its tones; how to read different moody seascape at dusk, you’ll want it to look washed out rather than moody.
histogram shapes as dark on screen as it did in real life. Of course, if you don’t get exposure right in
IT ONLY TAKES 5 minutes The problem with the light meter in your camera, you can always correct it in Photoshop.
camera is that it can’t make this sort of To that end, here are four classic histogram
As a general rule, we often judgement for you – unless you override it by shapes you should learn to recognise. Look out
recommend exposing your shot so over- or under-exposing, it will assume you want for these when you‘re editing your own images
that you get a nice, bell-shaped your image to contain an average tonal range. in Adobe Camera Raw.
1 Classic bell shape

A bell shape in the middle of the histogram indicates a
healthy range of midtones, and a few shadows and highlights.
2 High key
The surge at the far right shows that the shot contains lots
of light tones and highlights, hence the term ‘high key’. If we
An image with no dark shadows or highlights will have a bump tried to ‘correct’ our exposure so that the graph was in the
in the middle but nothing at either end – which is fine for a middle, all the white pixels would become grey: this is why
low-contrast scene. snowscapes shot on your camera’s Auto settings look grey.
3 High contrast
You might think that a flatter histogram indicates flatter
tones. In fact, it means the image has an equal number of
4 Low key
The ‘hump’ to the left indicates that the shot contains lots
of dark tones and few highlights, hence the term ‘low key’. If
shadows, midtones and highlights: the stronger the shadows we tried to ‘correct’ the exposure so that it was more in the
and highlights, the greater the contrast. The spike at the far left middle, it would brighten up the deep shadows and colours
represents the darkest shadows in the rocks. and make the whole image look flat and washed out.
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Because image is everything...

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First Steps
3
Accessible projects to help you explore
what you can achieve in Camera Raw, with
sample images and video help on the DVD
Use Camera Raw in Photoshop & Elements 56
Get higher-quality photos with Raw 62
Give a portrait a digital makeover 66
Enhance your outdoor scenes 68
Fine-tine landscape colour and tone 72
Improve skin tones in your portraits 74
Combine Raw shots 76
Merge shots with a mask 80
Create an HDR landscape photo 82
Speed up your workflow 86
Find a faster way to process images 89
Make selective tonal adjustments 92
Make your images sparkling clean 94

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First Steps
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How to…
Use Camera Raw in
Photoshop & Elements
Camera Raw works in both Photoshop and Photoshop Elements,
but the way it works in each is different. Find out how here
WHAT YOU’LL NEED Photoshop Elements options that it would inside Photoshop.
6 or Photoshop CS3, or later Elements owners may not enjoy access
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN How the controls to all the tools that Photoshop users
within Adobe Camera Raw differ have, but there’s still plenty you can
between Photoshop and Elements achieve with Camera Raw in Elements.
IT ONLY TAKES 20 minutes Whichever host software you’re using,
stick to the principle of making as many
The Camera Raw plug-in as possible of your changes to your
works in both Photoshop photos in Camera Raw, to preserve the
and Photoshop Elements integrity of the image information,
– but the two programs before making additional changes in the
treat the plug-in main program. Here, we look at how you
differently. Essentially, Camera Raw can process the same landscape shot
inside Elements doesn’t show all the using Camera Raw in both programs.

WorldMags.net Original shot
On
the disc
Look in the Process
Landscape folder

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First Steps
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Process a Raw image with Photoshop Elements & Camera Raw
1 Colour balance and white point

Select File > Open and choose your Raw file. The image
opens in the Camera Raw editor. Set the colour balance by
2 Adjusting shadows
The Blacks slider can be used to set the Black Point, which
governs the shadows. Adjust this slider in conjunction with the
clicking an off-white area in the image with the White Balance Exposure slider to establish the lightest and darkest areas in
Tool. Keeping an eye on the histogram, use the Exposure slider your image. Although each of the sliders is essentially
to extend the highlights to the end of the histogram itself. Use independent of the other, you need to establish a balance
the Recovery slider to restore detail in any blown highlights. between them.
3 Adjust the midtones

With the Fill Light slider, you can lighten the shadows in the
image without affecting the Black Point you’ve just set. It’s best
4 Contrast, clarity and saturation
The Contrast slider modifies the Midtone Contrast. In this
image, you want a fairly pronounced midtone contrast, so it’s
to take your time and make very small, gradual adjustments best to use a high value. The Clarity slider is useful for
here. Adjust the Brightness slider to modify the midtones in the sharpening the edges in the image that tonal adjustments
image: drag it to the right to darken the midtones and to the may have softened. Finally for this image, you should lower
left to lighten them. the Saturation slider a little.
Expert tip Raw and post-processing

Adobe Camera Raw in Camera Raw, click Open
Photoshop Elements is rather Image to send the image to
more basic than the version the Elements workspace. Now
you’ll find in Photoshop, you can tweak the tones in
because you don’t have the image via Levels and Color
access to the Raw Tone Curve Curves to achieve the ultimate
as you do in the latter in tonal perfection. Here you
program. But you can still can see the adjustments we
achieve stunning results, made via Color Curves to
especially with a little post- make a few small but vital
processing back in the tweaks. See the Tone Curve
Photoshop Elements tip box opposite to see how
workspace. When you’re done closely it resembles Elements’
with your basic adjustments in Color Curves feature.

WorldMags.net
Process a Raw image with Photoshop & Camera Raw
1 Correcting white balance

From Bridge, choose your Raw file and hit [Ctrl]+[R] to open
it in Camera Raw. Choose the White Balance Tool and click on
2 Adjusting white and black points
Hit the Default option. Observe the histogram and drag the
Exposure slider until the highlights in the histogram reach the
an off-white area to set the Colour Temperature. Alternatively, far right of the graph. Now do the same for the Black Point by
choose a preset from the White Balance options, or adjust the moving the Blacks slider. Your adjustments here need only
Color Temperature slider, dragging it to the left to cool the establish the main highlights and shadows. Reduce the
image or to the right to add warmth. Saturation slider a little.
3 Initial tone curve adjustments

Beneath the histogram, choose the Tone Curve icon. Click
the Point tab. Start by choosing Medium Contrast from the
4 Targeting and tweaking tonal ranges
You can see the shape of our final curve here. Very small
adjustments to targeted points can make a huge difference.
Curve presets. Now pull the top point up a little to brighten the Take your time to carefully target tones and manipulate them.
highlights, and drag the lower two points down to darken the Once you’re happy with the image, hit Done to save the
shadows. Refer to the box below as you target particular changes to the original Raw file or click Open Image to open
midtones, either pulling them up or down. the adjusted image in Photoshop.
Expert tip Tone Curve: Take Ctrl!

That [Ctrl] key sitting at the mode) over a particular tone
bottom left of your keyboard is in your photograph, and
an extremely powerful tool its precise location will appear
when it comes to working on the curve. To place a point
within the Tone Curve in there on the curve, simply
Photoshop CS Camera Raw. click the mouse button while
First, it’s invaluable when it still holding down the [Ctrl]
comes to locating exactly key. Also, if you hold down
where on the curve a this key and repeatedly hit
particular tone sits. To do the [Tab] key, you can scroll
this, simply hold down the through the various points on
[Ctrl] key and hover your the curve until the one you
cursor (which will resemble want to adjust is selected
the Eyedropper Tool in this and active.

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First Steps
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Fine-tuning in Photoshop
In contrast to Photoshop Elements, Adobe precision when it comes to adjusting specific and create stunning monochrome images via
Camera Raw in Photoshop has a group of tonal ranges in your image, much as the the HSL feature. We’ll look at both of these
far more accurate and advanced controls. Curves command does in Photoshop itself. features here, and we’ll also examine
The Tone Curve gives you the ultimate in You also have the facility to control colour sharpening in Camera Raw.
1 The Tone Curve: lightening shadows

The Camera Raw Tone Curve works in exactly the same way as
the Curves dialog in the Photoshop workspace. The lower third of the
curve controls shadows, so to lighten these click in this quadrant to
add a point, then pull it upwards slightly. It’s often more accurate to
use the up and down arrow keys on your
keyboard rather than drag with the mouse.
2 HSL/Grayscale: high-contrast B&W

Click on the HSL icon, then choose the Luminance tab. Click the
Convert To Grayscale box, then click the word Default. Now you can
adjust each of the colours to either lighten or darken that particular
range of colours. You can still use the Tone Curve to fine-tune your
black and white image and introduce
more contrast.
3 The Detail tab: sharpening

Sharpening works in a similar way to the conventional Unsharp
Mask command. Use a small radius value for the most realistic
results. Small values entered for the Detail slider will sharpen edges
while larger values will sharpen very small textures too. You can
reduce noise by increasing the Luminance slider.

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ON
SALE
NOW!
The essential piece of kit

for today’s photographer!
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First Steps On
Look in the Master
Raw folder on the DVD
Paul Newman
Original shot
Raw editing basics
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How to…
Get higher-quality
photos with Raw
Discover how to retain the best possible image quality from your D-SLR
camera in our no-nonsense guide to the basics of converting Raw files
WHAT YOU’LL NEED Photoshop Elements 6 Raw gives you much more flexibility to adjust photo are the same. Here, we go through
or Photoshop CS, or later the white balance and the exposure after the the basic workflow you should expect to
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN Simple steps you can event. You can also save Raw files in a much follow – although obviously the decisions you
take to make your photos look better larger format than JPEGs, which retains the take with each photo will be different. We’re
IT ONLY TAKES 20 minutes information that makes up your image and focusing on the CS version, which provides
enables you to create higher quality prints. a few more tools, but you’ll get impressive
Raw image files give you the It’s true that your photos will take up more results with either. The lesson on the DVD that
ultimate in digital photo quality. The space on your hard drive, but the increase accompanies this guide shows you how to do
reason why Raw offers better quality in image quality more than compensates the same in Photoshop Elements.
images is simple. Unlike JPEG, Raw for this minor inconvenience. Adobe updates Adobe Camera Raw regularly,
isn’t a compressed file format. With The only drawback of capturing photos in so visit www.adobe.com to see if there’s a new
compressed file formats, some of the Raw format is that you need a Raw converter version available to download.
scene data your camera records is discarded to open and edit them. As we’ve seen, both
to create the photo. Raw, by contrast, gives Photoshop Elements and Photoshop CS have VIDEO TUTORIAL Follow our step-by-step
you the complete unadulterated information a built-in Raw converter called Adobe Camera guide to the Raw editing workflow
captured by your camera. Raw. Although the precise features may IMAGE FILE Use the image Raw_start.cr2
This means that you can make changes vary between Elements and CS, the overall in the Master Raw folder on the DVD
to the photo after capturing it – for example, principles of how you should process each
1Guarantee the highest quality

Open the file Raw_start.cr2 from this tutorial’s folder on the
disc. Adobe Camera Raw will open. Before doing anything else,
2Improve the colour balance
Select the White Balance tool and click on the whitest part
of the fur. Use the RGB readout under the Histogram to try and
click on the blue link at the bottom of the window and make find a value as close to R: 255, G: 255, B: 255 as possible. The
sure 16 Bits/Channel and 300 pixels/inch are selected to image is a little warm, so this will cool it down a bit.
guarantee the highest quality.

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First Steps
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3Fine-tune the colour

You can also use the Temperature and Tint sliders to adjust
the white balance. Dragging the Temperature slider cools the
4Remove distracting tints
Tint controls how much green and magenta appears in your
image. Drag it to the left and you’ll remove magenta by adding
image down by adding blue and removing yellow, while dragging green; drag it right and you’ll remove green by adding magenta.
it right warms the image up by adding yellow and removing blue. Type settings into the boxes to set these values manually.
5Fix the Exposure

By dragging the Exposure slider to the left you can decrease
the exposure. Alternatively, drag it to the right and you’ll
6Know how far to go
You’ll get a good idea of where to position the Exposure
slider by holding down the [Alt] key as you drag. The photo will
increase the exposure. You’ll need to decrease the exposure of turn black, and overexposed areas will be highlighted in red and
this photo slightly. Try not to increase or decrease the exposure yellow dots. Drag the slider to the left until they disappear.
by more than one stop for the best results.
7Recover lost detail

Dragging the Recovery slider to the right lets you recover
overexposed areas. Each of the sliders is closely related,
8Improve the lighting
The Fill Light slider enables you to improve the lighting of
dark areas within your image. By dragging to the right, you can
and the key to processing Raw files lies in trying different bring out more detail in the platform the cheetah is lying on. The
combinations of settings to arrive at the desired result. Blacks slider enables you to increase the intensity of black
areas within the photo.

Raw editing basics
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9Give your photo a boost

The Brightness and Contrast sliders do pretty much exactly
what the names suggest. Dragging them to the right will
10Enhance the colour
The Vibrance and Colour sliders let you adjust the colour
of your image. Vibrance is useful for portraits, because it’ll
increase either the brightness or contrast of the photo. Dragging boost colour without ruining skin tones. Drag the Saturation
them to the left has the opposite effect. Experiment with both slider to the left to decrease colour intensity, or drag it to the
sliders for the best results. right to increase it.
11Perfect the composition

To finish, you can remove some of the distracting
background by dragging the Crop Tool over the parts you want to
12Develop your Raw file
When you’re happy with the adjustments you have made,
click the Open Image button to take the photo into Photoshop,
keep. The image won’t actually be cropped until you open it in where you can carry on editing. When you’re finished, save the
Photoshop. Right-click on the photo and select Clear Crop to file down as a TIFF file so you preserve as much as possible of
cancel the crop. that high-quality image data.
How we processed our Raw file

Take a quick look at the improvements we’ve made
1 White balance
Our shot had a warm colour cast and a magenta tint. We’ve
3
cooled down the colour temperature and removed the tint.
2 Shadow recovery
2
Dragging the Fill Light slider to the right enabled us to restore
shadow detail hidden in the darkest parts of the image.
3 Colour
We’ve used the Vibrancy slider to boost the colour of the
cheetah’s fur and make it stand out clearly from the background. 1
4 Exposure
4
The original photo was slightly overexposed. There’s now a
healthier tonal range of shadows, midtones and highlights
thanks to adjustment sliders such as Exposure and Recovery.

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First Steps
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How to… Original shot
Give a portrait a On
the disc
digital makeover
Tweak a portrait to perfection by creating a healthy-looking complexion
Look in the Makeover
folder on the DVD
and balancing skin tones with hair and face highlights

WHAT YOU’LL NEED Photoshop Elements 5 sharpening to bring out finer details like hair Camera Raw editor before popping into your
or Photoshop CS, or later and eyelashes. The colours may also need to standard editor to make use of its extra image-
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN Boost colour and be tweaked to create a more natural-looking enhancing tools. Follow our step-by-step guide
contrast, enhance skin tone skin tone: skin is difficult to capture in a photo to making a good portrait look even better
IT ONLY TAKES 15 minutes becuase of the complicated way in which it using a variety of image enhancing tips, tricks
reflects light. and techniques. Use the portrait on the DVD to
A high-resolution digital camera that’s As well as having technical problems to get used to the concepts.
equipped with a decent lens has the overcome, the subject of the photo may be
potential to capture stunning looking high- having a bad skin day so the shot may need VIDEO TUTORIAL Follow our step-by-step
quality portraits, but even the professionals some subtle retouching to make them look guide to performing essential portrait
need to spend some time tweaking colour his or her best. By shooting in Raw format enhancements on the DVD
and tone in Photoshop to make the shot you can give yourself the edge in the battle IMAGE FILE The image MakeOver_Start.cr2
look perfect. Odds are the contrast might for quality, so you should aim to do as much is in the Makeover folder on the DVD
be a little flat and the shot may need a bit of image enhancement as you can in the Adobe

Raw portrait basics
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Expert tip
Retouch the
portrait shot
with Camera Raw
Most Photoshop users are familiar with
using the Spot Healing Brush to remove
moles, freckles and skin blemishes.
Photoshop CS users can also retouch
unwanted spots without leaving the
comfort and quality zone of the Adobe
Camera Raw editor. Grab the Retouch Tool
[B] and set it to a diameter that’s big
1 Getting warmer
enough to cover any spots. Set Type to
Heal. Click to select a spot with the
Open the unprocessed Raw file, MakeOver_Start.cr2. The
Retouch Tool’s red overlay circle. Drag the
unprocessed Raw file looks a little too cold due to the camera’s
adjacent green overlay circle to a clear
white balance setting. There’s a slightly blue colour cast. Warm
patch of skin, and Photoshop will replace
up the shot a little by dragging the Temperature slider right to
the unwanted spot with clear skin. 5550 degrees Kelvin.
2 Clobber clipping
To check the portrait’s exposure, click the Highlight clipping
warning in the top-right of the histogram. A few specks of red
3 Enhance the hair
To reveal more hair detail, drag the Fill Light slider up to 20.
This brightens up the midtones without messing with the
appear on the blown-out highlights on her shiny skin. Drag the correctly exposed highlights. It also boosts the shot’s saturation
Recovery slider right to around 15 to restore more printable a little. For a wider contrast, drag Blacks to 11. This darkens the
detail to these flash-induced shiny hotspots. shadows a bit more.
4 Saturation
The Raw shot still looks a little desaturated, producing a
pale-looking model. You could try boosting the value of the
5 Sharpen
By default, the Camera Raw editor sharpens the shot. It may
also have been sharpened in the camera. Too much sharpening
Saturation slider but this will tint the model’s skin tones a can introduce artefacts, so click on the Detail tab and take
fake-tan orange. For a subtler and natural colour enhancement, Amount down to 0.
drag Vibrance up to +40.

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First Steps
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Chris George
Original shot
How to… On
the disc
Enhance your Look in the Essentials
folder on the DVD
outdoor scenes
A bright, sunny day and a busy tourist venue create their own set of challenges
when you’re sitting at the computer – but Camera Raw stands ready
WHAT YOU’LL NEED Photoshop Elements 6 them perfectly isn’t easy. You often have to you tremendous scope to adjust brightness
or Photoshop CS, or above take spontaneous photos rather than planning and contrast on your computer. You can make
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN How to enhance brightly when and how to shoot them, while urban similar changes with JPEGs, but Raw files can
lit outdoor scenes locations and the high contrast of sunny days be manipulated more intensively.
IT ONLY TAKES 20 minutes can conspire to generate shots that lose a little
magic compared to the real thing. IMAGE FILE Use the image elements_start.
Tourist destinations are among the most Fortunately, Raw enables you to change key cr2 in the Essentials folder on the DVD
popular subjects you can shoot, but capturing camera settings when you get home and gives

Outdoor scenes
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Get to know... the Basic tab
Explore the area where you’ll make most of your adjustments
White balance controls 8 Blacks
The Blacks slider targets the dark tones,
1 White Balance making them darker or lighter. Use this to
The White Balance window gives you recover detail in areas of shadow.
a range of presets designed to
compensate for common indoor and 9 Brightness
outdoor shooting situations. Brightness places its emphasis on the
photo’s midtones as it lightens or
2 Temperature darkens the image.
The Temperature slider enables you to
tweak the colour balance precisely,
making it feel colder or warmer.
1 10 Contrast
This takes overall tonal values closer
2 together or further apart. It’s best used
3 Tint when the five sliders above have already
An advanced option for fine-tuning, 3 been set.
affecting green and magenta hues.
4 Other controls
Exposure and tone controls 5
6 11 Clarity
4 Auto and Default Clarity makes your pictures look sharper
Click Auto to see ACR’s suggested 7 by increasing contrast at subject edges.
values for this set of controls. Click This feature is worth using, but don’t
Default at any time during editing to 8 overdo it, or the picture will start to
return to the image’s original settings. look artificial.
9
5 Exposure 10 12 Vibrance
Exposure makes the whole image The best way to make your image look
brighter or darker. A value of -1 or 1 is more colourful. Unlike the Saturation
11
equivalent to an f-stop. slider, it works harder on colours that
12 aren’t already saturated.
6 Recovery
The Recovery slider can be used to 13 13 Saturation
rescue blown-out highlights. This can be used to beef up colours,
making reds even more red, for example,
7 Fill Light or to desaturate the image, giving a more
The Fill Light slider selectively lightens monotone result. If in doubt, start with
the shadow areas. the Vibrance slider.
1Adjust the colour balance

Open elements_start.cr2 from this tutorial’s folder on the
disc. The image will automatically open in the Adobe Camera
2Use Threshold to set exposure
The Exposure slider makes an image darker or lighter. You
can judge the effect visually or use the histogram. Switch to
Raw interface. Tweak the overall colour balance using the Threshold View by holding down [Alt] as you move the slider. This
Temperature slider, moving it to the left (from 5,100K to around shows clipped pixels. Move the slider to around -30 to improve
4,600K) to make the scene look more blue. the exposure and restore detail to the brightest areas.

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First Steps
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3 Tame the highlights

The Recovery slider is great for rescuing burnt-out areas.
Use the Threshold view to set this precisely. Hold down [Alt] as
4 Lighten up the shadows
Fill Light helps tone down shadows and reduce the overall
contrast of a sunlit scene. Don’t overdo it, or the picture starts
you move the slider to the right until most of the red areas to look unnatural. You can’t use the Threshold view with this
disappear. Here, a setting of 22 does the trick. Don’t worry if slider, but notice how the histograms left-hand side moves in
small areas of reflection on shiny objects still look clipped. as you push the slider right. Go for a setting of about 8.
5 Brighten things up
The Brightness slider does a different job to the Exposure
control. Rather than brightening up all the pixels in the picture,
6 Look sharp!
The Clarity slider offers a handy way to add local contrast.
Like a pinch of salt in your cooking, it’s worth using a small
it has most effect on the midtones, so used with care it can amount to increase the apparent sharpness of all your pictures.
make the image look lighter and brighter without blowing out A setting of +12 does the trick here. The effect is particularly
the highlights. We’ve used a setting of +69 for this shot. noticeable in the palace windows in the distance.
7Crank up the colour

You can use the Vibrance and Saturation sliders to give
images more punch. However, Vibrance is the intelligent choice
8Get with the program
You can do most essential adjustments with Camera Raw,
but you’ll undoubtedly need to open the image in Photoshop
because it adjusts saturation selectively, enabling you to beef Elements to finish the job. Click Open Image and use the
up the hues without overcooking the colours that are already Rubber Stamp Tool to remove some of the black blobs in the
rich. Don’t overdo it, though; +25 is more than enough here. sky. You can also apply other effects here. Use Unsharp Mask
to sharpen the edges of the image before saving it.
Outdoor scenes
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How to…
Get more from Raw
Use these handy shortcuts to speed up the image-editing process
The number of tools and options you have than the version you get with any version of Here’s our choice of four top additional effects
available in Adobe Camera Raw depends on Photoshop Elements. and tools that are worth using with your version
the version you’re using. For example, you get Despite these differences, Elements users of Camera Raw, whichever software you’re
more tools and features with the version of still get a huge array of buttons and options to using to hose the plug-in. They’ll help you
ACR that’s designed for CS4 than you do with work with – on top of the essential sliders that straighten images, crop your composition and
the one for CS3. Similarly, the Camera Raw we’ve looked at over the last three pages – so more besides. Try them out and improve your
plug-in designed for CS3 will be more advanced there are plenty of tools at your fingertips. shots in an instant.
1 Straighten up
Open the file elements_start.cr2 in Photoshop Elements.
This launches Camera Raw. Use the Straighten Tool to ensure
2 Crop in proportion
You can also use Camera Raw to crop the image. The
advantage of cropping in ACR is that the original Raw file isn’t
that horizons and buildings are perfectly level. Click on the icon, affected, so you can return to the uncropped image at any
then drag along a line in the picture that’s meant to be either time. A neat refinement to the Crop Tool is its drop-down menu,
vertical or horizontal. For architectural shots such as this, draw which provides preset aspect ratios. We chose a ratio of 2 to 3,
down a line in a building in the centre of the frame (not at the because this ensured that however we cropped the shot it
side, as this may be affected by lens distortion). would have the same proportions as the original camera image.
3 Highlight alert
Click the triangle at the top right of the histogram to toggle
Highlight Clipping Warning. With this on, you can see any areas
4 More of the same
You can process several files at once in Camera Raw, but
there are other ways of re-using your settings so that you don’t
of the image that are burnt out, then use the Exposure and have to start over with every Raw file you open. Pick Previous
Recovery sliders to correct the problem. This can sometimes Conversion from the drop-down menu (the icon to the right of
be easier to use than the Threshold view. It’s not so useful, the word Basic). This is ideal for processing the next shot you
however, if large areas of your image are already red. took of the same scene. If the lighting and exposure were
similar, you could process the shot in one easy step.
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Original shot
On
Ben Brain (Future)
the disc
How to…
Look in the Tune folder
on the DVD
Fine-tune landscape
colour and tone
Make adjustments to your landscapes in Adobe Camera Raw and get
a well-exposed shot with detail in the shadows, midtones and highlights
WHAT YOU’LL NEED Photoshop Elements the extra information about colour, much more difficult to remove. Raw files
6 or later exposure and tone that’s packed into give you more editing options, which is
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN How to restore any every Raw file, you can adjust your why it makes sense to shoot in this
clipped highlights; how to make colour landscape with ease without jeopardising superior format.
more vivid; how to produce deeper tonal image quality. Raw files are much more In this project, we’ll take a fairly
contrast in landscapes forgiving than compressed JPEGs when it well-exposed landscape and tweak its
IT ONLY TAKES 25 minutes comes to clawing back detail lost in the attributes to give it a wider contrast
shadows – or rescuing textures in range and more vivid colours, and we’ll
By shooting your landscapes apparently blown-out highlights. restore detail hidden in the midtones
in Raw format, you can give If you push a JPEG too far, you’ll end up and highlights.
yourself a safety net that adding artefacts, such as noise or halos,
enables you to take a more to the shot. In a compressed JPEG, VIDEO TUTORIAL Follow our step-by-step
relaxed attitude to setting your shutter, there’s less information to work with, so guide to improving tone and detail
aperture and even white balance existing artefacts such colour fringes IMAGE FILE Use the image Raw_start.cr2 in
the Tune folder on the DVD
settings while on location. Thanks to caused by chromatic aberration are

Landscape basics
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1 Open your Raw file

Open Raw_start.cr2 in the Adobe Camera Raw editor. By
default, Photoshop tries to produce a wider tonal range of
2 Boost exposure
You can now see the Raw file as it was originally shot. The
histogram has plenty of information at the left (shadows) end of
shadows and highlights by setting the Contrast to +50 and the tonal range and in the middle (midtones). There aren’t as
Brightness to +25. This can cause the cloud highlights to lose many pixels towards the far right (highlights), which means that
a bit of detail, so reset Brightness, Contrast and Blacks to 0. our shot is slightly underexposed. To brighten up the image,
drag the Exposure slider to +0.80.
3 Clobber clipping
Click on the Highlight Clipping Warning triangle in the
top-right of the histogram. The brightest highlights show up as
4 Fill in the midtones
Now the shot looks brighter and the contrast is less flat.
The bridge is a prominent feature and consists mainly of
red patches. These blown-out areas will print as pure white, midtones. Reveal the texture in its midtones a little more by
meaning fine tonal detail is lost. To restore this highlight detail, dragging Fill Light up to 12. The midtones in the distant treeline
drag the Recovery slider to 16. The red clipping warning patches are now a little washed out, though, so gently darken them by
will vanish and you’ll see more detail. dragging Clarity to 27.
5 Increase the blacks

For an even more striking contrast between shadows and
highlights, increase Blacks to 4. This darkens the blackest
6 Vivid colour
To give your landscape a final polish, you can boost its
rather desaturated colours and ensure that your final print has
shadows. Create a wider range of tones by sliding Contrast up plenty of punch. The Vibrance slider enables you to enhance
to +13. The histogram now looks more balanced, with plenty of typical landscape colours, such as blues and greens. Whack it
tonal information in the shadows, midtones and highlights. up to +63 to produce colours that are much more vivid.

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First Steps
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On
the disc
How to…
Look in the Raw
Portrait folder Original shot
Improve skin tones

in your portraits
It’s easy to enhance your portraits in Camera Raw by tweaking colour,
improving skin tones and removing blemishes. Read on to find out how...
WHAT YOU’LL NEED Photoshop Elements 6 become rife with unwanted artefacts under the shadows to make our lighter-toned subject
or Photoshop CS, or above such editing processes, but the extra image stand out from her pastoral background. You’ll
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN How to achieve correct data stuffed into Raw files helps to overcome also retouch the image to remove blemishes
skin tones in portrait shots this, reducing ugly noise and aberrations. from her forehead and boost the shot’s
IT ONLY TAKES 15 minutes Another great thing about shooting in the colours without spoiling her skin tone. We’re
Raw format is that the original file always working in Photoshop here, but steps 1-5 can
Photographing portraits in Raw format means remains unaltered by the editing process. be completed in any version of Photoshop or
you can relax while you shoot. There’s enough Whenever you edit in the Adobe Camera Raw Photoshop Elements. The final step requires
pixel info crammed into every Raw file for you to editor, Photoshop creates a ‘sidecar’ file that the expanded ACR toolset in Photoshop.
edit your way out of trouble if necessary. stores the changes you’ve made. You don’t
If you’ve slightly overexposed your shot, actually change a single pixel in the Raw file, VIDEO TUTORIAL Follow our step-by-step
as we have with our example portrait above, which gives you confidence to experiment with guide to improving tone and detail
Photoshop enables you to open up the image your editing. IMAGE FILE Use the image raw_start.dng in
by a stop or two and correct the exposure. In this Raw workshop, we’ll show you how the Raw Portrait folder on the DVD
Lesser-quality file formats, such as JPEG, would to tweak an overexposed portrait, darkening

Skin tones
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1 Check exposure
Open raw_start.dng from this tutorial’s folder on the disc.
To discover where the exposure problems lie, click the Highlight
2 Clobber clipping
To recover the detail in the shot’s blown-out highlights,
drag the Exposure slider down half an f-stop to -0.50. The
Clipping Warning icon above the histogram (the white triangle, clipped red patches will reduce in size, revealing detail lost in
shown top right). Overexposed highlights appear as patches of the highlights. To target the remaining clipped highlights without
red, which indicate areas that will print as flat white. affecting the shadows, drag the Recovery slider to 40.
3 Improve contrast
There’s not much contrast between the brightly-lit
highlights of the girl’s skin and the midtones of the background
4 Darker shadows
To increase the contrast even more, drag the Blacks slider
up to 21, which makes the darkest shadows look even darker.
grass. To make her stand out more, try dragging the Brightness The shadows on the girl’s face may become clipped, but you
slider down to +25 and increasing the Contrast to +20. This don’t need to see detail in this area. A little clipping is
creates a broader range of tones and emphasises our subject. acceptable when you’re creating a wider range of tones.
5 Colour correction
To gently boost the colour of the subject’s skin, increase
Saturation to +10. It’s best to resist going any higher, because
6 Skin care
Now, zoom in to 100%. To remove imperfections on the
subject’s forehead, select the Retouch Tool [B]. Set Type to
her skin will start to look orange. For a more vibrantly coloured Heal, then drag the red circle over a spot. Once this is done, a
background, drag the Vibrance slider up to +35. This boosts green circle will appear. Drag this over a clear area of skin and
the colour saturation of the grass and greenery, but leaves the your selection will replace the red circle’s blemish.
subject’s healthy-looking skin unchanged.
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First Steps
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Exposure 1
Exposure 2

Combine Raw shots
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How to… On
the disc
Combine
Look in the Combine
folder on the DVD
Raw shots
Create and combine two outdoor exposures to get
a shot with a wider range of tones
WHAT YOU’LL NEED Photoshop Elements 6 You could try opening the aperture to restore
or Photoshop CS, or above detail to the clipped shadows, but this would
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN How to optimise a photo blow out your highlights. Luckily the Raw format
to either ideal shadows or highlights; how to enables you to capture a wider dynamic range
combine two exposures than JPEG, and you can exploit all the extra
IT ONLY TAKES 15 minutes information in a Raw file to reveal hidden
shadow and highlight detail.
When you view a landscape, your Here we’ll show you how to take a Raw image
eyes can quickly adjust to see a and use the Camera Raw plug-in to create
wide dynamic range of tones, from two versions of the original. One will show the
the darkest shadows of back-lit detail in the brightest highlights; the other will
trees to the brightest highlights of brighten the scene’s shadows and midtones.
sun-lit clouds. This enables you to You’ll then combine the two exposures to
see much more detail with the naked eye than create a shot that shows detail in the shadows,
your D-SLR can with its sensor. midtones and highlights.
When shooting that scene, the camera must
compromise between capturing detail in the
VIDEO TUTORIAL Follow our step-by-step
brightest and darkest parts. If the sky is bright
guide to combining Raw shots
the camera may close down its aperture to
IMAGE FILE Use the image combine_start.
avoid over-exposing highlights in the clouds,
cr2 in the Combine folder on the DVD
which could plunge the trees into shadow.
Create and combine two Raw exposures
1Maximise image quality

Open the file combine_start.cr2 from the Combine folder on
the disc. The Adobe Camera Raw editor will open. To exploit all
2Turn on clipping warning
To find out where your exposure problems lie, turn on the
clipping warnings in the top and right corners of the histogram.
the picture information hidden in the Raw file, set Depth to 16 All of the blown-out (or clipped) highlights will now appear as
Bits/Channel instead of the default 8. patches of red. Clipped shadows, on the other hand, will be
shown as blue patches.
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First Steps
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3Use the histogram

On the histogram you’ll see the clipped highlights peaking
in red at the far right of the graph. There are plenty of clipped
4Recover lost highlights
Get started by creating a version of the Raw file that shows
more highlight detail. At this stage, we’re not interested in the
shadows, too, as you can see from the blue peak on the left. shadows at all, so it’s not a problem if they become even more
The graph will change as you edit, helping you to see the clipped: you’ll create a separate version showing shadow detail
changes as you work. later on.
5Instant recovery
Drag the Recovery slider up to 30 and watch most of the
clipping warning vanish. Recovery is designed to recover lost
6 Retaining detail
Check out the histogram again. You’ll notice that the red
highlight section of the graph on the right is no longer shooting
highlight detail without altering other tones such as shadows up to the top. This means that the brightest pixels in the image
and midtones. The blown-out highlights around the edge of the are now within Photoshop’s dynamic range, so they will print
clouds now show more detail. with their detail intact.
7Tweak exposure
You’ve recovered lost detail in the blown highlights, but the
sky is still too bright. Drag the Exposure slider to -0.75 to darken
8Open in Elements
Now that you’ve optimised the Raw image’s sky detail and
recovered detail in the blown-out highlights, click Open Image.
the whole area. This helps restore some colour to the blue sky This will open the edited shot in the standard Photoshop
and the midtones of the back-lit clouds. The distant hills will Elements editor. Now go to File > Save and rename the image
become more emphasised too. ‘Recovered Highlights’. Leave the file open.

Combine Raw shots
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9 Restore shadow detail

Go to File > Open Recently Edited File and open the original
Raw file in the Camera Raw editor. Click Default to clear the
10 Marvellous midtones
Most of the landscape’s midtones have been lost in the
shadows. Drag the Fill Light slider up to 30 to brighten up the
settings you used to restore the highlights. To create a version midtones and restore hidden detail. Now you have a version of
that reveals the shadows, drag Blacks to 0. The blue clipping the shot that features detail in the shadows and midtones. Click
warning will vanish. Open Image.
11Create two layers

Choose Select >All, Edit > Copy. Select the Recovered
Highlights version and go to Edit > Paste. Click Convert Depth.
12Combine the layers
Grab the Eraser Tool and choose a 300-diameter soft
airbrush from Brush Presets. Set Opacity to 20%. In the shadow
The document’s top layer will be optimised to show shadow layer, spray the Eraser to remove the over-exposed sky,
detail and the bottom layer to show highlight detail. revealing the well-exposed sky from the highlight layer below.

We increased our shot’s dynamic range in four steps
1 Highlight recovery 3 Clipping
Our shot’s highlights were The darkest shadows were
blown out. We used the 1
clipped, causing them to print
Recovery slider to create out as pure black. The Blacks
a version of the shot that 4 slider helped to restore detail
displayed more detail in the hidden in the original Raw file.
highlight areas. 2
4 Beautiful blends
2 Midtone detail
We created two differently
The trees were under-exposed
exposed versions of the image
in the original, which plunged
them into darkness. The Fill
3 and used the Eraser tool to
blend the correctly exposed
Light slider recovered lost
parts of each image together.
midtone detail.
The result? A shot with a wider
dynamic range.

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First Steps On
Look in the Combining
folder on the DVD
George Cairns
How to…
Merge shots Original shot
with a mask Process a Raw file three times, using different settings for each, then combine
them in Photoshop to uncover detail in both the sky and the foreground
WHAT YOU’LL NEED Photoshop Elements 6 under-exposed, causing important details to exposed versions of the same scene, revealing
or Photoshop CS, or above disappear. However, if you meter your camera detail in both the sky and the ground.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN Advanced merging to expose for the darker foreground, the Here, we’ll show you how to combine these
techniques using masks brighter sky can become blown out and over- separate exposures in Photoshop’s standard
IT ONLY TAKES 15 minutes exposed, producing clipped pixels. editor to achieve a more balanced exposure
By shooting in Raw format, you can capture that reveals detail throughout a shot. This
One of the biggest challenges a shot that contains all the information you workshop builds on principles explained in the
photographers face when shooting need about the tones in a high-contrast previous tutorial on page 76, introducing ideas
a landscape is the dramatic landscape. However, it can still be a struggle to like masking part of the shot.
difference in light levels between get Camera Raw to reveal a decent amount of
the sky and the ground. If you set detail in both the shadows and the highlights IMAGE FILE Use the image combined_start.
your exposure to capture detail in the sky, at the same time. Fortunately, you can use the cr2 in the Combining folder on the DVD
often the ground can become too dark and tone-tweaking tools to create three differently

Mask out Raw exposures
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1 Get started
Open the file combined_start.cr2 from the disc in
Photoshop: it will automatically open in Camera Raw. Our
2 Expose for the sky
To add detail to the sky, drag the Recovery slider to 22: the
patches of red will start to disappear. Slide Exposure to -1.45 to
source file features foreground detail, but the clouds and darken the sky. Increase Brightness to +61 and Contrast to
mountains are over-exposed. By turning the highlight clipping +79. To add definition to the cloud’s subtle midtones, drag
warning on (the right-hand arrow above the histogram) you can Clarity up to +50. Click on Open Image, then save the shot as
see the red patches that will print without detail. ‘SkyExposure.psd’.
3 Expose for the ground

Go to File > Open Recently Edited File and choose
combined_start.cr2 again. Click Default to restore the shot to
4 Combine the images
With GroundExposure.psd open, go to Select > SelectAll,
then choose Edit > Copy. Next, swtich to SkyExposure.psd and
its unedited state. Set Brightness and Contrast to 0, take then choose Edit > Paste. Go to Window > Layers to open the
Vibrance to +28 to enhance the colours and click Open Image. Layers palette, then double-click on the Layers’ icons to label
Save this second version as ‘GroundExposure.psd’. the two layers.
5 Create a mask
Go to File > Open Recently Edited File; choose combined_
start.cr2 again. Click Default. Take Exposure to +1.50 to create
6 Delete the over-exposed sky
Tick the Eye icon next to the over-exposed sky layer to hide
it, then choose the ground exposure layer. Press [Backspace] to
a white, detail-free sky. Click Open Image and copy and paste delete this layer’s washed-out sky and reveal the correctly
this version into the main layered document, as in step 4. Grab exposed sky from the layer below. Click inside the selection to
the Magic Wand Tool, untick the Contiguous option and deselect it: you should now be looking at a composite image
Shift-click around the image to select the sky and mountains. that has detail in both the sky and the ground.
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First Steps On
Look in the HDR
Project folder
Ben Brain
Original shot
HDR photography
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How to…
Create an HDR
landscape photo
Overcome exposure problems by combining three
different versions of a lacklustre Raw file to create
a striking, balanced landscape image
WHAT YOU’LL NEED Photoshop Elements 6 a well-exposed sky you risk creating clipped to create your own on your computer, using
or Photoshop CS, or above; Photomatix Pro shadows. One way of producing a shot with three different exposures.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN How to merge three detail throughout the tonal range is to switch This workshop uses a program called
exposures into a single HDR image to one of the Creative Zone shooting modes Photomatix Pro to merge your three exposures
IT ONLY TAKES 25 minutes and select the Raw quality setting. You can into a single image. If you don’t own
then create three differently exposed versions Photomatix, you can download a free trial
When you shoot on full Auto mode of the image and combine them to make one version from www.hdrsoft.com.
your D-SLR camera may struggle composite shot that’s rich in detail throughout
to capture detail in a scene’s the whole tonal range. VIDEO TUTORIAL Follow our step-by-step
highlights, midtones and shadows. This sort of shot is known as an HDR or high guide to faking an HDR-style image
If it opens up the aperture to reveal dynamic range image. Specialist cameras are IMAGE FILE Use the image HDR_start.cr2 in
shadow detail, the highlights in the sky capable of capturing an entire HDR photo on the HDR Project folder on the DVD
can become over-exposed. But by capturing location, but you can use the technqiues here
1Open the source file

To start creating the three differently exposed images from
your single Raw file, first launch Photoshop Elements and click
2Expose for the highlights
The camera has captured a shot with very flat tones. The
shadows could be darker and the highlights could be brighter.
on the Edit button on the opening splash screen. Next, go to To create more detailed highlights for your composite HDR
File > Open and browse to the HDR_start.cr2 source file on image, drag the Exposure slider left to -2.00. In effect, this
your disc. The Raw image will open in Elements’ Adobe Camera closes the camera’s aperture by two stops. Click Open Image,
Raw interface. go to File > Save and save the shot as ‘HighlightDetail.jpg’).
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First Steps
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3Work on the shadows

Go to File > Open Recently Edited File and choose HDR_
start.cr2 again. This time, drag the Exposure slider up to +2.00.
4Expose for the midtones
Open HDR_start.cr2 one more time. Photoshop will
remember the last Exposure adjustment you made. To reveal
This will overexpose the highlights, blowing out areas of white, the shot’s midtones, drag the Exposure slider to 0.00 (or click
but reveal much more detail in the shadows. Click Open Image, the Default button to restore the Exposure slider to its original
go to File > Save and save the shot as ‘ShadowDetail.jpg’. 0.00 setting). Open the image in Photoshop’s standard editor
and save it as ‘MidtoneDetail.jpg’. Now open Photomatix Pro.
5Open Photomatix Pro

In Photomatix, click Generate HDR Image. Browse to your
three source files and [Shift]-click to add each to the selection.
6Perform Tone Mapping
Press the Tone Mapping Button. In the Details Enhancer tab,
set Strength to 95, take Colour Saturation down to 36, change
Click OK. You can tell Photomatix about the images’ different Luminosity to 4 and set Smoothing to Very High. In Tone
exposures by selecting 2 from the EV Spacing drop-down menu. Settings, set White Point to 0.199% and Gamma to 0.85. Click
Click OK. Ignore the Options window’s settings, then click OK to Process. Now go to File > Save As, choose TIFF 8-bit and name
generate an HDR composite image. the file ‘ToneMapped.tif’.
7Tweak the tones

In Elements, go to File > Open and select the composite
image. Go to Enhance > Auto Colour Correction to cool down the
8Finishing touches
Click the Create Adjustment Layer icon and select Hue/
Saturation to add an adjustment layer. Take the Master
slightly warm tint. Tweak the tones by selecting Layer > New Saturation slider to +30 and click OK. Finally, grab the Sponge
Adjustment Layer > Levels. Set the Shadow Input Level slider to Tool from the Tools palette and set Mode to Saturate and Flow
15, the Midtone slider to 0.94 and the Highlight slider to 238. to 20%. Select the background layer and spray along the water’s
edge to enhance the bluey-green hue.
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First Steps
WorldMags.nettheOndisc Look in the Batch
folder on your DVD
How to…
Speed up
your workflow
If you have numerous images of one subject or location, try applying the same
Original shots
edits to the whole lot with a just a few clicks in Adobe Camera Raw
WHAT YOU’LL NEED Photoshop Elements 6 you’ll discover that there’s a nifty, labour-saving from a day’s landscape shoot or a selection of
or Photoshop CS, or above way of processing large numbers of images portraits from a single sitting, for example.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN Batch-process images simultaneously, actually saving you time. While editing multiple images in a batch can
IT ONLY TAKES 20 minutes Adobe Camera Raw can batch-process save you time, on the following pages we’ll
hundreds of similar files at the same time, also show you how to fine-tune each image
Shooting in your D-SLR’s Raw format gives speeding up your Raw processing before individually for more precise adjustments. Read
you a whole new way to process your opening the files in Photoshop for finer on to find out more...
images, but it also throws up the problem of adjustments. Any alterations you make to one
having to spend that little bit longer working image, such as changes to the exposure or VIDEO TUTORIAL Follow our step-by-step
on them in Photoshop, compared to JPEG. sharpening, will take place on all of the images guide to batch-processing images
This longer editing process can be enough to you’ve selected, so this editing method works IMAGE FILE Try this now – the images are in
put some photographers off shooting in Raw – best when you group together images that have the Batch folder on the DVD
but if you take the time to learn the software, been taken in similar light – a batch of shots
1 Open your shots

Launch Photoshop Elements, go to File > Open and
navigate to the Batch folder on your disc. Click the first image in
2 Rotate the images
Now any adjustments you make to the image in the central
display will be replicated across each of the selected images in
the folder, hold down the Shift key and click on the last image. the left-hand bar. First, you’ll need to rotate the images to the
This will select all of the files in between. Click Open and the correct orientation - in this case, vertical. The fastest way to do
images will open in Adobe Camera Raw. Select a shot in the this is to hit the [R] (right) or [L] (left) keys on your keyboard to
thumbnail bar and click Select All. rotate the images in the direction you want.

Batch-process images
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First Steps
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3Brighten things up
Toggle between the images in the left-hand bar, using the
arrow keys to the bottom right of the central image. Select a
4Boost the colours
Drag the Blacks slider right to about 12 to deepen the
blacks in the image, then give the colours a boost by dragging
shot that’s representative of all the images in the group (we the Vibrance slider to about 10. This is a safer way of
chose IMG_8444.cr2), then start making your adjustments. increasing colour saturation than using the Saturation slider
First, move the Exposure slider to -0.45, then move Contrast to alone, because coloured areas will not become oversaturated.
about +35 to make the image more dramatic and less flat. Don’t forget that the changes are being applied to every image.
5Sharpen and reduce noise

Click on the Detail tab (triangle icon) to sharpen and reduce
noise. Sharpening should be subtle, so set Amount to 40,
6Make individual edits
Now that you’ve made global adjustments to all of the
images simultaneously, you can fine-tune any shot you like
Radius to 1.2, Detail to 4 and leave the Masking slider at 0. If individually, if necessary, by clicking on the image you want to
you have a really noisy shot, drag the Luminance and Colour work on in the left-hand thumbnail panel. This deselects all the
sliders to the right (depending on the amount of noise, the other images and enables you to tweak any of the edits made
further right you drag the sliders, the more it will be reduced). in the previous steps, so you can make precision changes to
See our annotated guide to the Detail panel for more. the shot.
Get to know... the Detail panel

A quick guide to the sliders used to sharpen your shots
Sharpening 4 Masking The final Sharpening slider
1 Amount The first slider in the Detail masks off areas from being sharpened.
panel controls the amount of sharpening Zoom in and hold down the [Alt] key when
that’s applied to your image by adjusting 1 dragging the slider, and areas of the image
edge definition. that appear black won’t be sharpened.
2
2 Radius Determines the degree of 3 Noise Reduction
contrast between light and dark edges. The 5 Luminance The Luminance slider
4
higher the number, the greater the contrast. reduces greyscale noise (specks that
appear black and white and give shots a
grainy look).
3 Detail Use the Detail slider to sharpen 5
fine detail in your shot. This will also include 6 Colour Reduces chroma noise (visible
6 coloured artefacts).
any noise that may be present in the image.

Batch-process images faster
On
the disc
Look in the Raw
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Workflow folder
Chris George
How to…
Find a faster way
to process images
Don’t waste time editing your shots one by one: use our high-speed
method to manipulate a batch of Raw shots all at once
WHAT YOU’LL NEED Photoshop Elements 6 reason to use Raw whenever possible, but the previous workshop, showing you some of the
or Photoshop CS, or above extra steps involved on the computer can be more advanced techniques you can use to
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN More advanced batch- a real pain when you have lots of pictures that manipulate loads of photos at once when you
processing methods need processing quickly. have the chance, while switching quickly to
IT ONLY TAKES 10 minutes Fortunately, there’s a way to speed things make individual edits when that’s your best
up by working on a group of Raw files option. Master these principles and you could
There are lots of advantages to simultaneously. Not many people realise save yourself hours at the computer.
shooting in Raw, but the downside that ACR is capable of processing a whole
is that shots in this top-quality group of Raw images at the same time, even
format take longer to process than allowing you to apply the same adjustments
guide to batch-processing images faster
their JPEG counterparts. The ability to a sequence of images simultaneously.
IMAGE FILE Try this with the images in the
to tweak exposure, contrast and colour Here, we build on the basic principles of
Raw Workflow folder on the DVD
without losing quality might be a convincing batch-processing that we outlined in the

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First Steps
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1 Open several files together

Launch Photoshop Elements and select File > Open. From
here, you can choose images to process as a batch. It’s best
2 Multi-tasking with ACR
The files open in Adobe Camera Raw and are displayed on
the left-hand side of the screen. If you click each in turn you
to group together shots taken in the same lighting: for this can make individual changes, but you want to edit them all
tutorial, you can use the eight Raw files supplied on the disc. simultaneously. Click Select All. You’ll only see one picture in
Click the upper file, then hold down the [Shift] key and click the the central image area: if it isn’t representative of the group,
lowest file, selecting everything in-between. Now click Open. select a better shot from the thumbnails, then click Select All.
3 Rescue highlights and shadows

The bright day has created a series of high-contrast
portraits. The unprocessed files don’t show Lewis Hamilton’s
4 Brighten up the image
Although you have improved the contrast, the image now
looks flat and Hamilton’s face is still too shadowy. Use the
face clearly, and some areas are too bright. The first step is Brightness slider to lighten the image. Adjusting this, rather
to adjust the Recovery and Fill Light sliders. Notice how the than Exposure, ensures you don’t blow out the highlights you’ve
Histogram in the top right squeezes inwards, reducing the just rescued.
highlights and shadows.
5 Standard settings
The Clarity and Vibrance sliders are almost always worth
adjusting upwards. The Clarity slider improves apparent
6Crop the lot
All the shots need some cropping. Because the composition
of each photo is different, you can’t apply the same crop to all
sharpness, while Vibrance improves saturation in a much eight. However, because you want to save these images as a
more subtle and controlled way than the Saturation slider. group, it will look neater if they’re cropped to the same
Remember, at this point you’re still making adjustments to all proportions. Click the Crop Tool and choose an Aspect Ratio
eight images. that suits the set – try 4 to 5.
Batch-process images faster
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7Individual editing
Click on each of the images in the left-hand thumbnail list in
turn. Crop each photo to maximise the impact of each shot and
8Remove unwanted images
There may be some shots in your sequence that aren’t
worth keeping: this is the perfect time to cull images that are
lose as many of the bystanders in the background as possible. out of focus or blurred. In this shot, Lewis Hamilton is looking
At this stage, you can also fine-tune the Exposure and Contrast away from the camera. If you press the [Delete] key on the
sliders so that they’re perfectly suited to the particular frame keyboard, the shot is marked for deletion and will be moved to
you’re working on. the Trash when you have finished.
9Select the images again

When you’ve made your final adjustments to the images
individually and weeded out any shots that you don’t want, it’s
10Open the images to save
If you’re using Photoshop, you can use the Save Images
option to save your files as JPEGs quickly and easily. With
time to save your sequence. To do this, first click Select All in Photoshop Elements, however, this option is not available and
the top left corner again, so that all of your chosen images are Save Images only allows you to save your shots as DNG files.
highlighted once more. Press the Open Images button instead.
11Take action with the Photo Bin

Your selected images will now open in Photoshop
Elements’ Full Edit mode. You don’t need to make any more
12Save your set
It’s worth creating a new folder to keep all your edited
shots together. Choose the JPEG option from Format, then
adjustments – just save each of the images as JPEGs. Ensure choose a quality setting of five or six to reduce the file size
the Photo Bin is open so that you can see thumbnails of your down to something sensible. Keep the Format Option at the
chosen images. Click on Bin Actions above the thumbnails and Baseline Standard.
choose Save Bin as an Album from the drop-down menu.
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First Steps
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Original shot
How to…
Make selective On
tonal adjustments
the disc
Look in the Adjustment
Brush folder
Thanks to Adobe Camera Raw’s Adjustment Brush, you can target and
improve specific areas in your photos without switching to Photoshop
The Raw source file we’ve provided for this untouched. To do this, you could open the Raw can be used to target and restore detail in our
tutorial suffers from dramatically blown- file in Photoshop CS or Photoshop Elements’ shot’s blown-out highlights without making
out highlights: you can see them on the standard editor and use the Burn tool to exposure changes to the image as a whole.
gramophone’s reflective metal surface in selectively darken these blown-out highlights. You can also tweak the intensity of the
the original above. If you tried to restore detail However, the Adjustment Brush in the Camera Brush’s tonal adjustments with ease and
in the highlight areas simply by decreasing Raw editor means you can make all your image use masks to fine-tune the edited areas until
the exposure, you would under-expose the adjustments (both global and selective) in one you’re happy with the overall effect. Read on
rest of the shot. Instead, you need to make a package, and preserve image quality too. to find out how it works... Note that this tool is
targeted adjustment, altering only the affected The Adjustment Brush gives you all the available only in Photoshop: you can’t access it
areas and leaving the rest of the image functionality of Photoshop’s Burn tool, and with Camera Raw in Photoshop Elements.

Adjustment Brush
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1 Open the source file

Open CS4_start.cr2, then turn on the Highlight Clipping
Warning by clicking on the triangle at the top-right of the
2 Set up the Adjustment Brush
Click the Adjustment Brush icon. This opens up the
Adjustment Brush window, which gives you access to a range
histogram. The red patches indicate blown-out highlights. of editable attributes, such as Exposure and Saturation. Set
Dragging Recovery to 100 fails to restore all the detail, and Exposure to -2.00 and Size to 7. Next, give the brush a soft
reducing Exposure to -1.95 under-exposes most of the image. edge by setting Feather to 68, then set Flow to 50 and Density
Press [Alt] and click Reset. Reduce Exposure to -0.25 and set to 59. This will help to blend the burnt-in highlight details more
Clarity to +80. effectively with their unedited surroundings.
3 Reveal the detail

Press [Ctrl]+[+] to zoom in on the gramophone’s horn. Now
spray the Adjustment Brush over the clipped highlights; this will
4 Modify your adjustment
Click the Mask Overlay Colour icon at the base of the
Adjustment Brush pane, then choose red. Tick Colour Indicates
reduce the red clipping warning patches and reveal more Affected Areas, then click OK. Move the cursor over the
highlight detail in the shot. To view the restored highlight details Adjustment Brush’s grey pin icon. The areas affected by the
appearing as you spray, turn off the clipping warning. Try to stroke now appear in red. Darken the exposure adjustment
avoid spraying over any of the darker tones. further by dragging the Exposure slider down to -2.75.
5 Darken the shadows

Next, click New in the Adjustment Brush pane and set
Exposure to -2.80. Set Size to 20, then spray the brush over
6 Finishing touches
Click New to create an independent group of exposure-
altering strokes. Set Exposure to -3.10; spray carefully over the
the horn’s shadows to darken them. This creates a wider turntable and the blown-out flowers just behind it to darken
range of tones and makes the image look less flat. A new them. Click the Zoom Tool to leave the Adjustment Brush
pin appears, enabling you to fine-tune the selective shadow window. Finally, move the Vibrance slider up to +55 to bring
exposure independently of the highlight-altering brush strokes. out the shot’s striking colours and give it added impact.

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First Steps
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Graham Dunn (www.grahamdunn.co.uk)
Original shot
On
the disc
How to… Look in the Clean
folder on the DVD
Make your images

sparkling clean
Process your Raw files to perfection as you tackle dust, sensor spots
and more in your quest to produce pristine-quality images
WHAT YOU’LL NEED Photoshop CS have become, it’s still possible for the lens where the image darkens near its far corners.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN How to remove artefacts, mechanism to introduce imperfections – but Add in the effect of visual ‘noise’, which is
address lens distortions and enhance the it’s just as possible to remove using the power especially noticeable in some low-light shots,
image’s colour and detail of the Camera Raw plug-in. and you’ve got some work to do to clean up
IT ONLY TAKES 15 minutes Even if you obsess over keeping your your photos. Read on to discover how Camera
camera lens clean, you’re unlikely to escape Raw can make the job much easier...
To finish this chapter on the basic the effects of dust and other particles in the
principles of editing Raw photos, atmosphere. It’s also possible for particles
we’ll take a look at some of the to enter the camera and affect the sensor
guide to enhancing your images by
detail work you should be doing – directly, causing telltale black sensor spots.
removing dust and correcting lens issues
polishing your images until they’re Wide-angle lenses give you the opportunity
IMAGE FILES Use the start image Raw_
as close to perfect as you can get. As great to take shots you might not achieve otherwise,
Before.cr2 in the Clean folder on the DVD
as the most recent generations of D-SLRs but they can also cause a vignette effect,

Image clean-up
WorldMags.net
How to…
Remove dust and
unwanted elements
Indulge in a bit of digital dust-busting to remove unwanted
artefacts such as sensor spots and improve a shot’s quality
Sensor spots are among the most irritating artefects to discover

in your photo after you view it on your computer. These tiny bits
of dust show up in the photo as ugly dark blotches. Although it’s a
straightforward job to remove sensor spots using the Adobe Camera
Raw editor’s Retouch Tool, it’s well worth giving your camera’s sensor
a regular clean to reduce the amount of retouching you need to do.
To clean a sensor on an SLR, lock the camera’s mirror to an open
position to access the sensor. Make sure the camera is fully charged
so that it doesn’t fail during the cleaning process. Use a rubber brush
blower to blast away dust spots. Be careful not to insert the blower tip
1 Spot of bother
Open Raw_Before.cr2 from this tutorial’s folder on the disc.
For a better look at the offending sensor spots, grab the Zoom
beyond the lens mount in case the power fails and the blower damages Tool. Click to zoom in to 100%. Hold [Space] to trigger the Hand
the closing shutter. If in doubt, get the camera cleaned professionally. Tool and drag the cursor around to discover the dust patches.
2 Select the Retouch Tool

Grab the Retouch Tool (or press [B] to activate it). Set the
Type drop-down menu to Heal. The Heal mode will cause clear
3 Draw overlays
Place the cursor over a spot, then drag to draw an overlay
circle. Drag inside the red circle to position it over the unwanted
patches of transplanted sky to blend seamlessly with the pixels sensor spot. Drag inside the circular green overlay and place it
surrounding the unwanted dust spot. over a clear patch of sky. Clear sky will replace the sensor spot.
4 And repeat
Click to place new overlays on top of other patches of dust.
You can add as many as you like. You can fine-tune the size and
5 Hide overlays
Multiple red and green overlays can be distracting. To see
the edited shot’s dust-free sky without viewing the Retouch
position of the overlays at any time (even after closing and Tool’s overlay circles, untick the Show Overlay box. You can also
re-opening the Raw file). To remove unwanted overlays, select click Clear All to remove every overlay and start dust-busting
them and hit [Backspace]. from scratch, if need be.

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First Steps
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Original shot Enhanced shot
How to…
Improve tones for
extra impact
Tweak your shot’s colour and tone to perfection, creating
a well-exposed, more colourful image
Most Raw shots need a little editing to give the image a wider
range of shadows, midtones and highlights. The Adobe Camera Raw
editor boasts an extensive suite of tools to help you produce perfect
colours and tones. Our source file’s histogram shows pixels clustered
in the middle of the graph, indicating that the shot consists mostly of
midtones. We can tweak the tones to produce greater contrast.
The ACR editor provides many ways for you to target and change
specific tones, so that you don’t alter the image as a whole. As well as
using sliders in the Basic tab, explore more sophisticated tone-tweaking
1 Boost the shadows
The tree is the focal point. To make it stand out even more,
click the Tone Curve tab. Drag the Shadows slider left to –44 to
tools such as the ones found in the Tone Curve tab. These enable you darken the darkest pixels without messing with the midtones or
to alter narrow ranges of tone independently. We’ll also show you how to highlights. Take Darks down to –10 to create stronger blue
coax out subtle textures hiding in our snowdrift’s light blue shadows. shadows in the snow.
2 Enhance texture detail

To gently lift out more detail in the light blue shadows of
the snowdrifts, go to the Basic tab and drag the Clarity slider
3 Boost colour
Push Vibrancy up to +20 to enhance the landscape’s rich
blues. The vivid blues help draw attention to the texture of the
to +50. Drag the Recovery slider to 10 to avoid clipping the landscape, giving the shot variety and more impact.
brightest highlights. Clipped areas lose all detail and could
cause the shot to be rejected.

Image clean-up
WorldMags.net
How to…
Remove vignetting
and noise effects
Complete the edit by banishing any features that could
make the image fail a quality-control inspection
Although your shot may have perfect colours and tones, and be free
of sensor spots, it could still fall at the final hurdle. Depending on
the type of lens you used for the shot and the exposure you chose for
the prevailing light conditions, it’s possible that unwanted visual effects
have been added to the Raw image.
You might think of visual noise as the digital equivalent of film grain,
but it’s actually the effect of random errors introduced into the shot as
it’s taken. Carefully managed, noise can actually add interest to a photo,
especially if you want an old-fashioned look, but typically it’s something
you’ll want to reduce as much as possible. Vignetting, meanwhile, is an
Original shot Enhanced shot effect caused by some wide-angle lenses.
1 Quality control
Zoom in to 100% and double-check every inch of sky for
sensor spots. There are many subtle sensor spots hiding in our
2 Remove vignetting
The corners of the shot are darker than the rest of the sky.
Vignetting is common on zoomed-out wide-angle lenses. Click
source file for you to find. To continue, choose Fit In View from the Lens Corrections tab and push the Lens Vignetting Amount
the Select Zoom Level option... slider to +23 to lighten the corners.
Expert tip
Freedom to experiment
The beauty of editing a Raw file is that you can’t change a single
pixel on the original shot. When you adjust sliders to alter colours
or remove sensor spots with the Retouch Tool, all the changes
are recorded in a separate file. This means you can restore the
Raw shot to its original status at any time by clicking Default.
3 Final check
Look at the shot’s metadata below the histogram. Our
image was captured using an ISO speed of 50, so it’s unlikely to
suffer from noise artefacts. Shots of ISO 200 or more will be
noisier and you may need to boost the value of the Noise
Reduction sliders in the Detail tab.

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Exposure
Make essential fixes to your photos:
correct exposure and tone across the
4
entire image, or go selective to be creative
Improve exposure for a balanced shot 100
Control a high contrast 102
Enhance tones and transform your shots 104
Rescue under-exposed shots 108
Make selective adjustments 111
Explore Raw graduations 112
Improve exposure in low-light shots 114
Hold on to details 116
Recover blow-out highlight detail 118

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Exposure On
Look in the Exposure
Boost folder
Improve exposure
for a balanced shot
Enhancing your images in Photoshop Elements’ Raw editor
is more intuitive than you might think…
Ben Brain
WHAT YOU’LL NEED Photoshop CS If anything, it’s easier than using your standard this walkthrough, we’ll show you how to use
or Photoshop Elements 6, or above image editor – partly because the most Elements’ Raw editor to tweak a shot’s tones
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN How to use Camera Raw important controls can be found in one simple to perfection, and how to boost colour and
to correct the exposure levels in your photo interface and partly because Raw images contrast in a matter of seconds.
IT ONLY TAKES 5 minutes contain so much more information than JPEGs.
A Raw file contains every last scrap of VIDEO TUTORIAL Follow our step-by-step
Many people find the whole idea colour and tonal information captured by your guide to enhancing Raw files in ACR
of shooting and editing in Raw a camera’s sensor. This makes Raw files much IMAGE FILES raw_before.dng is in the
bit daunting. But once you get the more forgiving when it comes to fine-tuning Exposure Boost folder on the DVD
hang of it, it’s surprisingly intuitive. exposure or boosting colour and contrast. In

Exposure basics
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1 Evaluate the exposure

Launch Photoshop Elements in Edit mode and open raw_
before.dng from the Exposure Boost folder in Adobe Camera
2 Tweak the tones
Click on the Highlight Clipping Warning icon above the
histogram and drag Exposure right until red patches appear on
Raw. You’ll see in the histogram that the graph doesn’t stretch the helmet. Drag the slider back a little until they disappear.
all the way to the right, indicating the image is under-exposed. The shot now boasts a full range of shadows, midtones and
This is why the white helmet looks grey. highlights. Tick and untick the Preview box to see the change.
3 Boost the Blacks

Adjusting the exposure has shifted the histogram to the
right and flattened it, weakening the shadows slightly. To deepen
4 Brighten it up
To brighten the image and bring out detail in the shadows
without losing all texture in the clouds, drag the Brightness slider
the shadows and improve contrast, click the Shadow Clipping to +40. This works on the midtones rather than the shadows
Warning icon in the top left, then drag the Blacks slider right until or highlights, so these should be unaffected. The contrast is
blue patches start to appear. Drag it left until they disappear. already quite strong, so leave Contrast and Clarity as they are.
5 Correct the colours

The colours still look a bit flat, so drag Vibrance to +40 to
boost blues and browns and Saturation to +20 to boost reds
6 Reveal shadow detail
Click on Open Image to open your shot in Elements’ main
editing window. As a final tweak, go to Enhance Adjust Lighting
and yellows. Unlike Vibrance, Saturation focuses on colours that > Shadows/Highlights. In the new window, drag Lighten
are already quite rich, such as reds and yellows, so don’t be Shadows to +20 and Midtone Contrast to +15. This reveals
tempted to go any further, as your image will start to look garish. detail in the shadows without blowing out the highlights.

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Exposure On
Look in the Dog folder
on the DVD
How to…
Control a
high contrast
Want a pet portrait with a healthy range of tones? We show you
Original shot
how Adobe Camera Raw’s histogram can help

Lee Beel
WHAT YOU’LL NEED Photoshop Elements shots that suffer from weak-looking shadows with precision, so that you can edit them
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN How to analyse the and flat contrast. effectively. Here, we’ll show you how to tweak
spread of tones in a shot and how to create By shooting in Raw, you can fix problems a pet shot’s colours and tones to perfection.
a wider tonal range at your leisure in Photoshop, confident that The shot contrasts a dark background with the
IT ONLY TAKES 10 minutes there’s plenty of information in the file. It’s fluffy white of the dog’s chest, making it harder
possible to recover detail lost in shadows or to show all the detail.
Photographing animals can be a highlights, without adding nasty artefacts.
rather hit-and-miss affair. Even if you Before operating on a patient, a surgeon will VIDEO TUTORIAL Follow our step-by-step
manage to catch them in a good pose, refer to an X-ray to discover precisely where guide to enhancing a Raw image
you may not have time to set your the problem lies. The Camera Raw editor’s IMAGE FILE The start image, Histogram_
camera’s aperture and shutter speed histogram does a similar job, enabling you before.dng, is in the Dog folder on the DVD
to ensure a decent exposure. This can lead to to diagnose an image’s exposure problems

Correcting strong contrast
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1 Reading the graph

Open Histogram_start.dng. Take a look at the histogram for
tonal information. The histogram’s graph stretches from the
2Highs and lows
The graph rises and falls to show the strength of shadows,
midtones and highlights in the image. The peaks occur where
shadow end at the left, to the highlight end at the right, shadows begin to blend the midtones. The darkest shadows at
indicating that there are some black shadows and white the left aren’t as strong as they could be. The same goes for the
highlights in the photograph. brightest highlights on the right.
3 Tackle the tint

The image is too warm and has a magenta tint. Drag
the Tint slider left to -20 to counteract this. The histogram’s
4Darken the shadows
To increase the contrast between the shadows and the
highlights, the peaks on the far left and far right of the histogram
shadows slide to the left as they get a little darker. Create can be increased. For darker shadows, drag Blacks to 9. The
a more natural-looking daylight white balance by cooling the histogram displays the darkest pixels in the shot as a higher
Temperature to 4400. peak at the left of the graph.
5Lighten the highlights

Push Exposure up to +0.25 and increase Brightness to
+68. This increases the height of the highlight pixels on the far
6 Colour correction
Clarity enhances the contrast of delicate midtone areas,
which is a great way to bring out subtle details in the dog’s
right of the histogram. Now boost the Fill Light to 9 to lighten the white fur. Drag the Clarity slider to +40. This helps to sharpen
midtones without also altering the darkest shadows or the up our subject’s fur. Boost weaker colours by pushing Vibrance
brightest highlights. up to around +58.

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Exposure On
Look in the Curves
folder on the DVD

Curves
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How to…
Enhance tones and
transform your shots
Camera Raw’s powerful Curves controls enable you to fine-tune
a Raw shot’s colours and tones for an instant boost
WHAT YOU’LL NEED Photoshop CS sees daylight as blue and indoor light as can tweak the colours and tones in Adobe
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN How to tweak colour orange. The Auto White Balance (AWB) setting Camera Raw. You’ll then be able to fine-tune
temperature, how to fine-tune tone, is designed to warm up or cool down a shot your image with the powerful Tone Curve
how to edit curves to remove colour tints, but it can sometimes controls. Raw shots are packed with
IT ONLY TAKES 10 minutes fail to do a good job. You can give the camera information about the scene’s colours and
a clue to the lighting conditions it’s shooting tones, and you can use curves and white
When we view objects, we take in by using white balance presets such as balance tools in Photoshop to dramatically
it for granted that we’re seeing Daylight or Tungsten. This will increase your improve the look of a disappointing shot.
accurate colours. Unlike the chances of capturing natural-looking colours.
human eye, however, digital The camera’s Auto mode works well if you
cameras are more susceptible to don’t have time to set the exposure manually, IMAGE FILE The start image, RawCurves_
being confused by high-contrast scenes and but if you do end up with a tinted and start.dng, is in the Curves folder on the DVD
changing colour temperatures. Your camera under-exposed Raw shot, don’t panic – you
Original shot
1 Open your image

Open the file RawCurves_start.dng from
the Curves folder on your disc. We saved this
2 Diagnose the problems
The histogram peaks towards the
shadows end at the left, telling us that the
as a digital negative (.dng) file to preserve it as shot consists mostly of shadows and
an uncompressed Raw file. midtones and needs brightening up.
3 Warm it up
Warm up the shot by dragging the Color
Temperature slider to the right until it reads
4 Adjust colour hue
This shot also has a slightly greenish hue.
Go for a more natural-looking range of colours
5,200K (Kelvins) – a typical daylight setting. by dragging the Tint slider to the right, to
Chris George
The precise value isn’t critical. around -5 or so.

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Exposure
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5 Clipping warning
Another way to check a shot’s exposure is to click on
the Shadow Clipping Warning button at the top left of the
6 Tone curves
If you’re using Elements, you can make a dramatic
difference to the shot by adjusting Exposure and tweaking the
histogram. This will turn all clipped shadows into patches of Fill Light sliders. Photoshop users can continue fine-tuning the
blue. By pushing Exposure up to +40 and increasing Fill Light shot by clicking on the Tone Curve icon. Click on the Point
to 40, you can brighten up the image’s shadows and reveal Curve tab. Set the Curve drop-down menu to Linear. A linear (or
previously hidden details. straight) curve makes no change to your shot.
7 Play with presets

To see how curves alter tone, choose the Strong Contrast
preset from the Curve drop-down. The point at the top right of
8 Do it yourself
Select the point near the bottom of the curve and drag it
up so that input reads 25 and output reads 38. This remaps
the curve has moved up, brightening the highlights. The point the darker shadows and gives them a lighter value. Carry on up
on the bottom left dips down, dragging the image’s shadows the curve and push the next point upwards so that its input is
into darker territory. The middle point controls the midtones, 65 and output is 72. Next, pull the highlight point down to input
and has stayed the same. 193 and output 188.
Expert tip
Histograms
and curves
Histograms describe the input
levels of a shot’s shadows,
midtones and highlights, using a
scale of 0 for black through to
255 for white. Photoshop puts a
curve on top of the histogram so A linear shape This S-shaped curve Here, the bulge in Reducing the
you can see how the two relate. means the curve shows darkened the middle of the curve’s Highlights
Curves use the same scale to has not re-mapped shadows and Parametric curve slider causes the
remap the input levels to new any histogram brightened highlights, brightens up pixels main histogram’s
output levels. You can adjust the values, so tones indicating an image in the midtone highlight pixels to
left side to lighten the shadows, haven’t been edited. with strong contrast. range of the image. slide to the left.
or tweak the right side to change
the highlights.

Curves
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9 Restore detail
By pushing the lower curve control points upwards, you’ve
brightened up the shot’s shadows and midtones, giving them
10 Point vs Parametric
The Point Curve is very powerful and you can easily
end up over-editing the shot, adding horrible posterised effects
a higher output level. You’ve also reduced the highlights’ output to the image. Set the Point Curve drop-down menu to Linear to
levels a little, restoring detail to the frost. The blue clipping reset the curve. Photoshop has another curve-based editing
warning has shrunk, proving that more background detail has tool that’s much easier to use – click on the Parametric Curve
become visible. tab to open it.
11Use sliders instead

The beauty of the Parametric curve is that it enables
you to use sliders instead of points to alter the curve. These
12 Tweak those tones
Drag the Darks slider right to -82. This brightens up
pixels in the image nearer the midtone range, restoring detail
sliders are dedicated to changing the output levels of four to the clipped areas. The lower end of the curve has risen,
different regions – Shadows, Darks, Lights and Highlights. This brightening the output levels of the darker pixels without
lets you focus on problem tones without altering other areas. interfering with the healthier highlights. Drag Highlights left
Drag Shadows right to about -50. to -22 to reveal more detail.
Expert tip How we tweaked our tones
True colours Tweak Exposure Curve correction Adjust Highlights

We tweaked colour We lightened up the shot’s We revealed more detail in The Parametric curve’s
temperature and hue in the shadows and midtones a the shadows and midtones Highlights slider helped
Basic editing pane to create touch by increasing the by using the Parametric us regain detail previously
a warmer and less green- values of the Exposure and curve’s Shadows and hidden in the brightest
tinted shot. Fill Light sliders. Darks sliders. frosty pixels.

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Exposure
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Ali Jennings (Future)
Rescue under-
exposed shots
Disappointed by a dull landscape that lacks detail? We reveal how to
improve dark shots by boosting the shadows, contrast and colour
WHAT YOU’LL NEED Photoshop Elements 6 or rule, it’s easier to recover shadow rather than enables changes to the tones of a Raw file that
Photoshop CS, or larer highlight detail when editing shots in the digital will maximise the improvements in exposure
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN How to use Camera Raw darkroom, but this can also increase the while keeping noise to a minimum. Once
to recover shadow detail in an under-exposed chances of adding noise in areas of dark or finished in ACR, we’ll then show you how to
shot without introducing noise neutral tone. make a few simple adjustments in Photoshop
IT ONLY TAKES 20 minutes Our example image is a little under-exposed, Elements itself to boost the overall contrast
but this does mean that detail has been and colour. So let’s get started...
Getting exposure right when captured in the highlights of the flowing
shooting at slow shutter speeds water. If we tried to correct the exposure in
can be tricky. To get decent shots, Photoshop Elements using a simple Levels
guide to recovering colour and detail in
you need a careful balance that adjustment technique, the noise from those
under-exposed Raw files
avoids burnt out highlights while shadows would instantly jump out, so to keep
IMAGE FILE underexpose_before.dng is in
still allowing enough light through the lens ugly noise at bay, we’ll show you how to make
the Recover folder on the DVD
to retain detail in the shadows. As a general adjustments in Adobe Camera Raw. ACR

Under-exposed photos
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1 Correct the white balance

Open the image underexpose_before.dng from the Recover
folder in Elements’ Camera Raw editor. Before adjusting the
2 Fix the exposure
As you can see from the histogram, the Raw file is quite
under-exposed, with the bulk of the data showing in the
exposure, click on the White Balance tool and click into an area left-hand (shadow) area of the graph. To lighten the image, move
of neutral colour. Set the Temperature slider to 5,500 to the Exposure slider to +0.75 so that the main curve of data in
fine-tune the balance, then set Tint to -12. the histogram moves towards the middle.
3 Recover the shadows

Switch on the Clipping Warnings by clicking on the triangles
above the histogram or by pressing [U] and [O]. Now areas of
4 Increase brightness
The image’s exposure is almost correct now, but to brighten
the detail without losing contrast, increase the Brightness slider
shadow will appear as blue patches, and highlights as red. to 85. As you do this, you may find that the highlight areas start
Move the Fill Light slider to 55 and the areas of blue will reduce, to become clipped (patches of red will reappear). To counter
revealing more detail in the shadow areas. this, increase the Recovery slider to 50.
5 Boost vibrance
The under-exposure issues have left the colours in the
image looking a little washed out, but this is easily fixed. To
6 Reduce the noise
If you look carefully at the shadow areas, you’ll start to see
the introduction of speckled coloured noise. To reduce this, click
improve the colour, move the Vibrance slider to 25. This clever on the Detail tab and increase the Colour Noise slider to 45.
tool will help to boost the less saturated colours while leaving Now click on Open Image to exit Camera Raw and open the
the more saturated colours untouched. Increase Clarity to 20. image in the main Photoshop Elements interface.

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Exposure
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7 Add impact with contrast

In Photoshop Elements, drag the Background layer onto the
Create a New Layer icon to duplicate it. To boost the contrast,
8 Selective colour enhancement
You can now use the four sliders to fine-tune the contrast,
then, when you’re happy with the results, click OK to apply the
go to Enhance > Adjust Colour > Adjust Colour Curves. On the changes. To give the colour a gentle boost, go to Layer > New
left-hand side of the screen, you will see a series of adjustment Adjustment Layer > Hue Saturation, and use the Edit drop-down
presets. Select Increase Contrast. to boost the Saturation of Reds to 30 and Yellows to 20.
9 Boost the contrast

The image should now have detail in both the shadows and
highlights. To finalise the contrast adjustments and add a little
10 Dodge and Burn
Select the Dodge Tool and in the top Options bar select
a soft brush with a Radius of 300px. Make sure that Exposure is
more impact, go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Levels. Set set to around 5%, then use the brush to draw out some of the
Shadows to 6, Midtones to 1 and Highlights to 240. Use the highlight detail in the stones and rocks. Switch to the Burn Tool
layer options drop-down menu to select Flatten Image. and repeat the process on the tops of the rocks.
Expert tip
How to avoid noise
When dealing with under-exposed shots, simply adjusting the Levels
to brighten the shadow areas will almost definitely introduce noise.
To keep noise to a minimum, make sure you keep an eye on the
shadow areas at 100% after each adjustment you make, and undo
that change if necessary.
11 Sharpen up
Finally, sharpen the image for a quality finish. Due to the
small amount of noise, it’s best to use the Unsharp Mask filter.
Go to Enhance > Unsharp Mask, then set Amount to 60% and
Radius to 1.6. Increase the Threshold slider to 6: this will help to
reduce the effect of sharpening on the noisy areas.

Fine exposure control
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How to… On
the disc
Make adjustments
Look in the Selective
folder on the DVD
Use Photoshop’s selective Adjustment Brush to reveal detail in backlit subjects

When you shoot a subject that’s backlit by child’s midtones without altering the background
a bright light source, there’s a risk that the highlights. It works much like Photoshop’s Dodge
camera will try to balance the exposure Tool, but the advantage of Raw is that you can undo
to capture detail in both the shadows and or edit your changes at any time.
highlights. In the start image, our main backlit
subjects are under-exposed. We could try VIDEO TUTORIAL Follow our step-by-step guide to
boosting the Exposure slider’s value, but this revealing detail in backlit subjects
would also blow out the background highlights. IMAGE FILE The start image, selective_start.cr2,
The selective Adjustment Brush in Camera is in the Selective folder on the DVD
Raw for Photoshop enables you to lighten the Original shot
Paul Grogan
1 Open the start image
Launch Photoshop and go to File > Open. Navigate to the file
selective_start.cr2 in the Selective folder on your DVD and click
2 Set up the Adjustment Brush
Select the Adjustment Brush icon at the top of the main
editing window. In the Adjustment Brush pane, set Brightness to
on Open. As the photo is a Raw file, Photoshop will open it up in +120, Contrast to +72, colour to white, and Size to 10. Set
the Camera Raw editor. To turn the landscape-oriented original Feather to 41 to give the brush a softer edge and ensure that
the right way up, click once on the Rotate Image 90˚ Counter the lightened areas blend in with the rest of the image. Start to
Clockwise icon. You now have a portrait-oriented shot. spray over the child to reveal more midtone detail.
3 Add a new adjustment

Adjusting the toddler’s tones this way produces a similar
effect to using a burst of fill flash to add shadow detail. Once
4 Fine-tune the exposure
By dodging in detail using the Camera Raw editor, you’re
making non-destructive tonal adjustments. This enables you to
you’ve lightened up the toddler, click the New button in the fine-tune these adjustments with ease. Click on the Pin icon on
Adjustment Brush pane and set Brightness to +101 and the child. A red mask will show you which areas of the shot this
Contrast to +53. Spray over the cereal to make it stand out. particular pin is adjusting. Drag the Brightness slider down to
Click the Erase button to undo any changes. +100 to produce a more subtle effect.

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Exposure
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On
the disc
Adjust exposure with....
Look in the Raw Grads
folder on the DVD
Raw grads
Correcting exposures or adding drama is easy
with Adobe Camera Raw’s Grad Filter
WHEN SHOULD I USE THIS TECHNIQUE? After
making your normal adjustments, use the
Graduated Filter to apply the effect you want. Original shot
WHICH PICTURES DOES IT SUIT? Landscapes
are obvious, as you can change the effect of
selected areas – perfect for enhancing skies.
Graduated filters are an essential part of

any landscape photographer’s kit, and are
great for applying colour effects or tackling
tricky lighting conditions when shooting.
A basic filter kit is relatively inexpensive, and
you’ll soon find that you’re carrying around a
selection on the off chance. For many, filters
can quickly become an obsession. As a basic
setup, a couple of Neutral Density (ND) grads
are always handy, and will enable you to
capture shots that would have otherwise been
impossible because of exposure differences.
However, if the exposure difference is just
a couple of stops, then you can always use
Evaluative Metering and then level out the
Ali Jennings
differences in the digital darkroom.
Graduation class
Included in Adobe Camera Raw is is the
Graduated Filter, which enables you to apply
ND and Colour-style effects to your pictures.
Effects can then be fully adjusted to suit your
Graduated filter
needs. Once you’ve taken your shot and have The Graduated Filter.
the image open within ACR, you’ll find the is quite easy to use:
Graduated Filter tool in the top toolbar. Once simply draw a line
activated, all you need to do is click at the top vertically down the
of the screen and drag down. As you do this, image to the horizon,
you’ll see a line being drawn across the image and the gradient’s 1
signifying where the gradient will appear. Once area is marked. Then
the mouse is released, the effects can then you can adjust
be applied using the slider options on the left. Exposure, Colour
There are two types of traditional graduated and Clarity with the 3
effects that can be applied: ND and Colour Adjustment sliders
grads. To apply an ND-style effect, all you need to the right. 2
to do is adjust the exposure. In the same
way as a real ND grad, you have the ability to
do so from -4 to +4. To apply Colour grads,
you can use the colour picker at the bottom
of the options, and as you choose a colour 1 ADJUST EXPOSURE 2 COLOUR CHOICE 3 CLARITY
you’ll instantly see the effect on screen. The
As long as there’s some The colour swatch at the Clouds can often lack form,
Graduated Filter is a powerful enhancement
detail in the sky, the +/-4 bottom of the options but with the Clarity slider
tool and can be adapted for many types
Exposure adjustment can enables you to apply any you can quickly enhance
of image. Used as part of your usual Raw
quickly correct most Graduated Colour you like to and pull out any detail
enhancements, you’ll be amazed at the
exposure problems. add drama to a scene. that’s in the skies.
difference that it can make.

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anced masking
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and click on ‘Photography’
Exposure
WorldMags.netOn
the disc
Look in the Night
Shots folder
Original shot
How to…
Improve exposure
in low-light shots
Struggling to get your night shots right? Lighten shadows, remove colour casts
and get rid of grain using the powerful features of the Camera Raw editor
Switching your camera’s quality setting to and the darkest shadows in the picture are too enables you to fix colour cast problems and
Raw improves your ability to process pictures great for your camera’s sensor to cope with. reduce visible grain, or ‘noise’ – both of which
perfectly, whatever subject you choose to The brightness and contrast of the resulting are typical of low-light photographs. Try this
photograph. This is particularly true when compromise can be much more successfully workshop to understand the principles.
shooting in tricky lighting situations, where it’s adjusted, without affecting overall image
hard or even impossible to get the camera quality, if you shoot in Raw rather than JPEG,
settings spot-on. because you have the maximum amount of
guide to enhancing a low-light image
Shooting after dark or in low light typically picture information to work with.
IMAGE FILE The start image, elRAW_start.
results in high-contrast scenes, where the As well as providing precise adjustments
cr2, is in the Night Shots folder on the DVD
difference between the brightest highlights for exposure, the Camera Raw plug-in also

Low-light photos
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1 Lose the orange glow

Choose File > Open from the Full Edit option in Photoshop
Elements. Find the shot called elRaw_start.cr2 on the DVD and
2 Shift the spread
Typically for a high-contrast scene, the histogram at the top
right of the interface spreads right across the graph, but the
click Open. The image will open in Adobe Camera Raw. Now shot still looks a bit too dark. The first step to correcting the
change the White Balance setting from As Shot to Tungsten to exposure is therefore to move the Brightness slider up, which
remove the orange colour cast. Notice that the Temperature increases the brightness of the midtones without affecting the
slider automatically moves from 3,700 to 2,850 Kelvin. shadows and highlights. Try a setting of +111.
3 Make a limited recovery

Over-exposed highlights are usually a problem in digital
images, but can often be rescued using the Recovery slider.
4 Fine-tune exposure and contrast
You can now use the remaining sliders to tweak the
exposure so that the image looks its best. Moving Fill Light to
Press the [Alt] key as you click on the slider to engage the 14 and Blacks up to 12 will improve the exposure in the darker
Threshold View and monitor the problem areas more closely. areas of the shot. Now move the Contrast slider to +29 – this
It’s impossible to rescue the really bright lights, but using a secret weapon increases contrast in the midtones alone,
Recovery setting of 53 improves highlight detail significantly. helping to improve detail in the church spire.
5 Pay attention to detail

Long exposures and high ISO settings mean that low-light
images often look grainy when you zoom in, and this shot is no
6 No more noise
The secret to setting the Noise Reduction sliders is to move
them up to minimise the grain, without losing detail from the key
exception. Click on the Detail tab (the two triangles). Leave the focal points of the image. Here, we’ve left the Colour slider at
four Sharpening sliders alone. Zoom in to 100% (using the menu the default 25, but moved the Luminance slider to 50. To finish,
at the bottom left), then press the space bar and click-and-drag click Open Image to enter Full Edit mode and use the Clone
to find an area of the shot where grain is obvious. Stamp tool to remove the glare spots from the sky.

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On
Look in the Water
folder on the DVD
Original shot
Ali Jennings
How to…
Hold on
to details
We show you how to pull the most detail from fast-flowing waterfall
shots by recovering information from tricky highlight and shadow areas
WHAT YOU’LL NEED Photoshop CS3/Elements 6.0 In this tutorial, you’re going to learn how to read and understand the
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN How to make subtle adjustments within ACR, read histogram for water shots by using the Clipping Warnings. The Clipping
the histogram using Clipping Warnings and master the image controls Warnings show any danger areas that will affect the tonal range of your
IT ONLY TAKES 30 minutes photograph. You’ll also learn how to use the image controls that are
available in Abode Camera Raw to recover lost detail, which helps to
Fast-flowing water captured using a slow shutter speed can avoid overly white areas.
be a tricky subject to process correctly, but with a few pro
guidelines, you can ensure that you have the best quality
VIDEO TUTORIAL Follow our easy step-by-step guide to recapturing
image, ready for printing at maximum resolution. The aim is to
detail using Camera Raw
make subtle adjustments within Abode Camera Raw that
IMAGE FILES The start pictures, Raw_Waterfall_Before.tiff and
enable you to avoid the usual pitfalls of lost detail in the
waterfall done.jpg, are in the Water folder on the DVD
shadow areas and blown highlights within the flowing water.

Recover detail
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1 White balance and exposure

Open the Raw image via File > Open in Photoshop. In the
Camera Raw dialog, click the Highlight Clipping Warning arrow.
2 Adjust the midtones
Use the Recovery slider to remove the last traces of
clipping and bring the waterfall’s detail back. Now drag the
Choose a White Balance setting, then grab the Exposure slider Brightness slider to the right to open up the midtones. Be
and drag it to the left until the Highlight clipping disappears. careful not to drag it too far, or you’ll lose the subtle detail.
3 Contrast and saturation

Add a little more contrast by dragging the Contrast slider to
the right. You can also drag on the Fill Light slider to add a little
4 Clarity and sharpening
Zoom into a 100% view. Now use the Clarity slider to add
more midtone contrast and the illusion of sharpness. You may
light to the shadow areas. To get an effect similar to shooting need to hit the Details button and use a little Luminance and
on Velvia film, you can crank up the Saturation slider. Color Noise Removal, and also add subtle sharpening.
Expert tip
Shadow and
highlight clipping
With all images, but particularly ones featuring waterfalls,
it’s important that you don’t clip highlights, as this will
result in severely ‘burnt out’ areas of water with no detail in
them. Fortunately, within the Camera Raw dialog you have
access to Clipping Warnings that can help avoid this.
The Clipping Warning markers sit above the ends of the
histogram, and you can activate on-screen clipping overlays
by clicking these. The object is to make sure, through use
of the Exposure and Recovery sliders, that there’s no
clipping showing over the lightest parts of the image. The
Clipping Warning will change colour depending on which
colour channels are being clipped. It’s important to keep
your eye on the histogram as you edit: clipping will show
as vertical spikes at either end of the graph.

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Exposure On
Look in the Highlights
How to…
folder on the DVD
Recover blown-out
highlight detail
We demonstrate how to restore missing detail Original shot
caused by harsh lighting conditions
WHAT YOU’LL NEED Photoshop Elements 3 or

Photoshop CS2, or later
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN How to use a single Raw
image to restore detail to blown highlights
IT ONLY TAKES 20 minutes
The human eye can deal with

high-contrast lighting and
discern details in a scene’s
shadows, midtones and
highlights. However, when it
comes to capturing a healthy tonal range in
bright sunlight, your camera will struggle to
create a balanced exposure.
When taking this shot, we set the aperture
to capture shadows and midtones, causing
overexposed highlights to ‘blow’. Because our
source file is in Raw format, we can create two
separate high-quality exposures from the
original to display detail in the dark and light
areas. Here’s how you can do the same...
VIDEO TUTORIAL Follow our step-by-step guide

George Cairns
to recovering highlights
IMAGE FILE Start image Swan_Mag.cr2 is in
the Highlights folder on the DVD

Fix blown-out highlights
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1 Open the source file

In Photoshop, go to File > Open and select the file Swan_
Mag.cr2. This will open the image in Camera Raw. Click Default
2 Adjust highlights
Drag the Exposure slider to the left. A value of -1.80 will
restore detail to the highlights. Don’t worry yet about the
to see the image as it was shot. Click the Highlights Clipping shadows and midtones being too dark. Click Open Image to
Warning icon: the red areas indicate which pixels will print as open this version of your photo in Photoshop. Save the image in
pure white, blown-out highlights. Photoshop format as ‘Highlight Detail.psd’.
3 Adjust shadows
Open the original Swan_Mag.cr2 file. This time, focus on
healthy-looking shadows and midtones for the surroundings.
4 Copy and paste
You should now have two saved versions of the shot: one
that contains all the shadow detail and the other with your
Don’t worry about the clipped highlights at this stage. Set highlight detail. You can now begin to merge them. Go to the
Contrast to 44 and Brightness to 74. Click Open Image and save Shadow Detail image and choose Select > All, then Edit > Copy.
this version as ‘Shadow Detail.psd’. Open the Highlight Detail shot and choose Edit > Paste.
5 Erase unwanted areas

Label the top layer Shadow Detail and the bottom layer
Highlight Detail. Grab the Eraser Tool [E]. Set the Opacity to
6 Finish the composite image
Keep brushing the Eraser on the top layer to reveal the
correctly exposed swan’s feathers from the layer beneath. Be
46%. Target the Shadow Detail layer and brush over the careful not to erase any of the correctly exposed shadow and
blown-out areas, to start revealing the correctly exposed midtone details on the top layer. You’ll get a composite shot
highlights from the layer below. containing healthy highlights and correctly exposed shadows.

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Corrections
Fix problems and make enhancements:
5
reduce noise, solve lens distortions and
banish haze from your photos
Reduce noise in low-level images 122
Tackle lens-related problems 126
Use Raw editing tools to rescue hazy shots 129

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Corrections On
How to…
Look in the Noise
folder on your DVD
Reduce noise
in low-light images
Reduce noise with Photoshop as we explain how to use Camera Raw
and regular noise filters to cut down the digital din in your photos
ISO 50 ISO 100 ISO 125 ISO 160 ISO 200 ISO 250
WHAT YOU’LL NEED Photoshop CS2 or There are two basic types of noise you need
Photoshop Elements 3, or later to tackle in your pictures. The first is chrominance
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN How to reduce image noise noise, which introduces itself with higher ISO shots
using both Camera Raw and the Noise filter built into and can be recognised by its distinctive coloured
Photoshop speckling in shadowed or even-toned areas. The
IT ONLY TAKES 20 minutes second is luminance noise, which is more tricky to
remove and can be seen in the form of random
Short days and long nights make winter variations of brightness between pixels. Reducing
a perfect time of year for experimenting this can result in a loss of overall image detail.
with a little low-light photography – In this tutorial, we’ll take a look at a variety of
but unfortunately the high ISO settings techniques to reduce both types of noise while
often needed for this type of preserving quality. Try the techniques with our
photography will usually produce noisy, gritty sample image, then use them on your own pics.
pictures. With the use of a tripod, you can reduce
the ISO, which will help with some noise issues,
but the noise may still sneak into areas of even VIDEO TUTORIAL Follow our guide to reducing
tone and shadow. When it comes to enhancing the noise in low-light photos
image with Photoshop – altering levels, increasing IMAGE FILE The start image CDnoise_mag_
saturation and adding sharpness – that noise will start.tiff is in the Noise folder on the DVD
become even more prevalent.

Reduce noise
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ISO 320 ISO 400 ISO 500 ISO 640 ISO 800 ISO 1000 ISO 1250

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Corrections
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1Initial enhancement
Open a Raw low-light image of your own in Camera Raw
or use mag_noise_start.tiff in the Noise folder on the disc.
2Prepare for noise reduction
With the basic Raw enhancements complete, you now need
to have a look at noise. To start this process, click the Detail
Before you start to reduce the image noise, make some initial tab. Make sure that all the Sharpening and Noise Reduction
adjustments by setting Exposure to +1.25, Recovery to 25, Fill sliders are set to 0 (Radius should be 0.5), and that the Preview
Light to 10, Blacks to 0, Brightness to 50 and Contrast to 0. window is at 100%. Initially, you should see a fair amount of
You’ll see the amount of noise within the image increase. colour noise appearing in the shadow and sky areas.
3Tackling chrominance noise

The first area of noise to tackle is the chrominance variety.
You can see this in the shadows along the tree line – it looks
4Reduce luminance noise
The second noise type comes from the random variation of
brightness between pixels, and is trickier to remove. If you move
like speckled colour. Increase the Color slider to 16 and you’ll the setting too high, you’ll have an image that looks painted
see the colour noise disappear. Use the Hand Tool [H] to move rather than photographed. Increase the Luminance slider to 20
around the image and check that the noise has been reduced in to start reducing noise; further reduction will need to be done
both the sky and shadow areas. later using Photoshop’s noise filters.
Expert tip
Using HDR
One of the most effective routes for the more
experienced Photoshop user is to eradicate noise using
the Merge to HDR function. The High Dynamic Range
feature would usually enable you to blend exposures to
produce an image with perfect exposure throughout. You
can, however, use this technique to combine two images
with different exposures, one being overexposed, in
order to cut down noise. Merge to HDR uses the lighter
exposure to lighten the shadow regions, increasing the
overall tone and producing a higher signal-to-noise ratio
in those troublesome shadow areas. Once the HDR
window has opened, change the bit depth to 8 or 16 bit
and use Local Adaptation to adjust the curves until you
get the desired effect, with greatly reduced noise.

Reduce noise
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5The Reduce Noise filter

Now click Open Image to edit the image in Photoshop or
Elements. Go to Filter > Noise > Reduce Noise. Set all values
6Reducing luminance noise
Even with the colour noise removed, you’ll see that noise is
still present. This is luminance noise and is trickier to remove.
to 0 and make sure Preview is set to 100%. Before adjusting Increase the Strength slider to a maximum of 10: you’ll see the
Strength, try the Color Noise slider. This should have no effect, noise reduce, but details within the image will be smoothed.
as we tackled this at the Raw stage. If it does, just increase it Reduce the slider to 7, which will reduce the noise but still
slightly to remove any last remnants of colour noise. preserve the main detail.
7Preserve image detail

Although we’ve reduced the strength of the noise reduction,
there’s still something of a major problem: the detail within the
8Sharpen up
As with any enhancement, sharpening should come after
you’ve made your noise reduction. Go to Enhance > Adjust
image has been smoothed and finer detail has been lost. Sharpness. With an image that has contained a lot of noise, the
Regain this detail by increasing the Preserve Detail slider setting amount of sharpening that can be applied will be considerably
to 25%. Once you have a good balance between noise and less than a low-noise image, so apply sharpening in moderation
detail, click OK. to avoid reintroducing noise.
Expert tip
Photoshop’s Noise filter
Noise reduction in Photoshop gives you much more control than
Elements because of its ability to tackle noise in the separate colour
channels. Once in the Noise dialog box, you can use the sliders in
the Basic window to affect the image in much the same way as in
Elements, but with the added feature of being able to sharpen detail
as you apply the filter. However, many images are affected by noise
of different degrees in different colour channels. In other words,
much of the noise can often appear in just one of the red, green or
blue colour channels. Click the Advanced tab, and you can adjust the
influence of the filter per channel, rather than over the whole image.
By using this technique, you can dramatically improve the actual
noise reduction, as it’s closer tuned to the affected areas, resulting
in better detail and less smoothing in the final picture. Top tip: one
of the noisiest channels is usually the blue channel.

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Corrections On
Look in the Lens-
related folder
Chris George
Original shot
Correcting lens issues
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How to…
Tackle lens-
related problems
We explain how you can correct the effects of vignetting and chromatic
aberration with the capable help of Adobe Camera Raw
WHAT YOU’LL NEED Photoshop Elements 6 or cyan fringes appear along edges. This and it can be removed (or added) by
or Photoshop CS, or above occurs when a lens fails to focus different lightening or darkening the corners.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN How to get rid of wave-lengths of light on the same part of Here, we’ll show you how to banish each
chromatic aberration, how to add or remove the sensor. of these common artifacts using Camera
vignetting and how to counteract distortion Other side-effects of shooting with Raw and Photoshop’s Lens Correction
IT ONLY TAKES 10 minutes wide-angle lenses include curved horizons, filter, plus how to add a touch of vignetting
caused by lens distortion (or ‘barrelling’), to creatively frame your shots.
Under some conditions, Raw and vignetting (dark areas in the corners
files can suffer from lens-related of your shots), which occurs when the VIDEO TUTORIAL Follow our step-by-step
flaws, or artifacts. High-contrast front edge of your lens (or filter) limits guide to correcting lens issues
objects (the sails on our windmill, the amount of light entering the lens. IMAGE FILE The start image, Raw_start.
for example) can be affected by Vignetting is most common at wide CR2, is in the Lens-related folder on the DVD
chromatic aberration – where red apertures in SLRs with full-frame sensors
1 Getting started
First, open Raw_start.CR2 from the Lens-related folder on
the CD. The software will recognise that this is a Raw file and
2 Tweak the tones
The histogram reveals a broad spread of shadows,
midtones and highlights, so the shot’s exposure is relatively
open it in the Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) editor. As well as healthy. Click the Shadow Clipping Warning icon (the white
lens-induced ‘barrelling’ and colour fringes along the edges of arrow) at the top left of the histogram, and the darkest parts of
the windmill’s sails, you’ll notice that the shot tilts a little to the the shot will appear as blue patches. To reveal a little more
right, so there’s plenty of work to be done. detail in these areas, drag the Blacks slider to about 2.

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Corrections
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3 Straighten it up
The windmill is tilting slightly to the right. Grab the
Straighten Tool from the top toolbar and use it to draw a line
4 Chromatic aberration
Grab the Zoom Tool from the top toolbar and click a few
times on the top-right sail to zoom in to 300%. You’ll see that
along the windmill’s horizontal wooden rail. This tells Photoshop there’s a fringe of red clinging to the top edges of the white
which features should run parallel with the bottom edge of the struts. This example of chromatic aberration is quite subtle,
frame. A rotated crop box will appear. Drag the crop handles in but it’s still something you should address.
a little to lose some of the curved fence and sky.
5Remove the fringe

Click the Lens Corrections tab, then drag the Fix Red/Cyan
Fringe slider left to a value of -22. This erases the fringe, leaving
6 Tweak the colours
To create richer-looking blues and greens, click the Basic
tab and push the Vibrance slider up to +25. At this stage, you
a clean, white sail. You could use the Lens Vignetting slider to can’t see the straightened horizon; to do that you need to open
darken the corners, but as we’re going to crop the edges when the edited image in Photoshop, which has the tools you need to
we remove the ‘barrelling’, we’ll add a vignette later. banish the ‘barrelling’. Click Open Image to view it in Photoshop.
7 Banish the barrelling

Go to Filter > Distort > Lens Correction, and a grey grid will
appear. This will help you straighten out the curved horizon.
8 Add a vignette
Untick Show Grid to see the image clearly. The horizontal
distortion has been eliminated. This image doesn’t suffer from
Move the Remove Distortion slider to +23 to reduce the unwanted vignetting, but you can add a vignette to give texture
‘barrelling’, then drag the Scale slider to 119% to lose the to a bland blue sky and help draw attention to your subject.
transparent edges that were produced as a by-product of the Drag Vignette Amount to -12 and push it to the corner edges by
lens correction procedure. changing Midpoint to +41. Click OK.
Fixing hazy photos
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Original shot
On
the disc
How to…
Look in the Haze
folder on the DVD
Use Raw editing tools

to rescue hazy shots
Whether you’ve taken a photo from a plane or just been unlucky with the
conditions, Adobe Camera Raw can rescue a surprising amount of detail
WHAT YOU’LL NEED Photoshop Elements 6 image, though, as you can see from our shadows. We’ll also show you how to
or Photoshop CS3, or later original Grand Canyon shot above. boost desaturated colours to produce
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN How to boost colours, Because we were shooting from a a picture with more punch.
how to recover highlight detail, how to high altitude, more of the landscape is By avoiding the economy class of
enhance contrast diffused by atmospheric haze. This mist Photoshop’s standard editor, you can
IT ONLY TAKES 10 minutes has made the shot’s colours appear preserve the Raw file’s quality and have
desaturated. The shadows, midtones much more colour information to work
Whenever you fly, why not treat and highlights are washed out too, which with. This minimises unwanted artifacts
the trip as a photo opportunity has obscured many of the finer details in such as noise and produces a higher-
and snap some stunning aerial the distance. quality photograph.
shots from your unique vantage When it comes to editing a Raw file’s
point high above the ground? colours, Adobe Camera Raw’s well- VIDEO TUTORIALS Follow our step-by-step
You’ll get some great shots during designed interface has the tools you guide to rescuing hazy photos
landing and take-off, especially if the need to reduce the effects of IMAGE FILES The start image Raw_start.cr2
plane banks to alter its trajectory. It can atmospheric haze, restore missing detail is in the Haze folder on the disc
be a challenge to get a decent aerial in the highlights and darken washed-out

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Corrections
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1 Set the depth

Open the file Raw_start.cr2 on the disc. The image will
open up in the Adobe Camera Raw editor. Navigate to the
2 Check the histogram
You can see that the colours are weak and the tones
washed out. For a more accurate assessment of the photo’s
bottom of the interface and set the Depth drop-down menu to tonal range, look at the histogram. The darkest pixels at the left
16 Bits/Channel. This gives you the maximum amount of colour of the graph don’t extend all the way to the far left, indicating
information, which helps to minimise noise. that the shadows are not as dark as they could be.
3 Spot clipping
Before you start editing, click the Highlight Clipping Warning
icon at the top right of the histogram graph. You’ll see that red
4 Make a quick recovery
To recover some of the detail lost in the brightest parts of
the shot, drag the Recovery slider to the right (about 75). This
patches now appear in the main window, showing areas of will reduce the amount of clipping and restore some of the
blown-out highlights. These are especially noticeable on the detail to the mountains. A little clipping is acceptable in areas
specular reflection from the water’s surface. such as reflections, so you don’t need to remove every spot.
5 Blacker blacks
To darken the washed-out shadows, drag the Blacks slider
to a value of around 17. Notice that the shadow section of the
6 Misty midtones
The midtones are still washed-out because of the haze,
but you can darken them without interfering with your shadows
histogram graph slides to the left to show you that the shot’s and highlights. Drag the Contrast slider to about +32 to darken
shadows have been remapped to a darker level. The shot now the midtones. The middle of the histogram where the midtones
has a wider tonal range of shadows, midtones and highlights. lie will slide to the left, giving the midtones more impact.

Fixing hazy photos
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7 Extra clarity
The hills on the horizon are still lost in the mist and are
hard to see. To reclaim some of the detail hidden in these
8 Boost colour strength
By editing a shot’s tones, you alter its colours at the same
time. This is why it’s a good idea to turn your attention to
highlights and recover some distinction, try dragging the Clarity enhancing colour once you’ve finished improving the photo’s
slider to a value of about 60. This should pick out subtly tonal range. Drag the Vibrance slider up to +30 to increase the
contrasting details such as the distant mountain range. saturation of the bluer pixels in the distant mountains.
9 Super saturation
The Vibrance slider is designed to boost natural colours
such as blues and greens, while minimising changes in skin
10 Getting warmer
You’ve added more colour and contrast to the washed-
out shot, so you could stop editing at this point. But for added
tones. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have a huge effect on our effect, enhance the photo’s warm colours and make them even
mountains. To boost the warmer colours in the shot, try richer by dragging the Temperature slider up to 6,000. Click
dragging the Saturation slider up to a value of about +17. Done to close the file and save your settings.

1 Highlights
By dragging the Recovery
slider to the right (to a value
3 Midtones
By setting Contrast to
+32, we darkened the
of 74), we were able to midtones and created a more
restore some detail lost in balanced tonal range with
the brightest highlights, which plenty of detail in shadows,
were marked by red patches. midtones and highlights.
2 Shadows
We strengthened the
shot’s washed-out shadows
4 Colour boost
The Vibrance and
Saturation sliders gave the
by dragging the Blacks slider shot’s colours more punch
to 17. This re-mapped the and the warm hues were
shot’s darkest pixels to a improved by increasing the
stronger black. Temperature slider.

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Colour
6
Make your images sing by boosting the
colour and ensuring accurate hues when
you follow our colour workshops
Enhance colour and saturation 134
Achieve perfect colours in your photos 136
Become a Raw colour master 139
Get vivid colour in your photos 142
Boost colours for impact 144

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Colour
WorldMags.netOn
the disc Look in the Skin Colour
folder on the DVD
Original shot
Ed Godden
How to…
Enhance colour
and saturation
Getting skin to look right may seem complicated, but Camera Raw
is fully equipped to quickly and easily tackle all your colour needs
WHAT YOU’LL NEED Photoshop CS corrections should only take a few seconds to The key is to use these tools as they appear,
or Photoshop Elements 6, or above complete, but if you’re unfamiliar with ACR’s working from top to bottom. Some shots need
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN How to use Adobe three key tools, the process can be daunting. all three adjustments, others just one or two.
Camera Raw to correct ugly colour casts Rather than grouping the colour correction Here, we’ll show you the basic techniques that
IT ONLY TAKES 5 minutes tools together, Adobe has separated them into should form the basis of your Photoshop work.
three areas. The first is the White Balance Tool,
Colour correction is essential found in the Tools palette. The Temperature VIDEO TUTORIAL Follow our step-by-step
to the image-editing process. slider, at the top of the Basics tab, can be used guide to improving colour and saturation
The good news is that Photoshop’s to warm up or cool down your shots, and the IMAGE FILE The start image, colour_before.
Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) editor Vibrance and Saturation sliders, at the bottom dng, is in the Skin Colour folder on the DVD
makes it simple. Most colour of the Basics tab, give an overall colour boost.

Improve skin colour
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1 Set the white balance

Select the White Balance Tool from the top toolbar. Find
a neutral area in the photograph and click on it. (If you can find
2 Temperature control
The colours still look a little warm – especially in the skin
tones. Although it’s now more neutral than before, there’s still
a grey area, that’s ideal.) For this particular portrait, try clicking a definite orange hint to the skin. To cool the warmth of this
on the shadow area in the whites of the model’s eyes. area, move the Temperature slider to 4,000. If you go too far,
you’ll start to see the image turn a definite shade of blue.
3 Let there be light

The right-hand side of the face is slightly cast in shadow.
With the clipping masks on (hit the [U] and [O] keys on your
4 Expose for colour detail
Next, increase the Exposure slider to 0.30 to brighten
the tone of the skin. As you increase Exposure, keep an eye
keyboard), the blue mask shows that some shadows on the on the lighter areas of the subject’s face. Essential detail can
right-hand side are clipped. Adjust the Fill Light slider to about be lost or bleached out if you don’t pay close attention while
30 to bring back missing detail and lighten the skin tones. adjusting the Exposure and Temperature sliders.
5 Increase Vibrance
The tone of the skin could do with a slight colour boost. To
do this, simply move the Vibrance slider to +10. It’s best to use
Click Open Image to open the image in Photoshop. Go
to Enhance > Adjust Lighting > Levels and move the white
Vibrance rather than Saturation: Vibrance will increase the Highlight slider to meet the right-hand edge of the histogram.
saturation of the less-saturated colours, while leaving the Now go to Enhance > Adjust Colour > Adjust Colour Curves and
saturated colours alone. This gives a more natural effect. move the Midtone Contrast slider to the right. Click OK.

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Colour
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How to… On
the disc
Achieve perfect
Look in the Perfect
Colour folder
colours in your photos

Master your Raw editor’s colour-tweaking
tools to get vibrant, well-balanced images
WHAT YOU’LL NEED Photoshop Elements 6 find yourself trying to work out what
or Photoshop CS, or above the actual difference is between
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN How to remove unwanted Temperature and Tint, or between
colour casts, how to boost saturation subtly, Vibrance and Saturation.
how to avoid adding artifacts In this tutorial, we’ll put the Raw
IT ONLY TAKES 10 minutes editor’s colour-correcting tools
through their paces to improve
By shooting and editing Raw our colourful source file. By seeing
files you have more colour these tools in action, you’ll be able
information to work with than to choose the right one for your own
with a JPEG file. This means colour-editing jobs – and produce
you can approach the task of stunning shots that have a correct
improving a Raw file’s colour with colour balance with vibrant, but not
confidence, safe in the knowledge that you’ll oversaturated, colours.
get great results, without any nasty artefacts
or unprintable, oversaturated colours. VIDEO TUTORIAL Follow our
The Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) editor in step-by-step guide to getting
Photoshop CS or Elements has many colour- perfect colours
tweaking tools and sliders, and this can lead IMAGE FILE The start image,
to confusion about which ones to use, and raw_start.cr2, is in the Perfect
Paul Grogan (Future)

when. There are, for example, several ways to Colour folder on the DVD
adjust an image’s colour balance. You may also
Original shot
Remove unwanted casts
1 Not so perfect presets

Open the source file raw_start.cr2 from your DVD. Click the
Rotate Image Counter Clockwise icon to see it the right way up.
2 Tackle the temperature
On Auto, the Temperature slider shows a ‘cool’ value of
4250, which adds a blue colour cast. Set White Balance back
The child’s face is a bit too orange, but you can cool it down a to As Shot using the drop-down menu and you get 6250 – and
little for more neutral-looking skin tones. It’s worth trying the skin that’s too orange. Drag the Temperature slider to about
Auto preset from the White Balance drop-down menu, but in 4500 to cool the skin tones down but preserve the candle’s
this case the shot looks too cold... glow. This creates a Custom setting to suit the shot.

Perfect colour
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Colour
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3 Tweak the tint

On Auto White Balance, your camera tries to cool down or
warm up a scene’s colour temperature to avoid orange or blue
4 Boost saturation
After tweaking the temperature for natural skin tones,
you’ll want to boost other colours for a more striking print. Old
colour casts, which can introduce a magenta or green tint. To versions of the Camera Raw editor lacked a Vibrance slider, so
tame a green tint, you’d drag the Tint slider to the right; for a let’s take a look at Saturation first. Pop Saturation up to +40
magenta tint, you’d take it to the left. In this case the shot is and you’ll enhance the candles and cake, but you’ll overdo the
tint-free, so leave Tint at 0. little boy’s face.
5 Avoid garish colours

The problem with the Saturation slider is that it makes a
global adjustment, boosting weak and strong colours by the
6 Why Vibrance is your best friend
Drag Vibrance up to +50: it boosts weak colours yet leaves
strong colours alone. It’s designed to avoid creating over-
same amount. This is why the initially unsaturated candles saturated flesh tones while making clothing more vibrant. You
looked more vibrant, and the already well-saturated face can now drop Saturation to -16 to reduce the red blotches on
develops garish clumps of posterised colour. Set Saturation the child’s cheeks. Click Done or Open to finish editing the
back to 0 for now. shot’s colours.
Get to know... the colour sliders 4 Tint

To remove a magenta tint,
drag this slider towards
1 Preview
1 green (and vice versa).
As you make changes to the
colours, tick the box here to 5 Exposure
compare your edited image 2 Be aware that the tone
with the original. tweaking tools can also alter
3 the shot’s colours.
2White Balance
presets 4
6 Vibrance
Travel back in time to change Boosts weaker colours while
the White Balance setting used 5 leaving stronger colours
to capture the shot. untouched. Helps avoid
oversaturation.
3 Temperature
Manually warm up or cool down 7 Saturation
the shot’s colour temperature. 6
Boosts all the colours
Use this slider when the presets
equally, which can lead to
don’t do a good job. 7 overcooked skin tones.

Colour-correction tools
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How to… On
the disc
Become a Raw Look in the Colour
Correct folder
colour master
Take advantage of the full range of colour-correction tools
when you use Camera Raw through Photoshop CS
Adobe Camera Raw is a capable tool inside Photoshop Elements,
but inside Photoshop, it’s a powerhouse. There are few situations Tint Temperature
in which the might of this combination is demonstrated better than Tint can be a useful slider, Once you have corrected the
when you’re correcting colour in the image. Here, we show the full especially when you want to white balance, you can then
range of the colour-correction tools you can access in Camera Raw enhance the colours within decide if you want to warm
via Photoshop. We start with a run-down of what’s available and why an image. It works in a very or cool the image. This
you’d want to use each tool, before continuing with a project similar way the Hue slider slider basically enables
designed to help you make the most of Camera Raw when you’re within Photoshop, so should you to change the colour
addressing colour in your own shots. The landscape we’ve chosen be used with caution if you temperature: drag it to the
offers an intriguing balance of hot and cool areas, with plenty of want to avoid extreme, right to warm things up and
subtle variation. So let’s get started... psychedelic effects. left to cool the image down.
White Balance Tool Colour Sample Tool Vibrance Saturation

Correcting any colour casts The Colour Sample tool is A relatively new addition to After the Vibrance slider has
within your image should often overlooked, but it’s Camera Raw, the Vibrance been used to help saturate
always be your first actual essential for colour slider enables you to the subtler colours within
correction when enhancing correction. As you drag the enhance the subtler colours the image, the Saturation
images. Start off by locating cursor over the image, it’ll within the image to a greater slider can then be used to
a neutral colour area within display the content of the degree than the more increase the colour within
the image (an area where area, which enables you to saturated ones. It’s perfect the entire image. This slider
RGB values are similar) and pick a neutral colour area for enhancing the sea should always be used in
then click to change the when using the White without clipping the orange moderation to avoid clipping
White Balance. Balance Tool. of the sky. any colours.

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Colour
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1 Find a neutral space

Open Sunset_Before.nef in Adobe Camera Raw and make sure
that you have the clipping warnings switched on: the short cuts for
2 Correct colour casts
Using the Colour Sampler, select several points and then the
White Balance Tool. Click on each of the points in turn to choose which
these are [U] and [O]. In the tool bar across the top, select the Color works best. Once you have made your colour correction, make sure
Sampler Tool and hover over the image until you find a neutral area. that you select the Hand Tool to avoid readjusting the balance later.
3 Change the temperature

When you set the white balance, the temperature and tint will
update. Move the Temperature slider to a value of 8000, which will give
4 Recover burnt out highlights
Increase the Exposure slider to 0.70 to help lighten the rock and
sea. As you do this, you will see a few areas of the sky start to burn
a cold look to the sea while keeping some warmth in the clouds. To out. To help draw back detail, take the Recovery slider to +30. This
give the rocks and the sky a boost of colour, increase Tint to 6. should eliminate most of the red clipping masks.
Expert tip
Adding warmth
The easiest way to add warmth to your images is during
the initial enhancements in ACR. To get started, correct
any colour casts by using the White Balance Tool. You
may find you need to click around to find the right
point. As you click into neutral areas, you’ll see the
image warm or cool depending on the colour
information of that point. Try to locate a point that
neutralises the colour casts rather than influencing the
overall temperature.
When a neutral point is found, all you need to do
to warm the image is to increase the value of the
Temperature slider. As the values increase, you’ll
instantly see the colours warm. If you want to add a
little more warmth, select the HSL/Greyscale tab and
increase the Saturation of warm colours such as Red,
Orange and Yellow.

Colour-correction tools
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5 Improve contrast and clarity

Now, looking at the fine detail in the image, increase Fill Light to
lighten some of the detail in the rock, then increase the Contrast and
6 Improve the midtones
Click the Tone Curve tab and select Strong Contrast from the
preset Curve dropdown. Increase the contrast by moving the two points
Clarity. Finally for the Basic section, increase Vibrance to +30 and around the centre point in towards the middle on the horizontal. Now
Saturation to +15. make a point in the highlights and reduce it to recover the clouds.
7 Selectively boost the colours

Click the HSL/Greyscale tab and then the Saturation tab. Start to
increase the Red then Orange and Yellow sliders to strengthen the
8 Dodge and burn
Click Open Image to enter Photoshop. Select the Dodge Tool:
make sure that the range is on Highlights and the exposure is set low
colours in the sky and rock. If you want to boost the colour further, click to 5%. Now brush over the rock and sea to lighten. Switch to the Burn
back on the Basic tab and readjust Vibrance and Saturation. Tool with Shadows selected, and burn in the sky and the sea.
Expert tip
Cooling the image
Just as you can warm an image, you can also apply a
subtle cooling effect to it in ACR. As with warming, simply
correct any colour casts with the White Balance Tool, then
reduce the Temperature slider. The effect can then be
further enhanced by adjusting the saturation of the
relevant cooling colours under the HSL tab. However, if you
have finished the adjustments to the Raw file and now have
the image opened in Photoshop, you can use the Photo
Filter to apply a more dramatic cooling effect. The beauty
of this filter is that it can be applied through an Adjustment
Layer, which gives you complete control over its
application. Once you have created the Adjustment Layer,
you can either choose from the long list of predefined
colour filters, or you can pick your own. To select your own,
just click on the colour swatch in the Photo Filter, then pick
from the usual Photoshop colour selector.

WorldMags.net
Colour On
Look in the Colour
folder on the DVD
Andrew Gibson
Get vivid colour

in your photos
Give your Raw shots a boost by targeting and adjusting specific
colours to change their hue, saturation and luminance (HSL) values
WHAT YOU’LL NEED Photoshop Elements 6 colours and produce prints with more punch. We’ll also show you how to boost the saturation
or Photoshop CS3, or above In Photoshop’s Camera Raw editor, however, of specific colours using the sliders in the
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN How to use the HSL/ you can make edits to individual colours HSL/Greyscale tab’s Saturation sub-tab and
Greyscale tab, adjust specific hues and and emphasise objects in your Raw file that brighten colours to increase contrast.
brighten individual colours aren’t always noticeable when viewing the (As its name suggests, the HSL/Greyscale
IT ONLY TAKES 15 minutes unprocessed version. tab can also be used to to turn a shot to
In the following walkthrough, we’ll put the monochrome to produce striking prints.)
Photoshop and Photoshop HSL/Greyscale tab through its paces and
Elements both enable you to edit enhance the colours in this Raw landscape. VIDEO TUTORIAL Follow our step-by-step
a Raw file’s colours and tones. As well as improving the overall tones of the guide to achieving brighter colours
You can tweak the Saturation and image, we’ll adjust the hue of the blues to add IMAGE FILE The start image, raw_start.cr2,
Vibrance sliders in both packages an intensity to the sky and sea that suggests is in the Colour folder on the DVD
to give your shots more vivid-looking the image was taken with a polarising filter.

Vivid colour
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1 Let’s get started!

Open the file raw_start.cr2 from the Colour folder on the
included DVD in Adobe Camera Raw. The unprocessed shot
2 Tweak exposure
Drag the Exposure slider left to -0.50 and the Recovery
slider to 20 to darken the highlights, midtones and shadows.
looks washed out, with no strong shadows. The histogram The histogram graph slides to the left, indicating less intense
confirms that the shot is overexposed, because most of the highlights and stronger midtones. There are no pixels at the far
pixels are clumped to the right of the graph. The brightest left yet, indicating that the shot still lacks shadow tones. Use
clouds are also clipped. the Straighten Tool to correct the wonky horizon.
3 Better blacks
To create stronger shadows, drag the Blacks to 25. The
histogram graph will stretch out to fill the shadow section on
4 Improve the blues
Click the HSL/Greyscale tab. Here, you can give the shot’s
dull and washed-out blues a bit of a boost by dragging the Hue
the left. To tweak the tones further, move Brightness to +50, tab’s Blues slider to -20. This will add richness to the blues,
contrast to +40 and Clarity to +25. The shot should now have and this increased intensity gives the impression that the
a spread of shadows, midtones and highlights. scene was photographed using a polarising filter.
5 Souped-up saturation
To target and boost specific colours within the shot, first
you need to click on the Saturation tab. Now drag the Blues
6 Adjust luminance
Finally, click on the Luminance sub-tab. You can use the
sliders in this window to lighten and darken the brightness of
slider up to +40 to create a more vivid-looking sea and specific colour within your image. To darken the sky a little, try
skyscape in the image. This will also help to enhance the dragging the Blues slider to -20. This will help to create more
reflection of the sky in the sea, which is a little desaturated contrast between the azure blue sky and the white clouds,
in the original Raw file. revealing more detail in this area.
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Colour
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How to…
Boost On
the disc
colours Look in the Enrich
folder on the DVD
for impact
Inspired by Martin Parr’s punchy images
of British culture, we show you how to
enhance colours like a pro
WHAT YOU’LL NEED Photoshop Elements or Photoshop CS
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN How to selectively boost colour using Raw and
Adjustment Layer techniques
IT ONLY TAKES 15 minutes
Vivid colours and unusual perspectives are the hallmarks of

award-winning photographer Martin Parr’s work. His iconic
images cleverly bridge the gap between snapshots and fine art.
Parr takes mundane scenes and transforms them into magical
images with hyper-real colours and intriguing details. His work
typically features nostalgic images that he has often given a humorous Original shot
or dream-like twist to with unusual camera angles and saturated colours.
Inspired by his style, we took a selection of photographs at a uniquely
British location – the Grand Pier in Weston-super-Mare, before it was
destroyed by fire in 2008. This angled shot has captured the colourful
subjects that define the amusement arcades to be found at traditional
English seaside resorts. This tutorial will show you how to push the levels and
colours of the image in order to capture some of that Martin Parr look. Use
the sample image on the disc to try the techniques before you apply them to
your own shots.
VIDEO TUTORIAL Follow our step-by-step guide to enriching images with

selective colour on the DVD
IMAGE FILES You’ll find the start images – Enrich_before.tiff and Enrich_
After.jpg – in the Enrich folder on the DVD
1 Show clipping
Camera Raw contains many helpful
features for the processing of Raw files.
2 Bring out detail
Starting with the highlights, increase
Recovery to 40, which will reduce the red
3 Enhance colour
Now, looking at the shadows, reduce
Vibrance by -30, which will take the colour
To visually gauge the effect of your mask, showing that you now have a cast out of the less vibrant areas. Then
adjustments on the highlights and greater amount of detail in that area. You increase Saturation to 40, which will
shadows, hit [U] and [O] on your computer can then use a similar process for the boost the vibrant colours without making
keyboard to reveal clipping masks. shadows by increasing Fill Light to 30. the subtle colours look unnatural.
Enrich colours
WorldMags.net
Lucy Sparrow
4 Correct colour
Exit ACR by clicking Open Image. To
neutralise colour casting, create a new
5 Selectively boost colour
Rather than boosting all the colours,
you want to selectively enhance some of
6 Apply subtle sharpening
In the Layers palette, click on Layer
Options and choose Flatten Image. Now
Levels Adjustment layer, select the Grey the brighter ones. Create a new Hue/ apply subtle sharpening. Go to Enhance
Point Pipette and click a grey area of the Saturation Adjustment layer and, using > Adjust Sharpness. Making sure the
image. You may need to click around to the Edit drop-down, increase Cyan and preview is at 100%, increase Amount to
find the right point for a natural look. Magenta Saturation to 30. 60 and Radius to 1.4, then click OK.
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Mono
7
Explore the glory of black-and-white as
we show you how to use Camera Raw to
creates images full of contrast and tone
How to go mono: ACR and the alternatives in Photoshop 148
Convert a landscape to monochrome 152
Get better black-and-white in Photoshop CS4 156
Prepare your portrait for mono 158
Enhance mono portraits 162
Enhance light and shadow 164
Add impact with high-contrast mono 166

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Mono
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How to go mono
Learn how to transform colour photos into powerful black-and-white
images using our expert digital darkroom techniques
In this chapter, we look at converting when one of these other methods might
images to mono using Adobe Camera give you good results faster than using
Raw – but there are several other ACR. To get the benefits, of course, you
methods you can use in Photoshop. must first process your Raw images
Depending on the image and the level of properly, optimising exposure, contrast
contrast it has, there are occasions and brightness, then saving as a TIFF.
Photoshop’s Black & White Tool

Once regarded as the ultimate in Photoshop mono conversion tools, influence in the final conversion. It’s best to use the Black & White
the Channel Mixer has been usurped by the Black & White Tool, Tool in the form of a non-destructive Adjustment Layer (Layer > New
which offers a simpler, more intuitive and more flexible way of Adjustment Layer > Black & White): that way, you can easily tweak
working. It works by letting you independently vary the luminance the values any time you like by double-clicking on the Adjustment
levels of eight individual colour ranges and thereby control their Layer in the Layers palette.
WARNING!
Messing about with colour
channels without restraint can
quickly lead to serious image
quality issues such as haloes,
blocking and noise. For this
reason, it’s vitally important
to keep a close eye on your
1 Using the sliders 2 Being more precise

image at 100%
magnification as you Dragging a colour slider from left to right Click within your image and drag to the
make changes. makes the grey tones of that colour range right or the left to lighten or darken those
darker or brighter. The strip above the slider tones. Click the Preset Options button to save
shows how light the tone will be. your greyscale mix to re-use on other images.
The Black & White conversion palette Elements’ Black

and White tool
Photoshop offers ten ready-made
mono conversion recipes via the
As with CS, Elements has an built-in Black
drop-down Preset menu.
& White Tool: although it’s light in
comparison and has no Adjustment Layer
option, it’s still a powerful asset. To
access this feature, go to Enhance >
To reveal your image’s original
Convert to Black and White. Here you can
colouring, uncheck the Preview box.
select from a series of preset conversions,
or try out the RGB sliders.
You can adjust the colour sliders
manually or click and drag on the
image to adjust the slider for a
particular colour range.
Add a pro-style tint to your mono pics

– just click the Tint box, choose a
colour via the Hue slider and set the
intensity via the Saturation slider.

Mono basics
WorldMags.net Photoshop conversion
Original shot
Rob Bowen

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Mono On
Look in the Mono
folder on your DVD
Mono conversion methods
There are many ways to convert an image to mono in Photoshop.

We compare seven popular methods with using Adobe Camera Raw
Greyscale Lab Colour

Simply changing the Mode of your image zero control over the result. Switching to Lab Colour is another quick and easy
from Colour to Greyscale actually offers a Greyscale also blocks many Adjustments conversion technique. Again, there’s no
pretty reasonable mono conversion. Click and Filters: you need to choose Image > control, but it does generate a particularly
Image > Mode > Greyscale, then click OK Mode > RGB Colour to free them up again. light, airy and smooth looking result that’s
when asked if you want to ‘Discard colour If you’re really pressed for time, though, well suited to delicate subjects and/or
information’. The problem is that you have this might be just the job. high-key or low-contrast treatments. Click
Image > Mode > Lab Colour. Now click
Window > Channels and click on the
Lightness channel. To finish, choose Image
> Mode > Greyscale and click OK.
✔ Reasonable results almost instantly

✘ No control over result
Desaturation
Clicking Image > Adjustments > however, provides much more control
Desaturate is even quicker than and more pleasing results. First drag the
converting to Greyscale, but the result is Saturation slider to -100, then use the
just slightly rougher, and again you have drop-down Edit menu to selectively vary
zero control. Desaturation via Layer > New the Lightness of the Reds, Yellows,
Adjustment Layer > Hue/Saturation, Greens, Cyans, Blues and Magentas.
✔ Lightness control over individual channels ✔ Creates smooth, airy results quickly
✘ Limited control compared with Raw ✘ No control over result

Calculations Mono basics
WorldMags.net
Calculations (Image > Calculations)
enables you to blend two source channels
to create a mono conversion. By default,
the channels are set to Red and the
Blending mode to Multiply. It’s worth trying
out different combinations, but for
Gradient Map
For harder, high-contrast results, try the Tools palette to Black, choose the
non-portrait shots, this set-up plus a
the Gradient Map. Go to Layer > New Foreground to Background gradient and
reduction in Blending Mode Opacity will
Adjustment Layer > Gradient Map and click OK. Refine the contrast by dragging
usually produce the best results.
click OK. Set your Foreground Colour in the Colour Stop and Smoothness sliders.
✔ Punchy results, with fine-tuning available

✘ Best for mid- to high-contrast subjects only
Adobe Camera Raw: HSL/Greyscale

The Camera Raw HSL/Greyscale tab offers choose Convert to Greyscale. You can
✔ A quick way to create dramatic results an effective method for converting Raw then separate and enhance the individual
✘ Limited number of conversion settings images to mono. Once you’ve primed your tones using the eight Greyscale Mix colour
shot using the standard Camera Raw controls. Further refinements are then
controls, click the HSL/Greyscale tab and possible within Photoshop.
Channel Mixer
The Channel Mixer enables precise
blending of the Red, Green and Blue
channels to create a wide variety of mono
effects. Choose Layer > New Adjustment
Layer > Channel Mixer. Check the
Monochrome box and vary the Source
channels, ideally keeping the overall
percentage total to around 100. It takes
some getting used to.
✔ Offers vast array of controls and effects

✘ Changes must be applied to entire image
Plug-ins
In Photoshop you can re-create virtually all
of the effects offered by third-party
plug-ins such as Black & White Studio and
Film Grain by Power Retouche. For
example, you could track down grainy
traditional 35mm films, scan them in and
turn them into mono grain filters. For
those without the time or inclination to do
this, dedicated plug-ins can be used.
✔ Great control and good results ✔ Extensive new controls and effects
✘ Requires time and experimentation ✘ Quality plug-ins don’t come cheap

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Mono
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Original shot

Mono conversion basics
WorldMags.net
On
the disc
How to…
Look in the Mono
Landscape folder
Convert a landscape
to monochrome
Adobe Camera Raw running under Elements may have limitations, but it can
still convert an average colour shot into a high-contrast mono masterpiece
WHAT YOU’LL NEED Photoshop Elements 5 or colour shot into a wash of dull midtones with Camera Raw under Elements 5 may lack the
Photoshop CS, or above its Saturation slider. However, its other powerful greyscale conversion sliders of its
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN How to adjust tone and image-editing sliders can rescue the image bigger brother, but you can still wrestle a
contrast; how to read Levels; how to mix layers from mediocrity and instead create striking decent mono conversion from the software
IT ONLY TAKES 15 minutes black-and-white images, featuring a healthy using sliders such as Blacks and Fill Light. In
range of shadows, midtones and highlights. this workshop, you’ll learn how to measure
Photoshop and Elements use The source file we’re using was shot on an the precise red, green and blue levels of the
exactly the same Adobe Camera overcast day, and the resulting image has flat mono version’s shadows, midtones and
Raw plug-in to process Raw files, lighting and dull colours. It also offers little highlights to ensure the final image has a
but it offers different options tonal variety. By using ACR to convert the shot healthy tonal range. We’ve used Elements
depending on which host program to mono, you can adjust its tones to bring out here, but you could also use Photoshop to
you’re using. At first glance, the ACR shapes and details that are missing in the achieve effects every bit as good.
editor running under Photoshop seems to kick colour version. You can also emphasise the
sand in the face of the Elements version, highlights of the waterfall and contrast them VIDEO TUTORIAL Follow our step-by-step
especially when it comes to making mono with the midtones of the grass, before guide to converting to mono
IMAGE FILE The start image, raw_start.dng,
conversions of colour Raw files. Elements’ creating darker shadows for the slow-moving
is in the Mono Landscape folder on the DVD
pared-down Raw editor initially turns a drab river in the foreground.
1 Open your source file

Open raw_start.dng from your DVD. Different makes of
camera – and often different models – use different Raw
2Reduce saturation
Drag the Saturation slider right down to -100 to discard all
colour information. This new mono version contains mostly
formats. We’ve converted our CR2 source file to Adobe’s shadows and midtones. Look at the histogram, which shows
universal Digital Negative (DNG) format so that it’s accessible that many of the mono version’s pixels are clumped towards
by all versions of Camera Raw. the shadows end of the graph.

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Mono
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3Check highlight levels

Move your cursor over the waterfall. The brightest pixels in
an image (the highlights) should have a maximum value of 255
4Watch out for clipping
Click the Shadow Clipping Warning icon in the histogram.
This causes clipped shadows to be displayed in the image
in the Red, Green and Blue channels. Look at the R, G and B window as patches of blue. The patches will have RGB values of
values below the histogram – the waterfall’s white pixels show 0, 0, 0, indicating that they will print as pure black, and subtle
weak highlight values of around 140 to 170. dark tones have been lost or ‘clipped’ in these areas.
5Examine the midtones

The midtones on the grass display an RGB reading of
between 60 and 90, so many of them are stuck in the darker
6Improve the highlights
Because the shot is a little underexposed, drag the
Exposure slider to the right to a value of +0.60. This will shunt
end of the midtone range on the 0 to 255 scale. You will see the histogram towards the highlight end of the graph at the
from the histogram that the graph dips significantly in the right, brightening up the image’s midtones and highlights. The
middle, so there’s not a lot of detail in the midtone areas. waterfall now displays stronger highlight values.
7Find missing midtones

You can target the underexposed midtones without messing
with your highlights. Drag the Fill Light slider to around 30. This
8Check the shadows
Your highlight and midtone tweaking will push the whole
histogram to the right, and many of the shadows will have
brightens up the initially dull midtones, revealing much more turned into midtones. The shot now lacks contrast – but you can
detail in the grass and trees than before. A quick level check of boost the blackest pixels without messing up your carefully
the midtones will reveal brighter pixels ranging from 80 to 140. restored midtones or highlights by boosting the shadows.

Mono conversion basics
WorldMags.net
9Improve the Blacks

To enhance the overall contrast between shadows and
highlights, drag the Blacks slider to the right to a value of about
10Save a new version
Your shot should now feature a much stronger contrast
between the varying tones, although the sky is still rather blown
12 or 13. This creates striking black shadows around the river, out. To fix this, first click Open Image to apply your changes and
which helps it stand out from the midtones of the grassy open the shot in Elements’ main interface. Go to File > Save As
riverbank and the highlights of the foaming water. and save this new version as ‘ground_exposure.tif’.
11Expose the sky

Now go to File > Open and open the raw_start.dng file
again. Elements will remember the slider settings you last used,
12Combine your shots
In your new sky exposure file, go to Select All and then
Copy. Now Paste the sky exposure image on to the ground_
but we want a new version with more sky detail. Drag Exposure exposure.tif file. You can then add a mask to this layer and use
to -0.15 and Recovery to +90. Click Open Image again: you now a black brush to hide the landscape from the sky layer. This will
have two different versions open in the Elements workspace. reveal the correctly exposed areas from the layer below.
Conversion overview
How we improved our photo’s contrast for a better result
4
1 Midtones 3 Shapes
The initially drab midtones now The original mono conversion
stand out from the shadows was a flat wash of greys. The
and highlights thanks to the improved contrast helps to
adjustments we made with define features in the
the handy Fill Light slider. landscape, such as the river
and the riverbank.
2 Highlights 4 Sky recovery

By tweaking the Exposure slider We decreased the exposure in
we made the underexposed a different version of the shot 2
highlights brighter and have to add detail to the blown-out 1
created more contrast, making sky. The two shots were then
the waterfall an effective focal mixed using layers and 3
point in the image. masking techniques.

WorldMags.net
Mono
WorldMags.net
Ali Jennings
On
the disc
How to…
Look in the CS4 Mono
folder on the DVD
Original shot
Get better black-

and-white in CS4
Use the powerful new conversion tools in Photoshop CS4’s Adobe
Camera Raw editor to create a striking monochrome landscape
WHAT YOU’LL NEED Photoshop CS4 to the amazing tools in Adobe Camera Raw, skies and help make white clouds stand
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN How to make striking you can convert a shot to black-and-white, then out. We’ll also show you how the Targeted
black-and-white conversions using Adobe lighten or darken specific colours in the photo Adjustment tool helps you tweak the tones
Camera Raw to make objects and textures stand out. of specific areas, and how to lighten areas
IT ONLY TAKES 10 minutes This workshop uses tools available in the and emphasise features with the Adjustment
latest version of ACR, 5.6, installed with Brush. We’ll finish off by using Tone Curves to
Creating a decent mono image Photoshop CS4. The HSL/Greyscale tab create a contrast between black and white.
can be a challenge. By simply enables you to drag colour sliders around to
desaturating a shot you can end lighten or darken corresponding colours in VIDEO TUTORIAL Follow our step-by-step
up with a bland wash of greyscale the main image. This echoes the traditional guide to converting Raw files to mono
colours and lose any distinctive technique of placing coloured filters over IMAGE FILE CS4mono_before.dng is in the
shapes and textures that were proudly visible the lens when shooting with black-and-white CS4 Mono folder on the DVD
in the original colour version. However, thanks film. For example, a red filter will darken blue

Mono conversion in Photoshop CS4
WorldMags.net
1 Brighten the highlights

Open CS4mono_before.dng in the Adobe Camera Raw
editor. You’ll see that the histogram’s brightest pixels don’t
2 Darken the sky
Click the Graduated Filter tool’s icon (or press [G]).
In the Graduated Filter pane, set Exposure to -2.40. Set
reach the far right, meaning the image is slightly under- everything else to 0. Click at the top of the image and draw a
exposed. To boost the highlights without messing with the short vertical line downwards to gently darken the sky. Click the
shadows or midtones, drag the Exposure slider right to +40. Zoom tool icon to exit Graduated Filter mode.
3 Make it mono
To convert the shot to black-and-white, click on the HSL/
Greyscale tab. Click the Convert to Greyscale box, then move
4 Targeted tweaks
Grab the Targeted Adjustment tool. Click on a patch of dark
soil, then drag the cursor left. The tool will sample the colours
the Oranges slider to +100 to lighten the grass. Drag Reds from the original shot and adjust the appropriate sliders to
to -50 to darken the distant boat and make it stand out. The darken the sampled colours. Drag the tool to the left on the
contrast change enhances the shapes of different objects. sea to darken that area too.
5 Selective adjustments
Click on the Basic tab, then press [K] to activate the
Adjustment Brush. Set Brightness to +160, Contrast to +52,
Press [Z] to exit the Adjustment Brush mode. To widen the
contrast between the dark and light areas, click on the Tone
Size to 6 and Feather to 41. Spray over the plants to lighten Curve tab. Drag Darks down to -30 to darken the boat and the
them up a bit. Now reduce Size to 2 and spray again to lighten terrain. Increase Highlights to +28 – the boosted contrast
up the frosty patches on the boat. brings out the scene’s shapes.

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WorldMags.net
Original shot
Ben Brain

Mono portraits in depth
WorldMags.net
How to… On
the disc
Prepare your Look in the Mono
Portrait folder
portrait for mono

By adjusting a Raw image’s colours and tones, you can produce
an impressive black-and-white portrait with instant impact
WHAT YOU’LL NEED Photoshop CS3 adjusting compressed JPEGs in enables you to create a striking mono
or later Photoshop, there’s a danger that you’ll version of the Raw image without leaving
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN How to adjust tone add other artefacts, such as unsightly the comfort of the Raw editor.
and contrast, how to emphasise eyes, picture noise, to the edited image. In this project, we’ll show you how to
how to turn colour into mono With all the extra information packed tweak a colour shot’s tones and colours
IT ONLY TAKES 15 minutes into an uncompressed Raw file, you can to prepare it for a more effective mono
fix colour and exposure problems easily, conversion. Building on the previous
The beauty of shooting in and all without compromising quality. To workshop’s, techniques, you’ll learn how
Raw format is that you have convert a Raw shot into an effective to create a mono version of a portrait
considerably more choice monochrome version, you could open the that boasts a healthy range of shadows,
when it comes to editing your image in Photoshop’s standard editor midtones and highlights, without losing
images in Photoshop. If you save a shot and access image adjustment tools, the shot’s high-quality Raw status.
as a JPEG, your camera discards some of such as the Channel Mixer or the Black
the information about the shot’s colours & White command in Photoshop, but VIDEO TUTORIAL Follow our step-by-step
and tones – that’s one reason why JPEG you’d lose access to some of the extra guide to creating perfect portraits
files are so much smaller than the Raw or information contained in the Raw file. IMAGE FILE The start image, raw_start.dng,
TIFF versions of the same shot. When Thankfully, then, Photoshop’s Raw editor is in the Mono Portrait folder on the DVD
1Reduce saturation
Open the source file raw_start.dng in Camera Raw. Begin
by dragging the Saturation slider to the left to create a mono
2 Spot clipped highlights
Before converting the shot to mono, you’ll need to enhance
its contrast. You can see from the red section of the histogram
version. This creates an unflattering, flat-lit mono portrait that that some of the highlights in this image are in danger of being
lacks contrast. Set the Saturation slider back to 0 and get clipped. Enable the Highlight Clipping Warning box at the top
ready to create a mono conversion with better shadows, right of the histogram and you’ll see the clipped pixels appear
highlights and midtones, and much more impact. in your shot as patches of red.

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Mono
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3 Reduce exposure
Although the Raw shot has been overexposed, it contains
enough information for you to alter the exposure and restore
4 Improve contrast
To give the mono conversion process a wider range of
tones to work with, drag the Recovery slider to the right until it
detail to the clipped areas. Drag the Exposure slider left to has a value of about +40. This restores even more detail to
-0.35. The clipping warning will vanish, and the highlights in the highlight areas, such as the face, the whites of the eyes and
histogram will slide left towards the midtone section of the the teeth.
graph, revealing more detail.
5 Enhance the eyes

The eyes are a vital part of any portrait, and you’re often
drawn to them first. For a high-impact mono conversion, you
6 Boost colour for richer mono
The black-and-white conversion process that we’ll look at
later in this project can convert different colours into a wide
can enhance the contrast between the eyes and the dark range of greyscale tones. By boosting the intensity of the
lashes. By dragging the Blacks slider to 15, you can strengthen image’s colours, you can give the mono conversion process
the intensity of the dark eyelashes without altering the more information to work with, resulting in a wider tonal range
midtones and highlights of the overall image. of blacks, greys and whites.
7 Stronger skin tones

The Saturation slider increases all the colours in a portrait
equally, but this can create unhealthy-looking orange skin.
8 Remove imperfections
To create a more flattering portrait, zoom in to 100%. If
your subject is having a bad skin day, grab the Retouch Tool
Leave Saturation at the default setting of 0 and slide Vibrance and set it to Heal. Click-and-drag the mouse pointer to draw a
to about +45 instead. This enhances the portrait’s overall red circle around an unwanted spot. Position the green circle
colours but works more gently on the skin tones. over a clear patch of skin. The clear skin will be cloned over the
blemish, removing it seamlessly.

Mono portraits in depth
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9 Convert to greyscale
Click on the HSL/Grayscale tab and click the Convert To
Grayscale box. The Grayscale Mix sliders will automatically try
10 Add sparkle to the eyes
To enhance the contrast within the skin tones, drag
Reds to -11 and Oranges to -15. To create contrast between
to create a shot with a healthy range of shadows, midtones skin and hair, drag Yellows to -27. There’s a hint of blue in the
and highlights. Hit Default to set them to 0, so you can create eyes, so drag Blue up to +28 to brighten them up. By adjusting
a custom conversion. the colour sliders, you can really enhance the contrast between
the subject’s hair, skin and eyes.
11 Create a vignette
Click on the Lens Corrections tab. The Vignette slider is
designed to lighten or darken the edge of the frame to
12 Spoiled for choice
All the changes you’ve made to your portrait can be
undone at any time. Even after you’ve clicked Done to close the
compensate for defects caused by lenses. You can use it more file, the original Raw file will remain untouched, and the
creatively by dragging the Amount slider to -86 and Midpoint to changes you’ve made are stored alongside the Raw image in
+18. This gently darkens the edges of the portrait so that the a separate file. This means Photoshop knows which image
eye is drawn to the main subject. Try creating different versions adjustment settings to use next time you open the portrait, but
using the same techniques. you can remove or modify these at any time.
Next steps Producing even more creative mono effects

Try these simple tweaks to perfect your black-and-white portraits
Try experimenting with the colour sliders in the ‘Normal’ contrast High contrast High-key
HSL/Grayscale and Basic tabs in Camera Raw.
Here, you can create a variety of effects that can
add another dimension to your portraits. By
increasing the contrast (see centre image), we’ve
altered the shot by removing the subtle midtones,
effectively making the image more black and white.
In the high-key version (far right) we’ve altered the
same shot but shifted the tones to emphasise the
lighter end of the tonal scale.
It’s important to remember that these choices
are often subjective and not necessarily right or
wrong. Some effects work well with one subject
but not with another, so experiment and use your
creative judgment in each individual case.

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Mono
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On
How to… the disc
Enhance
Look in the Portrait
Mono folder
mono portraits
We show you how to perfect the
tones in your black-and-white image
after converting it
For the ultimate control over how particular colours convert to
greyscale tone, the HSL/Grayscale tab in Adobe Camera Raw for
Photoshop should be your tool of choice. Here, you can tweak the
tones of virtually every range of colours within the image. You can
1 Automatic start
Correct the exposure as usual in Adobe Camera Raw, then
click on the HSL/Grayscale tab. Tick the box marked Convert To
darken a range of tones by dragging the appropriate colour slider to the Grayscale. Although you can start by adjusting the various
left, or lighten them by dragging to the right. You can further tweak the sliders straight away, it’s often useful to hit the Auto button to
final monochrome via a simple Tone Curve too. get a good starting point for your image.
2 Target specific colours

Each of the sliders controls the greyscale tone of specific
colour ranges within the original colour image. Darken the tone
3 Watch the noise
In this image, dragging the Oranges slider to the left
darkens the midtones and shadows of the face. It’s important
of a particular colour range by dragging the appropriate slider to not to drag the sliders too far over, or you’ll start to introduce
the left, or lighten it by dragging the slider to the right. unwanted noise and posterisation into the targeted areas.
4 Tone Curve
At any time, you can click on the Tone Curve button to
adjust the contrast. Choose the Point tab. Now, select a preset
5 Final tweaks
You can still return to the HSL/Grayscale tab and tweak the
tone of the particular colour ranges further. Keep an eye on the
from the drop-down or manipulate the curve itself. We’ve histogram as you make adjustments to avoid any clipping. You
created a simple contrast curve, brightening the highlights and can save your mix by clicking the palette menu arrow and
intensifying the shadows. choosing Save Settings.

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Sectionhead On
Look in the Light
Shadow folder
Ali Jennings
How to…
Enhance light
and shadow
Understanding how colour relates to mono tones is key to getting good
Original shot
black-and-whites. We reveal how to take control of your conversions

WHAT YOU’LL NEED Photoshop CS When adjusting a colour Raw file, it’s important to use basic tools in Camera Raw to create
or Photoshop Elements 6, or later to remember that each colour directly relates to an image packed with tones and with minimal
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN How to prepare colour the lightness or darkness of a greyscale tone. clipping in the shadows and highlights. Here,
images to enhance detail in mono conversions To see this in action, reduce the Saturation we’ll show you how to adjust your Raw file
IT ONLY TAKES 10 minutes slider in Adobe Camera Raw to -100, then correctly to eliminate lacklustre conversions.
adjust the Temperature slider: you’ll instantly
Converting colour photos to black- see areas lighten and darken. Knowing how VIDEO TUTORIALS Follow our step-by-step
and-white is an art: it’s all too colours relate to a mono tone gives you the guide to enhancing light and shadow
easy to make a quick conversion flexibility to get the conversion you want. IMAGE FILES Use the image StillLife_before.
that looks fine on screen, but To make sure you have the maximum dng in the Light Shadow folder on the DVD
once printed loses tone and detail. amount of detail in your image, you also need

Editing mono tones
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1 Re-crop the shot

Start off by recomposing the shot. Select the Crop Tool
and, holding down the [Shift] key, draw a perfect square crop
2 Use the Clipping Warnings
Switch on the Shadow and Highlight Clipping Warnings
– press the [U] key for shadows and [O] for highlights. A red
around the vase and thistle. Select the Straighten Tool and mask will appear over any areas of clipped highlights, and a
click-and-drag to draw a line across the top horizontal edge of blue mask over clipped shadows. Click the White Balance Tool
the shelf. Use the anchor points to refine the crop. and click onto a neutral area in the background.
3 Remove the colour

Reduce the Saturation slider at the bottom of the Basic tab
to -100. Next, move Exposure to -0.80. There will still be small
4 Recover shadows
Looking at the shadow areas, move Fill Light to 52,
Brightness to 50 and Contrast to 60. You’ll notice that the
dots of burnt-out highlights under the blind, but these shouldn’t histogram is weighted to the left, but the bulk of the detail is
be an issue – you can increase the Recovery slider if needed to moving towards the centre of the graph. However, neither the
reduce these areas further. shadows or highlights are clipped, which is good.
5 Boost the tones

To boost the tones, increase the Clarity slider to 60. Now
you can experiment with the colours’ effect on the tones of
6 Adjust mono conversion
Select Layers > New Adjustment Layer > Levels. By working
on an Adjustment Layer, you have complete flexibility: if you
the image by adjusting the Temperature and Tint sliders. Once want a high-key conversion, move the Shadow and Highlight
you’re happy with the result within Camera Raw, click Open sliders inwards to clip the histogram. You can lighten or darken
Image to move into Photoshop or Elements. the conversion by moving the Midtone slider right or left.

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Mono On
Look in the Boost
Contrast folder
Guy Edwardes
Add impact with

high-contrast mono
Discover a simple way to transform an ordinary colour landscape, by converting
the image to black and white, then giving the contrast a boost
WHAT YOU’LL NEED Photoshop Elements 6 yellow, orange or red filter helps to darken the and darken tones based on the saturation
or Photoshop CS, or later blues of the sky and pick out the delicate detail of colours within the image. This enables you
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN How to adjust your in clouds. This effect can easily be replicated to darken skies and lighten clouds, while
Raw images to retain detail, before using in the digital darkroom when converting your minimising loss of detail. With a slight tweak
Adjustment Layers to make a high-contrast shots from colour to black-and-white. to the Colour Curves and some careful dodging
mono conversion Here, we’ll show you how to prepare a Raw and burning, this tutorial will show how you can
IT ONLY TAKES 20 minutes file to create an image that’s full of tone and create a mono masterpiece to be proud of.
detail. Once clipping in the highlights and
When shooting on black-and-white shadows is reduced to a minimum, you’ll have VIDEO TUTORIAL Follow our guide to creating
film, a coloured filter placed in front the perfect working file for a high-impact mono high-contrast mono conversions
of your lens will alter the way the conversion that retains maximum detail. IMAGE FILES Boostcontrast_before.dng, is
mono tones appear when the image The main advantage of using this technique in the Boost Contrast folder on the DVD
is printed. For example, attaching a is that it will give you instant flexibility to lighten

High-contrast mono
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1 Set the White Balance

Open boostcontrast_before.dng, which will open in Adobe
Camera Raw. First, we’ll make a few basic corrections to colour,
2 Switch on masks
Ensure you have the Clipping Warnings turned on by hitting
the [O] key for the highlights (a red mask) and then the [U] key
exposure and contrast. Select the White Balance Tool from the for the shadows (a blue mask). Next, decrease the Temperature
top toolbar and click into an area of neutral tone, such as the slider to -18 and you’ll see the red mask on the cliffs retreat.
shadowy area of foam in the foreground. Set the Tint slider to -5.
3 Reduce the clipping

To further reduce the highlight clipping, and maximise the
details that are visible in this area, start by decreasing the
4 Preparing for conversion
These basic adjustments will leave an image that looks
oversaturated, but the histogram shows that there are no
Exposure slider to -0.15. Next, move the sliders for Recovery clipped highlights or shadows, giving loads of tonal information
to 15, Fill Light to 6, and Blacks to 2, then alter the sliders for for the mono conversion to come. Before opening the image in
Brightness to 0 and Contrast to -5. Photoshop, finalise the adjustments with the last three sliders.
5Lower Vibrance
The final three sliders include Clarity (for a more subtle
approach to contrast), Vibrance (which increases the less
6 Reduce sharpening
Click on the Detail tab and set all of the sliders under
Sharpening to 0. This image doesn’t suffer from noise, but if
saturated colours over the more saturated ones, and vice versa yours does, zoom in to 100% on a flat tonal area such as the
when decreasing) and Saturation (which boosts the colour). sky. If you see lots of coloured dots, increase the Colour slider.
Set Clarity to 10, Vibrance to -20 and Saturation to 5. Otherwise, adjust Luminance to reduce noise.

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Mono
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7 Add a Colour Fill

Click Open Image to exit Camera Raw. Create a new Solid
Colour Adjustment Layer and set H to 0, S to 0, and B to 50.
8 Adjust the tones
Click back onto the Background layer and then create a
new Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer. Using the drop-down
This will give you a midtone grey; click OK to apply the change. menu in this window you can select a colour, and then adjust
Click on the Blending Mode drop-down at the top of the Layers its saturation to directly affect the lightness or darkness of the
palette and select Hue. The image will now appear in mono. tones. Click on Master to see the different colours available.
9 Check the tones

Starting with Red, move the Saturation slider to 45, then
click back on the drop-down menu and select Yellow. This time
Create a new Levels Adjustment Layer and increase the
shadows (left-hand slider) to 10 and the highlights (right-hand
increase Saturation to 15. Repeat this for Cyan (Saturation: 70) slider) to 240. Select a black brush and reduce the Opacity in
and Blue (Saturation: 85). To see the difference, click the eye the options bar to 20%. Click into the Levels layer’s mask and
icon to the left of the Adjustment Layer to switch it on and off. paint over the waves to recover the burnt-out highlights.
11 Increase the midtones

Click on the Layers palette options menu and flatten
the image. Go to Enhance > Adjust Colour > Adjust Colour
12 Dodge and Burn
Select the Dodge Tool, increase Size to 400px, then
set Range to Highlights and Exposure to 5%. Paint over the
Curves. Looking at the three points on the left, reduce Adjust rocks, pebbles and clouds to lighten them. Go to the Burn Tool,
Highlights by half a square, increase Midtone Contrast by one select Shadows and draw out detail in the clouds. Finally, use
square and then reduce Adjust Shadows by one square. Enhance > Adjust Sharpness with Amount set to 50% and
Radius to 1.
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Effects
Go beyond enhancement and correction:
8
use Camera Raw to create special effects,
from split tones to day-to-night scenes
Recreate a split-tone effect 172
Create a two-tone landscape 174
Emulate the look of slide film 176
Give a landscape a golden glow 179
Create the perfect sunrise 182
Turn day into dusk 184
Make a moonlit scene 188
Boost car light trails with tinting 190

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Effects
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Original shot
How to…
Ben Brain
On
the disc
Recreate a Look in the Creative
Split Tone folder
split-tone effect
You can give your shots a creative twist by mimicking a striking
split-tone effect in Photoshop’s Raw editor
WHAT YOU’LL NEED Photoshop CS3 or later can be recreated in the digital darkroom, and is to apply a split-tone effect. Remember that not
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN How to recreate a a great way to add a creative edge to black-and- all images will work well with this effect: some
split-tone effect using Adobe Camera Raw’s white shots. are much more suited than others. We found
HSL/Greyscale and Split Toning tabs Unlike conventional tints, such as sepia, that this striking shot of modern architecture
IT ONLY TAKES 5 minutes split-toning targets specific areas of tone, such came out a treat.
as the highlights or shadows, and tints them
In the traditional darkroom, split-tone with different colours. This means that you can VIDEO TUTORIAL Follow our step-by-step
effects are applied to images using produce an eye-catching two-tone effect that guide to creating a two-tone effect
a combination of chemicals to tint gives your images an artistic twist. IMAGE FILE Splitone_before.nef is in the
different tonal areas, such as the Here, we’ll show you how to use the powerful Creative Split Tone folder on the DVD
shadows or the highlights. This effect tools in Photoshop’s Adobe Camera Raw editor

Split-tone effect
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1 Go greyscale
Open splittone_before.nef in Photoshop’s Adobe Camera
Raw editor. Click the HSL/Grayscale tab and tick the Convert to
2 Split the tones
Next, click the Split Toning tab. Set the Highlights Hue
slider to around +70 and Saturation to +35. Set the Shadows
Grayscale box. To tweak the mono tones, use the various Hue slider to +230 and Saturation to 50. This will create a
colour sliders – for this image, move the Blue slider to -20. This split-tone effect, with a yellowish tint in the highlights and a
will darken the shot’s blue sky. blueish tint in the shadow areas. Set Balance to +35.
3 Tweak the effect

To adjust the effect that you’ve just applied, click on the
Basic tab and use the sliders there to tweak the tones and
4 Add a vignette
With the shot’s colours calibrated, let’s add a vignette,
which will darken the four corners of the scene and help to
contrast of your shot. Set Blacks to +17, Brightness to +25, draw the viewer’s eye into the image. To do this, click on the
Contrast to +50 and Clarity to +40. These settings will boost Lens Corrections tab and drag the Lens Vignetting Amount
the shot’s overall tones, contrast and sharpness. slider back so that its value is around -50.
5 Add some blur

Click on Open Image. In Photoshop, create a duplicate
layer, go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur and set Radius to 80
6 Dodge and Burn
Finally, create a Curves Adjustment Layer to fine-tune the
tones, and a Colour Balance Adjustment Layer to tweak the
pixels. Change the Blending Mode to Soft Light, and reduce the colours. Click the bottom layer in the layer stack, then select
layer Opacity to 30%. This will boost the contrast and give your the Dodge and Burn tools from the Tools palette. Use these to
shot a subtle, diffused look. darken and lighten areas of the scene selectively.

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Effects On
Look in the Split Toning
folder on the DVD
Original shot
How to…
Create a Ben Brain
two-tone landscape
Find out how to use Camera Raw’s Split Toning tab to emphasise features in
a landscape, replacing the original colours with a striking split-tone effect
WHAT YOU’LL NEED Photoshop CS or later your attention to the infinite horizon. This type you’ve produced a striking monochrome print,
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN How to increase contrast, of photograph is perfect for a creative split-tone we’ll show you how to use the Split Toning tab’s
how to use the Split Tone tab; how to adjust makeover, because it already has distinctive sliders to add separate washes of colour to
tonal balance contrasting tones and features. The warmly lit the shot’s highlights and shadows. Sepia is a
IT ONLY TAKES 10 minutes reeds and pebbles stand out against the cool popular hue to use in this type of shot. Adobe
blue sky and sea, presenting an attractive mix Camera Raw helps you produce this effect
Well-composed landscape photos of shapes and colours to enhance with a split- without compromising your file’s quality.
should feature a variety of different tone effect.
tones and shapes that draw the Here, we’ll show you how to use the tools in VIDEO TUTORIALS Follow our step-by-step
eye in. Take our unprocessed Raw Adobe Camera Raw to increase the contrast guide to creating two-tone landscapes
source file, for example. The foreground reeds between the land, sea and sky. You’ll then IMAGE FILES The start image, raw_start.cr2,
at the left of the frame lead your eye towards learn how to create a monochrome version of is in the Split Toning folder on the DVD
the narrow pebble beach, which in turn draws the image using the HSL/Grayscale tab. Once

Split-tone landscape
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1 Tweak exposure
Open raw_start.cr2 from the DVD. Before changing the
colours, you’ll need to tweak the shot’s tones and boost the
2 Boost the Blacks
Move the Recovery slider to 10 to restore any highlights
clipped in the last step. Now drag the Blacks slider to 17,
contrast between its shadows and highlights. You can see from making the shadow’s darkest pixels darker without affecting
the histogram that the highlights could be stronger, so set the midtones or highlights. Your shot now has a distinctive
Exposure to +0.25 to brighten them up. contrast, which gives the Split Toning tools more to work with.
3 Make it mono
Next, go to the HSL/Grayscale tab and tick the Convert
to Grayscale box to create a monochrome version of the
4 Tint it sepia
Now that you’ve brightened the pebbles and reeds you can
colourise the shadows and highlights separately to enhance
landscape. Darken the blue sky and sea by dragging the Blues different parts of the scene. Click on the Split Toning tab, put
slider to -28. You can make the reds and pebbles stand out by the Highlights’ Saturation up to 80 and drag the Hue slider to
dragging the Yellows slider right to +45. 48, turning the picture’s brightest pixels a warm sepia.
5 Target the shadows

Drag the Shadows Saturation slider up to 60 and tint the
shot’s shadows a rich dark blue by dragging the Shadows Hue
6 Get the balance right
The Balance slider helps you adjust the dominance of the
two colours in the shot. The warm sepia landscape looks a
slider up to 234. This creates a visually pleasing contrast little weak compared to the intensity of the brooding blue sky,
between the warm pebbles and reeds and the cold sea and so drag the Balance slider right to +42, spreading the sepia
sky. The colour and tonal contrast helps to emphasise the tones in the shot. And with that you’re done – you should now
shapes in the scene. have an attractive split-tone landscape.
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Effects On
Look in the Velvia Film
folder on the DVD
Rainer Mirau
Original shot
Film effects
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How to…
Emulate the look
of slide film
Recreate the distinctive colours and contrast captured by Fujichrome Velvia
slide film using Photoshop’s suite of powerful digital darkroom tools
WHAT YOU’LL NEED Photoshop Elements 6 images also have a fine grain, which revealing using the Adobe Camera Raw editor. Here you
or Photoshop CS, or later a scene’s details with the minimum of noise. can tweak colour with precision, sharpen up
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN How to create naturally You could adjust your in-camera processing detail and remove any colour noise or grain to
vivid-looking colours; how to reduce unwanted settings to make it boost saturation and tweak create a look that suits your source file. Even
grain; how to simulate distinctive film brands tones as soon as it captures a shot. However, better, you can do this at your leisure and
IT ONLY TAKES 10 minutes the colour processing controls are fiddly to you have total control over the results of the
set up, so you may not get the results you process. Let’s get started...
Traditional photographers often want and your shots could end up looking
favour a particular brand of film oversaturated. If you’re shooting in Raw, VIDEO TUTORIAL Follow our step-by-step
because of the distinctive look it Adobe Camera Raw will override the in-camera guide to recreating film styles
gives their prints. Slide films such processing settings anyway. IMAGE FILE The start image, velvia_start.
as Fuji Velvia give saturated colours It makes more sense to simulate the colours cr2, is in the Velvia Film folder on the DVD
for high-contrast landscapes. Velvia created by Velvia film in the digital darkroom
1 Brighten things up
Open the file named velvia_start.cr2 in Adobe Camera Raw.
The histogram doesn’t stretch to the far right of the graph,
2 Tweak the tones
The histogram reveals a broad spread of shadows,
midtones and highlights, so the shot’s exposure is relatively
indicating that the shot’s highlights aren’t as bright as they healthy. Click the Shadow Clipping Warning icon (the white
could be. Push Exposure up to +0.60 to brighten the highlights arrow) at the top-left of the histogram and the darkest parts of
and midtones. The graph will slide towards the right. the shot will appear as blue patches. To reveal a little more
detail in these areas, drag the Blacks slider to about 2.
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Effects
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3Boost the blues

The colours in our landscape (especially the blues) are
desaturated compared with the rich colours produced by Velvia
4Reveal midtone detail
The mountain consists mostly of midtones, so it lacks
impact. To draw the eye into the shot and simulate Velvia’s look,
film. Push the Vibrance slider up to +50 for more striking you can exaggerate the midtone contrast. To do so, drag the
colours. The blues will still look quite weak, so enhance them Clarity slider to +57. The mountain’s weak shadows darken and
by moving the Temperature slider down to 3750. the highlights brighten, emphasising its texture and detail.
5Stay sharp
Velvia film produces shots with pin-sharp detail. To make
the mountain’s textures pop even more, click the Detail tab and
6Go against the grain
Velvia film (especially Velvia 50) has a very fine and
unobtrusive grain. By default, the Noise Reduction section’s
push the Amount slider to 70. Enhance the contrast by pushing Colour slider is set to 25 to remove colour noise. To finish, drag
Radius to 1.3. Don’t go any further, or you risk blowing out the Luminance slider up to 65 to reduce the grain in the
highlights and adding halos around contrasting edges. midtones of the water.
Experiment with different film effects

Use FilmPack to mimic other classic films
Fuji Velvia is just one of many different films that
has its own look (and fans). In theory, you can
also use Photoshop’s colour-correcting tools to
simulate the distinctive properties of a host of
other film brands, such as the delicate flesh
tones of Astia or the soft grain of Tri-X.
If you’d rather not tinker around too much in
the digital darkroom to replicate these effects,
though. there is a faster film-faking solution:
download the free trial version of DxO FilmPack
from www.dxo.com. This Photoshop plug-in can
simulate the colour and grain of over 50 classic
film types. FilmPack 2 is also available as a
stand-alone application. It looks like, and
behaves in a similar way to, Adobe Camera Raw,
so you should find it easy to pick up. Kodachrome 64 Kodak Elite 100 Kodak HIE

Original shot Glowing landscapes
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Ben Brain
On
the disc
How to…
Start image and video
guide on your CD
Give a landscape
a golden glow
Take an ordinary landscape and give it a creative makeover as we show you
how to use Camera Raw to improve an image’s tones, colour and contrast
WHAT YOU’LL NEED Photoshop CS or But, even more importantly, the light can and light to add drama and impact to the
Photoshop Elements 5, or later be fantastic as this time of day, with vivid scene. By warming up the shot’s colour
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN How to warm up yet soft colours transforming familiar temperature, you can fake the golden
colour; how to darken shadows; how objects on the horizon. glow of a sunrise, saving you the hassle
to produce finer details Even if you have little option but to take of getting up early to capture it for real!
IT ONLY TAKES 15 minutes your landscape photos at other times of We’ll also look at techniques for making
day, however, there is usually something landscape shots more more attractive,
The quality of light can make or break you can do to draw out the colour and showing you how you can enhance
a landscape shot. Many pro landscape light in your shot, adding zest and contrast while retaining the detail in
photographers recommend the hours interest to even the dullest shots. And delicate and light areas such as cloud
around sunrise as the perfect because the Raw file format retains so formations. You’ll also see how to boost
time to capture the view you much information, taking photos in Raw the image’s sharpness to bring out the
want: shadows are long and is the ideal way to start. detail of busy areas like the tree leaves.
dramatic to add shape and form In this tutorial, you’ll take a Raw The result is a far more punchy and
to the contours of the ground. landscape shot and enhance the colour evocative image. So let’s get started...

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Effects
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1 Increase depth
Open Raw2_start.cr2 from your disc. Because it’s a
Raw file, it will automatically open in the Camera Raw editor.
2 Handy histograms
Before you begin editing, check out the image’s histogram.
This helps you spot any tonal problems your shot may have.
Navigate to the bottom of the interface and set Depth to 16 This shot has a healthy spread of pixels throughout the tonal
Bits/Channel. This gives you the full range of colour information range, showing that there’s a strong range of shadows (to the
to work with – you won’t see any difference on screen, but you left of the graph), midtones (in the middle) and highlights (to
have more choice in altering colour temperature or saturation. the right).
3 Spot clipping
At the far right of the histogram, you’ll see a red line that
shoots up to the top of the graph. This indicates that some of
4 Warm it up
Before worrying about reducing clipped pixels, let’s warm
up the shot to mimic the golden glow you get when shooting a
the photo’s brightest pixels are clipped (pure white). To highlight scene bathed in early morning sunlight. Drag the Temperature
the parts of the shot that are overexposed, click the Highlight slider up to 6,600 degrees Kelvin. This warms the shot, but also
clipping warning icon above the graph. increases the amount of clipping in the brightest clouds.
5 Quick recovery
You now need to recover the detail lost in the blown-out
highlights without changing the exposure of the midtones and
6 Adjust exposure
To give the early morning scene a moodier look, drag the
Exposure slider to the left (to about –0.35). This will mimic the
shadows. The Recovery slider does just that. Drag it to about effect of narrowing the aperture to darken the scene’s
25 to reduce all traces of the red clipping warning. You now shadows, midtones and highlights. The beauty of editing in Raw
have a better range of highlights within the photo, which will is that you can essentially change the effect of your camera
produce a detailed print. settings after the event.

Glowing landscapes
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7 Boost midtone detail

In the middle of the histogram, you can see that the
midtone pixels don’t have much strength. To reveal detail
8 Dramatic contrast
For a more dramatic scene, enhance the contrast between
the darkest shadows and the brightest highlights. First turn on
hidden in the midtones of the lonely tree’s branches (without Shadows clipping warning in the histogram’s top left, then drag
affecting the darkest shadows or brightest highlights), drag the the Blacks slider to about 10. Specks of blue appear in the
Fill Light slider up to about 18. tree, but so little loss of detail in deep shadows is acceptable.
9 Colour correction
To give the shot even more impact, boost its colour
intensity. Drag Vibrance to around +35: it’s designed to boost
10Sharper shooting
For a print with more impact, click the Detail tab. Use
the Zoom pop-up menu in the bottom left of the interface to
less-saturated colours more than those that are already quite view the shot at 100%. This gives you a clearer view of your
intense, so it’s a better choice for many landscapes than the photo’s actual pixels. Drag the Sharpening Amount slider up
cruder Saturation slider. to about 70 to increase detail around the finer branches.
How we enhanced this shot...

1 Reduce clipping
We gave the shot a glow
using the Temperature slider
2 Fill Light
To reveal the darker
details that were lost in
and used the Recovery slider the tree’s underexposed
to reveal detail hidden in midtones, we bumped
blown-out highlights without the strength of the
altering midtones or shadows. Fill Light slider right up.
3 Better colour
To produce colours with
more impact, we dragged the
4 Stay sharp
As a finishing touch, we
sharpened the shot. It’s
Vibrance slider up to a higher always best to leave
setting. This created brighter sharpening to the end to
and more vivid blues and minimise any artefacts
greens within the scene. that the process may add.

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Effects
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Original shot
Ali Jennings
How to…
Create the On
the disc
perfect sunrise Look in the Sunrise
folder on the DVD
Looking for a way to enhance a lacklustre sunrise? Then find out how to
warm and boost a shot’s colours, and add a gradient-based glow
WHAT YOU’LL NEED Photoshop Elements 6 details are captured in sharp focus. At such using the tools in Camera Raw, and boost the
or Photoshop CS, or later a narrow aperture, the shutter speed will vibrancy of the desaturated colours to create
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN How to warm up colour need to be quite slow, or the shot could be a more attractive scene – we’ll show you how
and boost its intensity, how to use the underexposed. For this shot, we used a shutter in the following steps. We’ll also reveal how
Gradient Tool to give skies a subtle glow speed of 1/6 sec, which meant we had to use to enhance the sunrise effect in Photoshop’s
IT ONLY TAKES 15 minutes a tripod to avoid blur. standard editor by adding a gradient to the sky.
The low-angle sun should be bathing the
When shooting the sun rising over a scene in an attractive golden glow, but our Auto VIDEO TUTORIALS Follow our step-by-step
scenic landscape, you should set your White Balance setting has failed to capture the guide to enhancing colour
camera to use a tight aperture, such scene’s true colours and added a cold blue IMAGE FILE The start image, sunrise_before.
as f/16. This will help to ensure that colour cast. To make the shot look warm and dng, is in the Sunrise folder on the DVD
both the foreground and background inviting, you can correct its colour temperature

Sunrise effects
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1 Warm it up
Open the file sunrise_before.dng in the Sunrise folder on
your DVD: the Raw file will open in Adobe Camera Raw. To warm
2 Give the colours a boost
You can boost the shot’s weaker colours to give the shot
more impact. To do this, drag Vibrance to around +30. This
up the cold-looking colours, drag the Temperature slider to +18. boosts weaker colours (such as the green grass and orange
The shot should now have a warmer tint. mist) without oversaturating stronger colours. If you boost
blues too much, for example, you’ll create unprintable colours.
3 Switch to Photoshop Elements

By tweaking the shot’s colour temperature and strength in
Adobe Camera Raw, you can avoid adding noise artefacts to
4 Pick a colour
Before adding a gradient to the scene, you’ll need to
choose a suitable colour. Click on the Select Foreground Colour
the scene. However, to enhance the shot with a warm sky icon in the Tools palette to open the Colour Picker. Choose an
gradient, you’ll need to click on Open Image to access the extra orange colour by setting H (Hue) to 45°, S (Saturation) to 80%
tools in Photoshop Elements’ standard editing interface. and B (Brightness) to 100%. Click OK.
5 Create a gradient
Click on the Create New Adjustment Layer icon in the
Layers palette and choose Gradient from the drop-down menu.
6 Modify the gradient
Click OK again. The orange gradient now starts at the top
of the shot and trails off before hitting the foreground rocks.
Click Reverse to make the gradient start in the sky and trail off To reveal some sky colour and texture from the original shot,
towards the ground. Click on the gradient’s preview to edit it. set the gradient’s Blending Mode to Pin Light and reduce the
Drag the white Opacity stop to a Location of 42%. Click OK. Gradient Fill layer’s Opacity to 43%.

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Effects On
Look in the Day To
Dusk folder
How to…
Turn day
into dusk
Learn how to transform an ordinary daylight scene
with a combination of Adobe Camera Raw and
Photoshop adjustments
WHAT YOU’LL NEED Photoshop Elements 6 could not be achieved with simple in-camera
or Photoshop CS, or above underexposure techniques.
Matt Henry
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN How to use the Recovery There are a couple of things worth noting
slider to tone down sky highlights; how to use when capturing your source image. First, you
the Colour Temperature slider to add a must avoid having the
blue cast; how to adjust blacks and sun in frame unless it’s
exposure to simulate night behind heavy cloud (as
IT ONLY TAKES 20 minutes in our source image),
for only then is it
Trying to capture dusk or night-time possible to pass it off
shots with a very long exposure as the moon. Second,
will mean you’re likely to end up with a bright day gives you
a result not too dissimilar to daytime. You a better chance of
could underexpose the same scene to produce success because
a result more like night, but a better-looking of the increased
solution is to capture the image in the daytime tonal separation,
and then adjust the exposure at the Raw but including some
conversion stage for a dusk-like effect. artificial lighting late
We can never hope to reproduce night in the day is a good
exactly as we would see it, since the human alternative too. Original shot
eye has an incredible contrast range that
a camera or monitor can’t match. But by VIDEO TUTORIAL Follow our step-by-step
working with the Raw data, we can darken a guide to creating the impression of dusk
scene down and still retain important details IMAGE FILE Daytodusk_start.cr2 is in the
in the shadow areas to produce an effective Day To Dusk folder on the DVD
simulation of night. The same detailed result
1 Open the Raw image

Open up the start image daytodusk_start.cr2, and the
Camera Raw editor will launch. Our start image was shot late in
2 Boost image contrast
This enables us to push the Contrast slider up to +100
without burning out the sky too much. The increase in contrast
the afternoon, but it’s a little underexposed, so it already looks darkens the shadow areas, raises colour saturation and makes
like it’s approaching dusk with the default Raw settings. Our the lights on the pier brighter. Now try bringing the Recovery
first task is to push the Recovery slider from 0 to 100, which slider back to 0 and see the difference it makes. Make sure you
tones down the highlights in the sky. reset it to 100 before the next step.
Dusk effects
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3 Alter the colour temperature

Now we want to alter the colour temperature of the image,
to give it more of a cold blue hue and produce the impression
4 Boost Fill Light and Blacks
Things are already looking like dusk now, but we can throw
a bit more detail into the darker areas by increasing the Fill
of night. Drag the Temperature slider in the White Balance Light from 0 to 75. This weakens blacks and reduces contrast
section left to around 3850. The purple/magenta cast can then too much, so we can compensate a little bit by dragging the
be knocked back by dragging Tint left to -30. We can tweak Blacks slider to 20. We’ve got decent blacks now, but more
these again later if necessary. shadow detail than we had previously.
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Effects
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5Decrease exposure
The lightened shadows that reveal more detail mean that
we can now darken our image a little without clipping too many
6Lighten it up
Click Open Image to load the image in Elements’ Full Edit
window. Now we can start our localised exposure work.
tones to pure black. Drag the Exposure slider to -0.50 to darken Duplicate the background layer by pressing [Ctrl]+[J]. Click on
the whole image down. Without our Fill Light work, most of the Normal at the top of the Layers palette (Window > Layers) and
pier area would have disappeared into ugly blackness. choose Linear Dodge to lighten everything.
7Create a mask
Click the Create Adjustment Layer icon at the top of the
Layers palette and pick Levels from the drop-down. Click OK and
8Prime your brush
We can use the mask attached to the Levels 1 layer to omit
the overly bright sky in the layer above. To do this, select the
drag the Levels 1 Adjustment Layer below Layer 1. Hold [Alt] and mask’s thumbnail, set the foreground colour to black and grab
hover between the Layer 1 and Levels 1 layers until two circles the Brush tool from the Tools palette. Select a soft-edged brush
appear. Click to attach the Levels 1 layer and mask to Layer 1. and set its Size to 800 and Opacity to 100%.
9Mask out the sky

Spray over the sky to mask out the lighter sky above and
reveal the darker tones in the layer below. Make sure you
10Tidy things up
To tidy up your mask, press [X] again to set the
foreground colour to white. Using the [ and ] keys to adjust the
include all of the sky, but don’t worry too much about going over brush size, carefully spray back over the pier to erase the edges
the edges at this stage. Use the [ key on your keyboard to of your original mask and reveal the brighter pier below. Do the
reduce the brush size to 200 pixels, drag the Opacity slider to same to erase any dark areas just below the horizon on the
50% and carefully spray over the sky below the pier. right, this time with a slightly harder-edged brush.
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Effects
Original shot
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On
the disc
How to…
Look in the Day To
Night folder
Make a
moonlit scene
Avoid the headaches of shooting at night by using the tools in Adobe
Camera Raw to turn an average day shot into a knock-out nocturnal scene
WHAT YOU’LL NEED Photoshop Elements but this increases the chance of camera The Adobe Camera Raw editor has all the
5 or Photoshop CS, or later shake during the lengthier exposure, tools you need to mimic this technique.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN How to alter colour leading to blurry photos. To avoid camera Here, we’ll show you how to use White
balance; how to change tones; how to shake completely, you’ll need to use a Balance presets and Tint sliders to
turn day into night tripod, or limit your composition options create a typical ‘day for night’ shot,
IT ONLY TAKES 10 minutes by resting the camera on a hard surface without leaving the editor. Discover how
such as a floor or a wall. to tweak your image’s tones to create a
Shooting at night can be a An alternative to shooting at night is more moody moonlit scene and you’ll
challenge. Low-level light simply to fake it. For decades, filmmakers then have the freedom to shoot high-
sources often require higher have avoided the constraints of shooting quality Raw shots during the day.
ISO settings to make your at night by using a technique called ‘day
camera more sensitive to for night’. This involves filming the action VIDEO TUTORIAL Follow our step-by-step
guide to creating the impression of night
available light, leading to muddier in the daytime, then post-processing the
IMAGE FILE The start image, raw_start.dng,
photographs. You could try using a footage to give it a cold blue nocturnal
is in the Day To Night folder on the DVD
slower shutter speed to let in more light, colour cast.

Nocturnal effects
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1 Get started
Open the file raw_start.dng from your DVD. This early
morning shot has a golden colour hue created by the warm
2 Adjust White Balance
To cool down this warm-looking shot, you could drag the
Temperature slider to the left. However, it’s faster to cool things
colour temperature of the rising sun. With a bit of temperature down using the Tungsten preset in the White Balance drop-
tweaking, you can easily create a more nocturnal colour down menu. This preset is designed to cool down indoor lights,
palette, and turn the sun into the moon. but it also turns the shot a more night-like blue.
3 Tweak the tint

Sometimes your camera will accidentally tint a shot with
a green or magenta hue, so ACR provides you with a slider to
4 From sun to moon
Since moonlight is made up of reflected sunlight, it’s far
weaker than sunlight itself. To simulate this nocturnal lighting,
counteract the effect. You can use this Tint slider more drag the Recovery slider to 60. This slider will try to claw back
creatively by dragging it to –10. This adds a subtle but spooky detail from the shot’s highlights, causing the clouds around the
wash of green to the scene. ‘moon’ to darken a little.
5 Scary shadows
You can create a more atmospheric scene simply by
boosting the strength of the darkest pixels within your image.
6 Striking silhouettes
The shot’s backlit trees already appear in silhouette, but
you can make them stand out even more to create a starker
Drag Blacks up to 11. This will instantly make the shadows in contrast between the trees and the ‘moon’. To do this, drag the
the distant trees become darker, creating a more moody and Contrast slider right to a value of +45. Your day-to-night
mysterious night-time scene. transformation is now complete.

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On
Look in the Light Car
folder on the DVD
Marcus Hawkins
Original shots
How to…
Boost car light
trails with tinting
Taking a different approach to Raw adjustments can produce
colourful and high-impact images, so why not get creative?
WHAT YOU’LL NEED Photoshop Elements 6 off a series of shots, you need to head back guide you through the process of tinting and
or Photoshop CS, or later to the digital darkroom and take a fresh and toning the colour, and then layering the images
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN How to adjust Raw files abstract look at Raw conversion. Rather to create a final shot with plenty of impact.
to enhance light trail colour and impact, and than the usual technique of preserving detail
use layer blending and masks and reproducing natural colour, we want to VIDEO TUTORIAL Follow our step-by-step guide
IT ONLY TAKES 15 minutes manipulate the dull street lamp yellows into to enhancing the colour and impact of
an explosive mix of vibrant colour and action- night-time light trails in Raw on the DVD
Shooting from a moving car at packed light streams. IMAGE FILES The start images, raw_light01,
night is a great way to capture In this tutorial, we’ll take a look at how to 02, 03, 04 and 05.cr2, plus light_after.jpg,
light trails, and it’s relatively easy adjust the Raw settings to boost the light, are in the Light Car folder on the DVD
to set up. So, once you’ve reeled without blowing out the highlights. We’ll also

Trail effects
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1 Reduce the exposure

Open the five car images within ACR. Under the Basic tab,
ensure you have the Highlight Clipping Warning on. Reduce the
2 Colour changes
Use the Tint slider to make the light trails in each image
a different colour, then click the Split Toning tab. Adjust the
Exposure slider to decrease the amount of red warning showing Shadow and Highlight sliders to complement the tint you’ve
and use the Recovery slider to reduce the warning further. applied. Once each image is done, click Select All and Open.
3 Expose the background

Reopen one of the original Raw images. This time, adjust it
to give a dark contrast to the dashboard. Again, use the Split
4 Stack the images
With the images stacked in one place, move from the top to
the penultimate layer, changing the Blending Mode to Lighten.
Tone slider to apply a colour to the image. Open this image in Use the Polygonal Lasso Tool to select the windscreen and then,
Photoshop, then copy and paste the tinted images into this one. in its Options, choose Add To Selection. Select the side window.
5 Mask the layer

Refine the selection and save it (Select > Save Selection),
then create a layer mask for every layer but the Background.
6 Window cleaning
The last stage is to clean up any smears and make colour
tweaks. Start by flattening the image and using the Burn Tool
Each time you make a new mask, load the saved selection with a low percentage. You can use the Spot Healing Brush for
(Select > Load) to create the required mask for the car’s interior. more stubborn spots. Finally, crop into the image to frame it.

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Raw Projects
9
From shooting on location to processing
in Raw and adding effects: five complete
workshops for your SLR and Photoshop
Capture classic action photographs 194
Shooting flash-lit action images 200
Great HDR effects without the hassle 206
Creating stunning low-light seascapes 212
Photographing buildings at dusk 218

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Raw Projects
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Original shot
Thanks to Castle Combe Circuit and Chippenham Wheelers

Action shots
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On
Raw Project the disc
Look in the Cycling
Capture classic
Action folder
action photographs
Shoot fast-moving subjects without costly lenses, and mimic shallow depth
of field in Photoshop to create dynamic action shots
WHAT YOU’LL NEED Photoshop Elements 6 if you want to ensure pin-sharp shots of fast- We’ll look at the equipment you need and the
or Photoshop CS2, or later moving subjects. settings to use, and we’ll also show you how
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN How to blur backgrounds Early summer’s also the best time for to mimic shallow depth of field in Photoshop
to mimic shallow depth of field; how to get cycling, so we ventured to Castle Combe to make your subject leap off the page. Plus,
pin-sharp action shots; how to boost skies Circuit in Wiltshire (www.castlecombecircuit. we’ll reveal how to give flat, colourless skies
IT ONLY TAKES Half a day co.uk) to capture the Chippenham Wheelers a boost and how to remove power lines and
in action. Professional sports photographers other unwanted blemishes.
When the weather gets warmer and the tend to lug around multiple camera bodies
VIDEO TUTORIALS Follow our step-by-step
evenings grow longer, there’s no better time and lenses, but for this project, we’ll show you
guide to taking action shots
to shoot action images. Good weather is how to make the most of any action shoot
IMAGE FILE Masterclass_start.cr2 is in the
important because bright sunshine allows you using just one SLR and one lens, so you can
Cycling Action folder on the DVD
to shoot at high shutter speeds – essential stay mobile and responsive.

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Raw Projects
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Get in on
Customise
your camera
Many SLRs feature a custom
the action
function facility that enables
you to use the AE Lock
button on the rear of the
camera (marked with a star)
to control autofocus. This is
particularly useful in AI
Servo mode, because it
Learn how to shoot sport like a pro
means you can lock onto
your subject and track it
independently of the shutter
button, so you don’t have to
worry about half pressing
the shutter button to ensure
the lens remains locked on
target. The exposure is set
at the moment the shot is
taken. In your Custom
Function menu, look for
Shutter/AE Lock Button and
select AE/AF or No AE Lock.
Select AI Servo AF
In AI Servo (predictive) AF mode, your D-SLR
continuously re-focuses on a moving subject.
If the subject approaches or retreats at a
constant rate, the camera tracks the subject
and predicts the focusing distance at the split
second the image is taken. To lock the focus
on a Canon EOS, for example, half-press the
shutter release, then keep it half-pressed,
making sure you keep the focus point hovering
over the subject as it moves. It takes practice,
but once you’ve got the hang of it, you’ll
wonder how you ever managed without it.
Shoot in Continuous mode

If you’re photographing sport, you should always have your
Drive mode set to Continuous so that you don’t miss a decisive
moment. You should also get into the habit of shooting in long
bursts: the longer the burst, the more likely you are to get the
image you’re after. The frame rate (given as frames per second,
or fps) and the maximum number of shots you can take in a
single burst will depend on your camera and the write speed
of your memory card.

xxxxxxxx
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Extend your lens

A long lens is essential, partly because it enables you to get close to the
action, and partly because it throws the background out of focus at wide
apertures, helping to draw attention to your subject. 200mm is fine if you’re
close, but 300mm (or longer) will give you more scope. And getting closer
needn’t cost the earth: 1.4x and 2x extenders cost a fraction of the price
of a brand new lens. A 1.4x extender on a 200mm lens will give an effective
focal length of 280mm (1.4x200), or about 450mm on a camera with a crop
factor of 1.6 (1.6x200x1.4). Note: extenders only autofocus on lenses with
a maximum aperture of f/4 or larger.
Use a monopod
No self-respecting sports
photographer goes
anywhere without a
monopod. As well as
providing added stability
for improved sharpness,
they also take the weight
of heavy cameras and
lenses, which helps to
minimise camera shake.
(Try lugging a long lens
around for a day without
any support and you’ll
see what we mean!)
They’re also especially
good for panning, since
they make the panning
Buy a bar bag action smoother, and
help minimise any
This is one of those nifty little bits of kit vertical movement of
that’s specific to cycling, but it takes the camera or lens.
a lot of the hassle out of taking
photographs on the move. Having the
camera in a bag right in front of you
inevitably means you take more shots,
and the more shots you take, the more
likely you are to get one that’s a winner.
To view a wide selection of waterproof
bar bags, visit www.wiggle.co.uk.

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Raw Projects
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Give your action shots a pro finish
1 Seeing red
Open masterclass_start.cr2 from the DVD. The image will
automatically open in the Adobe Camera Raw interface. Click on
2 Recovery position
To recover some of the detail in these blown-out areas, drag
the Recovery slider to 30. To boost the contrast and colour, set
the Clipping Warning icon (the white triangle) at the top-right of the Blacks slider to 10, the Contrast slider to 50 and the Clarity
the histogram to reveal any blown-out areas. The red highlights and Vibrance sliders to 60 and 30 respectively.
indicate areas that contain little or no detail.

Next, click on the Tone Curve tab at the top of the right-
hand Adjustment panel, select the Point tab and then choose
4 Healing power
Click Open Image. Make sure the Layers palette is open (go
to Window > Layers) and then go to Layer > Duplicate Layer. Call
Medium Contrast from the drop-down menu. To boost the this new layer ‘Clean’, then click OK. To clone out the power
contrast a little further, drag the point nearest the top-right lines in the sky, select the Spot Healing Brush and set its
corner to about 200. Diameter to 100 pixels, Hardness to 40% and Spacing to 1%.
5 Keep it clean
Carefully paint along both power lines, taking care not to
stray into the trees on the horizon. Next, select the Clone
6 It’s all a blur
To make the riders stand out more, you can blur the
background and foreground while keeping the subject sharp. To
Stamp, set the Size to 100 pixels and work your way around the do this, go to Layer > Duplicate Layer and rename the layer Blur.
image, pressing [Alt] to select a clear source point, then clicking Next, go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur and, in the new window
on the image to clone out the dust spots in the sky or road. that appears, select a Radius of around 20 pixels. Click OK.

Action shots
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7Draw a gradient
Click on the Add Layer Mask icon in the Layers palette, then
select the Gradient tool from the Tools palette. Choose the
8Reveal the riders
To make all the riders in the image sharp again, you’ll need
to mask out the blurred layer. To do this, select the Brush tool
default gradient from the top bar, then click on Reflected and set Radius to 149, Opacity to 100% and Flow to 80%.
Gradient. Making sure that the foreground colour is black and Ensure the foreground colour is set to black, then zoom in to
the background colour is white, draw a gradient line from the around 50% and paint over each of the riders, masking out any
top to the bottom of the lead rider’s front wheel. halos around their edges.
9 Fill it in
To deepen the blue of the sky without adding unwanted
noise, go to Layer > New Fill Layer > Gradient. Click OK, then
10 Blue sky thinking
In the Colour window that appears, type 165, 190 and
242 into the R, G and B boxes and click OK. Now, in the Gradient
tick the Reverse box in the new window that appears. Click Editor, drag the top-right pointer two thirds of the way to the left.
anywhere in the Gradient box to open the Gradient Editor, select Drag the bottom-left pointer so it lines up with the top pointer.
the Colour Stop pointer at the bottom left of the slider and then Click OK, then choose Multiply from the Blending Mode drop-
click in the Colour box that appears below. down in the Layers palette. Drag the Opacity slider to 40%.
11 Look sharp
You can now apply some sharpening. Sharpen the whole
image and you will also sharpen the background, resulting in
12Make some noise
The ‘grain’ around the edges of the riders is quite visible,
but the background grain has been smoothed out. To ensure
artefacts. To sharpen just the riders, select the Clean layer and that the background blends with the grain around the riders,
go to Filter > Sharpen > Unsharp Mask. Set Amount to 150%, select the Blur layer and go to Filter > Noise > Add Noise. Set
Radius to 1.0 and Threshold to 5% to reduce unwanted noise. Amount to 1.5 and pick Gaussian Distribution, then click OK.

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Raw Projects
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Flash-lit shots
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On
the disc
Look in the Flashlit
Raw Project
Action folder
Shooting flash-lit
action images
Firing a burst of flash at the end of a long exposure
can freeze even the fastest-moving action.
Discover the technique for your own images
WHAT YOU’LL NEED Photoshop Elements 6 enough to give a sense of speed. Get either
or Photoshop CS, or later wrong, and the resulting shot looks like it’s
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN How to get tack-sharp, been taken on a trampoline!
flash-lit action shots; how to set second- But all is not lost – with the help of a
curtain sync on your flash; how to fine-tune flashgun, you can add a burst of flash that
exposure and colours will freeze the action, no matter how fast
IT ONLY TAKES Half a day your subject is going. This is because a burst
of flash lasts anything from 1/1,000 sec to
Capturing motion-blur shots can be a lottery: 1/40,000 sec, and the latter is fast enough to
it requires a combination of ultra-smooth freeze the motion of a speeding bullet.
panning and a shutter speed that will freeze Armed with our D-SLR and a Speedlite, we
your subject, but blur the background went to the Manchester Velodrome for the
Para-cycling World Championships. We’ll show
you how we got this shot and how we boosted
the motion blur to make it more dramatic…

guide to capturing flash-lit action
IMAGE FILE Masterclass_start.cr2 is in the
Flashlit Action folder on the DVD

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Raw Projects
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Flash, camera, action!
Here’s how to capture sharp, motion-blurred action shots…
Pre-focus your lens

Sports snappers often use predictive
(AI Servo) focusing in Continuous
mode, but at close range, cyclists are
so fast that it’s hard to keep your
focus point on the subject. The way
around this is to pre-focus on a point
on the track, set your lens to manual
(so it won’t hunt for a focal point
later), then pan with your subject in
frame until it reaches the right point
on the track. It’s important to continue
panning after you’ve taken the shot to
ensure a smooth motion blur effect.
Ensure adequate depth of field

Indoor arenas can be quite dark, so getting exposure right is about striking
a balance. Because your subject is moving so quickly, it may be just behind
or just in front of your focal point when you release the shutter, so you need
to set a reasonable aperture to ensure adequate depth of field. You also
need a shutter speed that will give you the desired amount of motion blur,
and as low an ISO as possible to minimise grain. For our shot, we set an
aperture of f/7.1, a shutter speed of 1/30 sec and an ISO of 400.

Flash-lit shots
WorldMags.net Super tip!
If your flash doesn’t feature second-curtain
sync, you can set it in-camera using the
relevant custom function (see your manual
for details). If your flash does feature
second-curtain sync, whatever you set on
your flash will override your camera settings.
Add an extension
With many sports, it can be difficult to get
close to the action, but you don’t need to
spend a small fortune on a long lens to fill
the frame. Canon’s 1.4x and 2x extenders,
which cost around £200 and £250
respectively, will turn a 200mm lens into
a 280mm or 400mm lens. Once you take
into account the crop factor on many
cameras, a 1.4x extender on a 200mm
lens will give you an effective focal length
of around 450mm (1.6x200x1.4). They do
reduce your lens’s maximum aperture (an
f/4 lens will become an f/5.6 lens in the
case of the 1.4x extender), but they
produce really sharp shots and take up
very little space in your camera bag.
Set second-curtain sync

With shutter speeds as slow as 1/30 sec, it’s
important to decide when your flash fires. With
first-curtain sync it fires the instant the
shutter opens; with second-curtain sync it
fires right at the end. To give the impression
that your subject is moving forward, you need
to ensure that any motion blur is behind it. To
do this, set second-curtain sync, which will Set the right IS mode
freeze the action at the end of your exposure,
after your subject has passed across the frame. If you own an L-Series lens
with an Image
Stabilisation feature,
it’s important to
set it to the
correct mode
(assuming
there’s an
Stay hydrated! appropriate
option). For
Large, air-conditioned venues tend to panning, you
be quite hot and dry, particularly when need to set IS
they’re packed with spectators. To make mode to 2,
sure you stay hydrated, carry a bottle of which will
water in your camera bag or, better still, eliminate
invest in a bottle carrier that you can vertical camera
strap to your belt. When you’re snapping shake without
away for hours, having a drink to hand will trying to correct
remind you to take frequent sips. horizontal movement.

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Raw Projects
Exaggerate the blur WorldMags.net
1 Evaluate the image

Open masterclass_start.cr2 from the DVD in the Adobe
Camera Raw editor. The histogram looks healthy, with a full tonal
2 Adjust the exposure
Click on the triangle at the top-right of the histogram to turn
on the Highlight Clipping Warning. Drag the Exposure slider up to
range, but the biker is slightly underexposed and the colours are +0.25. This will brighten the biker and the background without
a bit muted. adding unduly to the clipped highlights, which show up as red
patches in the image.
3 Tweak the tones

The histogram doesn’t reach all the way to the left,
indicating that there are no pure blacks in the image. To give the
4 Increase the contrast
This so-called remapping has the effect of boosting the
contrast slightly. To boost contrast still further, drag the
image a wider tonal range, drag the Blacks slider to +10. This Contrast slider to +50 (any further will introduce clipping in the
will pull the histogram to the left slightly so that the darkest biker’s shirt). To help the biker stand out from the background,
pixels in the image will now print out as pure black. increase edge contrast by dragging the Clarity slider to +50.
5 Brighten the colours

Finally, to brighten the blues, drag the Vibrance slider to
+20 and make the reds richer by moving the Saturation slider to
6 Blur the biker
To add motion blur, we need to blur a duplicate layer and
then mask out parts of this layer to reveal selected areas of the
+10. (Again, any further will start to introduce clipped highlights.) sharp layer below. To do this, go to Layer > Duplicate Layer. Call
Once you’re done, click Open Image to open up your edited this layer Blur, click OK, then go to Filter > Blur > Motion Blur. To
version in Photoshop’s main editing window. add motion blur, set the Distance to 600 pixels.

Flash-lit shots
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7Set the direction

To make the blur look more realistic, we need to line it up
with the direction the bike is travelling. Drag the line in the little
8Add a mask
Click OK and then click the Add Layer Mask icon at the
bottom of the Layers palette. Press [D] then [X] to change the
circle until it’s roughly lined up, and then use the cursor keys on foreground colour to black and then select the Brush tool from
your keyboard to fine tune it so that the lines on the track look the Tools palette. From the preset picker, select a soft-edged
as sharp as possible. We chose an angle value of -28. brush of around 300 pixels and set Opacity and Flow to 50%.
9 Reveal the rider

To mask out the blurred layer and reveal the rider below,
gently click on the leading edge of the rider and his bike, taking
10 Boost colour and contrast
Tweak colour and contrast by clicking on the Create a
New Adjustment Layer icon at the bottom of the Layers palette
care to remove the halo in front. Also spray over the logo on the and selecting Curves. In the dialog that appears, click on the
track using strokes parallel to the track’s lines. As you spray, diagonal curves line to create a subtle S-shape, as above. To
you’ll see a grey mask start to appear in the mask thumbnail. save your image, go to File > Save As and select PSD or TIFF.
Timing is everything...
...As these first- and second-curtain sync images demonstrate
FIRST-CURTAIN SYNC
With the camera held still and the flash
firing right at the start of a long exposure,
the action is frozen at the moment the flash
is fired, and the cyclist passes through the
frame, registering as a blur.
SECOND-CURTAIN SYNC
The camera is held still again, but this
time the action is frozen by a split-
second burst of flash right at the end
of the exposure, after the cyclist has
passed across the frame.

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Raw Projects
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the disc
Raw Project Look in the HDR folder
on the DVD
Great HDR effects

without the hassle
Want to get stunning High Dynamic Range images, but don’t have the software
or patience? Here’s a clever way to get HDR effects by merging Raw files
WHAT YOU’LL NEED Photoshop CS3 something of an obsession for exposures to create three differing shots.
or later enthusiasts, and several high-tech Then we’ll combine these shots using a
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN How to process Raw solutions have been developed. HDR cunning combination of layers and layer
files; how to combine multiple images into (High Dynamic Range) software can masks in Photoshop to exploit the best
one; how to use layers and layer masks be used to combine images taken at elements of each shot.
IT ONLY TAKES Half a day different exposures, and has created To capture our source image, we
quite a buzz in photographic circles. It ventured to the famous Neolithic stone
Capturing a full range of tones from isn’t always the answer, though, and circle at Avebury in Wiltshire. We then
dark to light can be a real challenge, there can be an temptation to ‘overcook’ returned to the comfort of the digital
even for the most accomplished images, producing artificial results. darkroom to work on our efforts.
photographer. Digital cameras simply Here, we’ll show you how to use Adobe
aren’t able to capture details in both the Camera Raw to achieve effects that are VIDEO TUTORIAL Follow our step-by-step
guide to creating HDR images
highlight and shadow areas of very high similar to those created by HDR software.
IMAGE FILE Masterclass_start.cr2 is in
contrast scenes in a single exposure. We’re going to take one Raw file and
the HDR folder on the DVD
Achieving a full tonal range has become process it three times at different

HDR landscapes
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Original shot

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Raw Projects
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Shoot a scene for
Raw merging
How to ensure a superb end result,
whatever the weather…
Speed things up
Sometimes, you don’t have time to
set up a tripod, or you may not even
have one with you. However, you can
get away with hand-holding your
camera as long as you use a relatively
fast shutter speed. As a general rule
of thumb, use a shutter speed that
matches the longest focal length of
the lens you’re using. We were using a
17-85mm lens, so we tried to keep our
shutter speed at 1/80 sec or faster.
Shoot in Raw
For this technique, shooting in Raw
is essential. In addition to the
enhanced image quality of Raw files,
you’ll also need to process the
image three times to make three
different exposures. A large JPEG
won’t cope with being over- or
under-exposed to such an extent.

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Check your histogram
The histogram is a handy tool that’s
essential to ensure you have a good
exposure to work with. While you’ll be
processing your photo in several ways at
different exposures, it’s also important
to have a good starting point. Although
your camera’s LCD screen gives a rough
idea of exposure, it can be deceptive,
especially when you’re working outside. The
histogram’s graphic representation of the
tones is a relatively fail-safe way to ensure
you’ve got all the tonal data you need.
Experiment with composition

The great thing about not using a tripod is that it
frees you up to be more experimental with your
composition. You can duck and dive, get down
low or give the camera a slight twist. For this
shot, we wanted to create a dramatic
composition to enhance the powerful presence
of the stones. Getting down low and shooting
slightly upwards has helped achieve this.
Head out in all weathers

It might not gel with the popular perception of
fine photography weather, but a good cloudy
day can be great for taking stunning shots.
A poor weather forecast – especially a
combination of sun and cloud – could actually
be a good reason to head for the hills with your
gear. Despite needing to avoid the odd downpour
in a conveniently located public house, we found
the dramatic clouds added to the impact of this scene,
and our photographic experience.

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Merge three images into one
1 Open the Raw file and warm it

In Photoshop, go to File > Open and select the source file
named masterclass_start.cr2 from your DVD. The image will be
2 Sharpen and add punch
Enter an amount of about 35 in Clarity to sharpen details.
Moving to the Lens Correction tab, set the Lens Vignetting
opened automatically in Adobe Camera Raw. In the Basic tab, slider to -50. This will slightly darken the edges of the shot,
change White Balance to 6150 to warm the image up a little. drawing viewers’ eyes into the scene.
3 Save three files

You’ll need to make three separate exposures from one
file, so go to the Basic tab and use the Exposure slider to
4 Merge into one
In Photoshop, go to File > Open and select the three
images you’ve just created. You’ll need to drag them all into
overexpose the photo by +1.5. This will make the photo lighter. one image, so select the Move Tool and, while holding the
Click Save Image and name this ‘file stones_1’. Repeat a [Shift] key, simply drag them into one file. They’ll appear exactly
similar process to make a normal and an underexposed image. aligned as new layers on top of one another.
Save each image and name them appropriately.
5 Organise your layers

To unlock the Background layer, right-click on it and select
Make Layer From Background, or just double-click its thumbnail.
6 Create a mask
Add a mask to the top layer by clicking the Add Layer Mask
button in the Layers palette. Now select a soft black brush and
Now you can reorganise your layers into order by dragging them paint over areas, such as the grass, that are too dark in this
up or down the layer stack. We put the darkest at the top and version of the shot. Where you paint, you’ll reveal the better-
the lightest at the bottom. exposed layer below.

HDR landscapes
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7 Refine your mask

Now click the middle layer’s thumbnail, so that it’s
activated, and repeat Step 6 – adding a mask and painting on it
8 Create an Adjustment Layer
Once you’re happy that you’ve revealed the best parts of
each layer, you can add Adjustment Layers at the top of the
– which will start to reveal aspects of the bottom and lightest stack: these will affect all layers beneath them simultaneously.
layer. To refine your masking, use the Opacity and Flow sliders The easiest method is to click the top layer’s thumbnail, then
to adjust the intensity of your brush strokes. If you make a the ‘half-moon’ button at the foot of the Layers palette and
mistake, step back in the History or switch the foreground select an adjustment from the pop-up list. We made further
colour to white and paint the mask back. adjustments to Curves and Saturation.
9 Merge the layers

Merge all layers into one new layer and place this on top
of your layer stack. To do this without flattening the image and
10Soften the image
Finally, you can add a slight softness to the image,
which will emphasise the ethereal nature of the subject. To do
losing your layers irrevocably, press [Ctrl]+[Alt]+[Shift]+[E] – this, duplicate the merged layer (Layer > Duplicate Layer), then
a fiddly but very useful keyboard shortcut. You can then add a Gaussian Blur by going to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur.
refine your image with tools such as Dodge and Burn on Set the amount to about 50 pixels. Now change the Blending
this compressed layer. Mode of the blurred layer to Soft Light and use the Opacity
slider to reduce the intensity of the effect.
How we created our dramatic landscape

1 Rain or shine
Undeterred by the
gloomy weather, we used
3 Raw processing
Using Adobe Camera
Raw (ACR), we processed
the day’s drabness to our our image three times at
advantage when shooting different exposures, ending
the photogenic stone circle up with one underexposed,
at Avebury in Wiltshire. one correctly exposed and
one overexposed shot.
2 The perfect
set-up
We set our handheld Canon
4 Layer Masks
We then combined our
three exposures into one
EOS 40D to 1/125 sec, document on three layers.
which was fast enough to Using layer masks, we
minimise camera shake. revealed the best parts of
We also shot in Raw to get each layer to create a
the best from our scene. really dramatic shot.

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Raw Projects
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Paul Grogan
Original shots
Raw Project On
the disc
Creating stunning Look in the Low Light
folder on the DVD
low-light seascapes
Shooting coastal scenes using slow shutter speeds can result in really
dramatic images. Here’s how it’s done...
WHAT YOU’LL NEED Photoshop Elements 6 with the moody blues of glistening boulders, seascapes that milky, ethereal look. We’ll also
or Photoshop CS, or later they can create images as striking as take a look at the settings and equipment
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN How to master long they are serene. Another favourite trick of to use, and show you how to fine-tune your
exposures in low light; how to merge two seascape specialists is to use slow shutter exposures using layers and Layer Masks.
shots; how to fix lens distortion speeds to blur out movement in the water,
IT ONLY TAKES Half a day resulting in smooth, quicksilver seas. VIDEO TUTORIAL Follow our step-by-step
We headed to Pembrokeshire for a sunset guide to shooting stunning seascapes
Sunset seascapes are the stock-in-trade of shoot of our own. Over the next few pages, IMAGE FILE Foreground_start.cr2, is in
many professional landscape photographers. we’ll show you how to make the most of the Low Light folder on the DVD
By combining the rich reds of a setting sun any coastal shoot, and how to give your

Low--light seascapes
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Raw Projects
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Carry a lens cloth
The coast can be quite windy – and when the wind’s
blowing in off the sea, it can also get pretty wet.
Even if you’re a long way from the water’s edge,
spray will invariably find its way onto the surface of
your lens or filter. This is a particular problem at
small apertures, as the large depth of field will make
it look as if you’re shooting through a rain-spattered
window. Remember to carry a soft, lint-free lens
cloth in your camera bag and give your lens or filter
a good clean before every shot.
Time your shoot

When photographing coastal scenes at dawn or dusk, it’s
essential that you know where and when the sun will rise
and set, so you can ensure you’re in the right place at
the right time. For sunrise and sunset times, check out
the excellent www.sunrisesunsetmap.com; and to work
out where the sun will come up and go down anywhere in
the UK, check out this clever little sun compass (left),
available from www.flightlogistics.tv.
Use Av mode
If you want both the foreground
Wait for the tide and background of your scene to

be in focus, it’s important to use
Knowing the times of low and high tide can make all as small an aperture as possible.
the difference when it comes to shooting seascapes, To ensure good depth of field,
since this will determine the sort of shot you’ll end up switch to Av mode and choose an
with. The key is to time your shoot so that the tide aperture of f/16 or f/22. This will
you want coincides with sunrise or sunset. You can also allow you to shoot at a very
always get tide times online before you go, but if you slow shutter speed, which is
do a lot of coastal photography, it’s worth investing in essential for blurring any crashing
a tide table for your part of the country: visit www. waves and giving the sea a
quicktide.co.uk for more info. silky-smooth finish.

Low-light seascapes
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Invest in some
graduated filters
A set of graduated ND (Neutral Density) filters is essential
if you want to accurately expose both sky and foreground.
This is particularly true at sunrise and sunset, when the
sky has a tendency to ‘blow out’ if you expose for the
foreground. Equally useful is a straight ND filter, which
limits the amount of light entering the lens, enabling you
to use even slower shutter speeds. Filters have the added
benefit of protecting your lens from spray.
Capturing the scene

Six top tips for shooting classic seascapes at slow shutter speeds
Use a cable release

It is possible to reduce camera shake at slow shutter
speeds by using the self-timer function on your camera, so
that you don’t have to touch the camera – and risk blurred
images – when the shot is being taken. However, this
function doesn’t allow you to time the moment of your
exposure very accurately. When shooting seascapes, you
need to release the shutter at the precise moment that the
waves are surging over the rocks – and the only way to do
this precisely is to use a cable release.

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Raw Projects
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How to get exposure spot-on
1 Lighten up!
Open the start file, foreground_start.cr2, in Photoshop.
The Raw file will automatically open in the Adobe Camera Raw
2 Cool it down
To boost contrast and colour, drag Blacks to +20, Contrast
to +50, Clarity to 50 and Vibrance to +25. To cool down the
interface. To lighten the foreground, drag the Exposure slider to foreground slightly without darkening it, move Tint to +10. To see
+1.0 and the Fill Light slider to +10. the effect your edits have had on your original image, tick and
untick Preview at the top of the window. Click on Open Image.
3 Red sky at night

Next, open sky_start.cr2 from the DVD. To give the warm
colours in the sky a boost, drag the Temperature slider to about
4 Merge the exposures
Press F until both images are visible. Click on foreground_
start.cr2, then click its thumbnail in the Layers palette and drag
5500 and the Saturation slider to +30. To increase the overall it onto the sky_start image. Close foreground_start.cr2, then
brightness and contrast of the sky, drag Exposure to +0.25, Fill double-click the Background layer to rename it ‘Sky’, and change
Light to +10 and Clarity to +50, then click on Open Image. Layer 1 to ‘Foreground’. Press [F] until the image fills the screen.
5 Line ’em up
To check that the two layers are aligned, click on the
Foreground layer and select Difference from the Blending Mode
6 Add a layer mask
Next, select the Foreground layer and click on the Add Layer
Mask icon in the Layers palette. Press the [X] key to set the
menu. Zoom in on the edge of the rocks at the water’s edge, foreground colour to black, then click on the Gradient Tool and
select the Move Tool and then use the arrow keys to nudge the select Foreground to Background from the drop-down menu in
Foreground layer around until it lines up with the Sky layer. Now the top toolbar.
return the Blending Mode to Normal and zoom back out.
Low-light seascapes
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7Draw a gradient
Click on the Linear Gradient icon in the top toolbar, then set
the Blending Mode to Normal and Opacity to 100%. Now draw
8Reveal the sea
Click on the gradient bar in the top toolbar to open up the
Gradient Editor. Drag the slider at the bottom left of the gradient
a vertical line from the top-centre of the image to about three bar to the right, until its Location field reads 50%. This will make
quarters of the way down. Don’t worry if it looks a bit gradual at the edge of the mask less gradual. Click OK and draw a new line
this stage, because we’ll show you how to fine-tune the effect in from the top of the image to about two thirds of the way down
the next step. to reveal more detail in the sea from the layer below.
9 Straighten the horizon

Merge the visible layers into a new layer by pressing [Shift]+
[Ctrl]+[Alt]+[E]. Rename the layer ‘Corrected’. To straighten the
10 Look clean, look sharp
To clean up the image, grab the Clone Stamp Tool from
the Tools palette, set a brush Size of around 100 pixels, and
curved horizon and lighten the corners, go to Filter > Distort > zoom in on the sky and the milky sea to clone out any dust
Lens Correction. Drag Remove Distortion to +7 and Vignette to spots. Finally, to sharpen up the rocks slightly, go to Filter >
+30, then drag Scale to 107% to lose the transparent edges Sharpen > Unsharp Mask and set Amount to 150%, Radius to
created by the correction. Click OK. 1.5 and Threshold to 0.
Following the sun

When shooting sunsets, west is best!
One advantage of shooting seascapes after the sun
has gone down is that the weather doesn’t have to
be perfect; not only do dark skies allow you to use
slower shutter speeds for smoothing out moving
water, they can also add drama to your final image.
However, if you are lucky enough to find yourself
shooting a dramatic sunset, head for a beach that
faces west and shoot towards the sun. Use a
graduated Neutral Density filter on your lens to stop
the sky from burning out and look out for reflections
in rock pools. Boulders and seaweed can also add
interest. Try to shoot in both landscape and portrait
format for variety.

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Original shots

Dusk architecture
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Raw Project On
the disc
Photographing Look in the Dusk
Masterclass folder
buildings at dusk
Dusk is a great time to shoot buildings, but exposure can be tricky.
Try combining three images in Photoshop to maximise detail

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Attach a lens hood
Using a lens hood is advisable, particularly
for dusk and night shoots: it will minimise the
amount of stray light from artificial light sources
entering the lens and producing unwanted flare.
It also has the added benefit of protecting the
front element of your lens from unexpected
knocks and scrapes.
Use a cable
Equally important for sharp shots is a cable
release, which allows you to fire the shutter
without even touching the camera, helping to
reduce camera shake. To guarantee sharp
shots, you can even lock up the mirror in-
camera, so that the vibrations caused by
the movement of the mirror don’t produce
unwanted wobbles. (See your D-SLR’s
instruction manual for details.)
Invest in a battery pack

It’s easy to get carried away at amazing
locations like this, and shoots can last long
into the night. To cope with the high number of
exposures and the long shutter speeds needed
for this type of photography, a battery pack is
invaluable - effectively doubling the length of
time you can keep on shooting. It also adds
weight to the camera, which helps to steady
the tripod.
Take a good tripod head

It goes without saying that you need a sturdy
tripod to ensure details are tack-sharp in low
light, but no less important is a tripod head
that locks tightly. If it doesn’t, heavy SLRs have
a tendency to droop during long exposures,
resulting in blurred shots. It’s also essential
that you can tilt your tripod head far enough
over to shoot vertically, as with many buildings
you’ll need to shoot in vertical format to
squeeze everything into the frame.
220 A photographer’s guide to… Raw in Photoshop

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Dusk architecture
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Travel light Use aperture priority
It pays to be mobile when you’re To ensure adequate depth of field, you’ll need to set an aperture
shooting architecture – not least of at least f/16 in Av mode, then ‘bracket’ your shots so that
because it’s hard to keep an eye you can combine exposures in Photoshop later. Shoot five
on your gear when you’re gazing different exposures to cover every eventuality: correctly
through the viewfinder. A small exposed, underexposed by one and two stops, and
shoulder bag that’s big enough overexposed by one and two stops. Set your ISO as low as
to carry an SLR body and a possible (100 or slower) and set a shutter speed of around 1/4
couple of lenses and filters sec to subtly blur passing pedestrians. Look out for brightly
should be more than adequate. dressed figures that might add interest to your final image.
Capturing the scene

Six top tips that’ll guarantee professional-looking results
WHAT YOU’LL NEED Photoshop CS3 or later ambient light to provide colour and contrast, should take with you. In our step-by-step guide
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN How to shoot for low and just enough artificial light to add interest we’ll go over the technique to combine three
light; how to combine three exposures and sparkle. Better still, shooting at dusk isn’t different exposures to retain detail in the
IT ONLY TAKES Half a day weather-dependent: on the day we travelled shadows, midtones and highlights. We’ll also
to Birmingham to shoot this project, it was show you how to remove unwanted colour
When the evenings are starting to draw out, completely overcast, but if anything the fringing on highlights, how to adjust Photoshop
there’s no better time to shoot architectural tungsten-tinged clouds that loomed overhead layers so that the different shots are perfectly
photographs. And when the sun is setting were more of a help than a hindrance, adding aligned and how to use Layer Masks to bring
late, you don’t even have to wait until the drama and detail to the sky. out detail. Finally, we’ll show you a way to
weekend to get out and about with your For this project, we’ll show you how to get straighten verticals like a pro. Grab the sample
digital camera. Well-lit buildings often look the best shots of buildings at dusk: how to images off the DVD or take your own shots,
their best at dusk, when there’s just enough approach the shot and what equipment you then let’s get stuck in...

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Merge shots to create the perfect dusk scene
1 Brighten the building

Copy the images in the Dusk Masterclass folder onto your
computer. The folder contains three files, each exposed for different
2 Remove colour fringing
To remove the fringe around the highlights, click the Lens
Corrections tab and select Highlight Edges from the Defringe menu. In
parts of the scene. Open the file building_start.cr2 in Adobe Camera the Basic tab, boost Blacks to 5, Clarity to 70 and Vibrance to 30. Click
Raw. Move the Exposure slider to +1 to brighten the shot up by a stop, Open Image.
and the Recovery slider to +66 to bring out detail in the highlights.
3 Lighten the foreground

Open foreground_start.cr2. Focusing on the area below the
balcony, move the Exposure slider to +0.50 and the Fill Light slider to
4 Tweak the sky
Open sky_start.cr2. Increase Fill Light to +10 to give the sky a
boost, then move Blacks to 10 to deepen the shadows around the light
20, which will brighten it further without blowing out the highlights. at the far right. Click Open Image. You should now have three files open
Boost Contrast to +50, Clarity to 50 and hit Open Image. in the main Photoshop interface. Press [F] until you can see all three
images stacked up.
5 Stack ‘em high

Select foreground_start.cr2, click on its layer thumbnail, then drag
it onto building_start.cr2. Do the same with sky_start.cr2. Building_
6 Line ’em up
To check the layers are aligned, click the eye icon of the Sky layer
to hide it. Select the Foreground layer, then choose Difference from the
start.cr2 should now have three layers. Double-click on the Background Blending Mode menu. Zoom in on the tower, select the Move Tool and
layer and rename it ‘Building’; do the same to rename Layer 1 use the arrow keys to nudge the Foreground layer around until it lines
‘Foreground’ and Layer 2 ‘Sky’. Close the Foreground and Sky images, up with the Building layer. Return the Blending Mode to Normal.
press [F] and fit the image to the screen.

Dusk architecture
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7Add a Layer Mask

Repeat step 6 with the Sky layer, hiding the Foreground layer and
making the Sky layer visible again. All layers should now be aligned.
8Paint in detail
Click on the Foreground layer’s mask, select the Brush Tool and
choose a large brush. (We used a Diameter of 600 and a Hardness of
Ensure all the eye icons are visible. Now select the Foreground layer, 0%.) Ensure the foreground colour is white, then set Opacity and Flow
click on Add Layer Mask and press [Ctrl]+[Delete] to turn the mask to 50%. Paint over the area below the balcony and dab over the other
black. Do the same with the Sky layer. bright lights within the scene.
9 Sharpen and clean

Repeat with the Sky layer by clicking on its mask and painting over
the sky to reveal the bright sky below. Merge the layers into a new layer
10 Straighten the verticals
To straighten the verticals, use the Marquee Tool to select the
image (by clicking and dragging), then go to Edit > Transform > Skew.
by pressing [Shift]+[Ctrl]+[Alt]+[E]. With the new layer selected, go to Drag out the top-left corner until all the verticals of the balcony are
Filter > Sharpen > Unsharp Mask and choose 100% at a Radius of 1. vertical. Do the same with the top-right corner and tweak until the
Use the Healing Brush to remove the dust spots in the sky. tower is vertical. Click the tick and deselect with [Ctrl]+[D].
Try some alternative angles

Shoot your subject from every possible viewpoint...
When shooting architecture, it’s worth
spending half an hour exploring the subject
from as many different vantage points and
angles as possible before you even set up
your tripod. Take some hand-held shots to
see what works in your viewfinder: that
way, once you’ve got the traditional
wide-angle shot of the main façade in the
bag, you can be a bit more creative.
Try to think like an architect: ask yourself
what views or details the architect would
be most proud of, look for details and Zoom in on interesting Shoot vertically, and look Try juxtaposing old and
abstracts, and don’t forget to shoot in both details to create effective for leading lines that draw new for shots with added
horizontal and vertical format. abstract images. the eye in. visual interest.

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On your
DVD-ROM
Here’s how to get the most from your packed disc
On
the disc
guide on your DVD
and learn from experts one-to-one at your own pace
Important
About copyright
Please note that all the images on your DVD are
copyright. They are not ‘royalty-free’ or ‘library’
images. They are supplied solely for your own
private use, so you can work along with our
tutorials. They must not be sold on, redistributed
in any form (whether as-supplied or edited),
made available on any server or website, or
used for any commercial purpose.

On your disc
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How to… Use your disc
1 Welcome to the disc

After the disc interface launches
and you’ve accepted the terms of use,
2 Accessing the disc contents 3 Videos and images
Go to any chapter and you’ll see a list
of the tutorials in the same order in which
Drag any image files to your own hard
disk to open in Photoshop or Elements.
you’ll see this Welcome screen. To access they appear in the printed magazine. Click You can simply double-click the video files
the content on the disc, simply click the on any of these to go to it. Click on ‘Open to view them in Apple’s QuickTime Player
appropriate chapter link in the bar below Folder’ in the next screen (see step 3) and (download the latest version free of charge
the title. The link at the foot of the screen the folder containing the video tutorial and from www.quicktime.com) or compatible
will take you to information about Future’s start image for that project will open on your player software. You might experience
entire portfolio of superlative photography desktop. (Note that this might be behind the better performance if you copy the video
magazines and details of how you can disc interface window.) Click on ‘Home’ at files to your own hard disk and view them
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A Photographers Guide To RAW in Photoshop

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A Photographers Guide To RAW in Photoshop

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What are the benefits of shooting in RAW format?

What are the benefits of shooting in RAW format?

What does this guide aim to help readers with?

What does this guide aim to help readers with?

2 GREAT WAYS TO LEARN!

READ OUR GUIDES WATCH THE VIDEOS FOLLOW OUR RAW

A PHOTOGR A PH ER’S GU IDE TO...

All the advice you

Future Publishing Ltd.

Contents Enhance your outdoor scenes

Part 1: Introducing Raw Improve skin tones in your portraits 74

Part 2: Welcome to Camera Raw

4 A photographer’s guide to… Raw in Photoshop WorldMags.net

Part 5: Corrections Part 8: Effects

Part 6: Colour Create the perfect sunrise 182

Part 7: Mono Shooting flash-lit action images 200

WorldMags.netA photographer’s guide to… Raw in Photoshop 5

Paul Newman George Cairns

How to use this guide

6 A photographer’s guide to… Raw in Photoshop WorldMags.net

Future Publishing Limited

The Raw contenders: Adobe Camera Raw and its rivals 12

Don’t gamble with colour: how to see accurate colour 22

Calibrate in seconds: the fast way to adjust your display 31

Ensure accurate on-screen colours: calibrate your monitor 32

Update your Raw editor: download and install ACR 35

WorldMags.netA photographer’s guide to… Raw in Photoshop 9

10 A photographer’s guide to… Raw in Photoshop WorldMags.net

A photographer’s guide to… Raw in Photoshop 11

12 A photographer’s guide to… Raw in Photoshop WorldMags.net

A photographer’s guide to… Raw in Photoshop 13

ADOBE CAMERA RAW: WORKFLOW

Raw file Image file

14 A photographer’s guide to… Raw in Photoshop WorldMags.net

disadvantage of Raw conversion programs in

A photographer’s guide to… Raw in Photoshop 15

CAMERA RAW TOOLS: WORKFLOW

Raw file Image file

16 A photographer’s guide to… Raw in Photoshop WorldMags.net

It might not necessarily give you the best

CAMERA RAW TOOLS: PROS AND CONS

A photographer’s guide to… Raw in Photoshop 17

The black art of Raw

THIRD-PARTY RAW CONVERTERS: WORKFLOW

Raw file Image file

18 A photographer’s guide to… Raw in Photoshop WorldMags.net

different cameras, depending on how good

THIRD-PARTY RAW CONVERTERS: PROS AND CONS

A photographer’s guide to… Raw in Photoshop 19

20 A photographer’s guide to… Raw in Photoshop WorldMags.net

BROWSER/CONVERTERS: PROS AND CONS

A photographer’s guide to… Raw in Photoshop 21

22 A photographer’s guide to… Raw in Photoshop WorldMags.net

24 A photographer’s guide to… Raw in Photoshop WorldMags.net

3 Get accurate colours

4 Get your printer

A photographer’s guide to… Raw in Photoshop 25

Measuring your monitor

Option A: Do nothing Option B: An ICC proﬁle Option C: Custom proﬁle